In your money Monday media column: the Pentagon sides with a general over Rolling Stone, The New Yorker's boring Facebook success, Sidney Harman's unfortunate goodbye column, Les Moonves is overpaid, Glenn Beck is moving, and a history of Fox.
In your wet Wednesday media column: Newsweek's suddenly cloudy future, CNN would like some black viewers, Univision eyes cable news, the AP's union negotiations drag on, and a sad NPR Twitter addict.
Sidney Harman, the wealthy stereo mogul who last year, at the age of 92, bought the ailing Newsweek, has died at the age of "almost 93." The Daily Beast—which merged with Newsweek after Harman's purchase—posted an announcement of his death just minutes ago. Harman is survived by his wife, Rep. Jane Harman.
Let us explain. The hagfish is a blind, slimy, deepwater eel-like creature that darts into the orifices of its prey and devours them, alive, from the inside. Which is what Tina Brown is doing to Newsweek.
Barry Diller reportedly dropped close to $20 million on Tina Brown's Daily Beast, so earlier rumors that Tina was eyeballing the Newsweek editor's job seemed too ungrateful to be true. But...what if she could do both?
In your fearmongering Monday media column: vicious rumors of bedbugs at Elle, a mass exodus from the New York Observer, Sidney Harman has some ideas for Newsweek, media job moves afoot, and Philly wants to tax bloggers.
The sale of Newsweek to elderly billionaire Sidney Harman is reportedly ready to be announced.
Word is that Newsweek's top bidding prospects are billionaire hedge fund manager Marc Lasry, Mexican mogul/NYT overlord Carlos Slim, and 91-year-old Sidney Harman. Hey, whoever's out there trying to trick some 91-year-old into buying Newsweek? That's so mean. C'mon.
The bids are in for Newsweek! Who wants to be the next owner of this classic American magazine, now that the Washington Post Co. has acknowledged it will never make a penny? A diverse group of...interesting people.
