And now this morning's worthy media business news...

Conde Nast's former CEO Steve Florio has checked out due to complications from an earlier heart attack. Maybe Conde will name their famous cafeteria after him or something. R.I.P Steve. [NYP] Is anyone shocked that Time Warner had the worst performing stock in big media? This just puts even more pressure on incoming CEO Jeff Bewkes [NYP] Americans are wired, you think? [Reuters]

CondeNet's Sarah Chubb is making it work

-YOSH We always said it and we will continue to say it. Conde Nast has the most clear cut web strategy compared to other major magazine publishers. They built a separate business with Conde Net and so far it's paying off well enough to make Conde Net Prexy Sarah Chubb keep her job for about 7 years now. Now the company will announce a deal to distribute videos from its various Web sites, which cover topics such as food and travel, via YouTube. In other words they are launching a Youtube channel. But with almost all parts oiled and running together, Chubb still has some hurdles to hop over. In a Q&A with the Wall Street Journal Chubb explains how she managed to grow revenue by 81% and how the new Youtube deal will work. By some measures, CondéNet's partnerships appear to be paying off. Traffic to its Web sites increased 16% in October to 9.4 million unique U.S. visitors from the same period last year, according to comScore Media Metrix. Year to date, revenue at CondéNet is up 81.8% versus the same period last year. (That number includes revenue from Wired.com and Flip.com -- neither of which figured in last year's figures. Stripping out those two sites, CondéNet revenue is up about 49% year to date versus the same period last year.) That comes amid a strong year for Web advertising in general -- online ad revenues for the first nine months of 2007 were up about 26%, to $15.2 billion, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Oh yeah Sarah, assuming you're currently wearing your hair long, just an FYI, we like you with shorter hair. Is CondéNet's Web Approach Paying Off? [WSJ.com]

Media News aggregated

-MEDIA WIRE DAILY Jim Nail, an exec with Cymphony, the online advertising analytics firm, predicts that web properties like Youtube, Myspace and Facebook won't become the ABC, NBC and CBS of the 21st century. These fuckers really have time on their hands don't they? [CNNMoney] Is this a Murdoch call? DowJones is thinking about selling off their Ottaway group of eight daily and 15 weekly community newspapers and related media franchises. They seem to be lightening the load before Rupe takes control at the end of the year. [Marketwatch] Mad Money-ist Jim Cramer shares with us why media stocks are not the way to go right now. One word sums it all up GOOGLE [BloggingStocks] We don't think Jeff Bewkes will sell AOL but just in case he is planning to do so when he takes office, but here is another but familiar reason he should just spin it off [TWBS] Is Jeff Bewkes Ghost writing for the Carson Daly hosted "Last Call with Carson Daly" while writers are still on strike? [Reuters] Conde Nast and other's we can't bother to mention because there names are too long will to produce MOVIES ROCK(TM) a Celebration of Music in Film, but the names scheduled to appear aren't that exciting. [PRNW]

Following up Jon Friedman's suggestion on Time Inc: If not a sale, how about a diet plan?

-BY SDH We will skip the whole part about how Jeff Bewkes is the new CEO of TimeWarner and the whole story of old media's past. What we will do is chime in on one of our favorite media columnists, Jon Friedman's suggestion that Jeff Bewkes should shake up Time Inc, which we think is right on the money. But perhaps the fact that Time Inc boasts about its size due to the 125 titles it publishes is the very reason the division sucks. Yes there is no excitement; it’s an old media staple that jumped on the digital media wagon a little too late. For this Ann Moore should have been kicked to the curb but her superiors at TimeWarner clearly missed that boat as well. They just launched a corporate website, we're still shocked that this just happened. One of the first things that need to happen at Time Inc is a change at the top. Sure Ann Moore's contract has some time left on it, but pay her to leave and bring in new meat. At the same time, Bewkes should implement a diet plan for the unit, by selling off its less glitzy and, low performing titles trimming the company down to a publisher of about 75-85 publications. Perhaps one of the reasons they held on to so many titles was to keep their status as the biggest. But these days, size doesn't matter. The company needs to also make some strategic acquisitions, scooping up sites they can actually make money from. With all their millions of readers it would make sense to jump into the social networking pool by launching a site for paid magazine subscriber’s only, where they can discuss articles they read in Time Inc's magazines among other things. If Time Inc's senior management is confused about how their digital operation should look, they should look no further than Conde Nast’s CondeNet. Sure Conde has its downs with the whole digital operation allegedly being totally separate from the print operation, but they have a very usable template that Time Inc can use as a foundation to build on. A slimmed down Time Inc with a new leader with the digital DNA, is key to it's future growth. Now the question is whether or not they know that. Related: Why Time Inc. may top Jeff Bewkes' hit list [MarketWatch]

Will Conde Nast's Portfolio ever have a real person on it's cover?

Conde Nast's Portfolio is now on its fourth issue...Right?. We thought by now we would have seen an actual person on the cover but clearly this is Porfolio's style? Anyway, with that said, we want to hear what you think. If any, who would you like to see on the cover of Portfolio? WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ON THE COVER OF PORTFOLIO? RUPERT MURDOCH ROGER AILES A WALLSTREETER PHIL DAUMAN SUMNER REDSTONE JEFF BEWKES RICHARD PARSONS RICHARD ZANINO THE 2,000 AOL EMPLOYEES GETTING CANNED I DON'T GIVE A SHIT

Who are the people that make up Conde Nast's phantom management team? Help us unmask them

We have always wondered about the people with the fancy titles that make up Conde Nast’s executive team, but we could never come up with a photo or even a bio. Other than an occasional photo of CEO Chuck Townsend, the Conde Nast management team has remained under the radar. Well we want to change that. We are offering $100 for anyone who can get us a picture of individuals in top management at Si's magazine kingdom. Why is it that Conde Nast doesn't have a corporate page listing the bios of these execs and at least a photo? Is this intentional or are they not aware that sometimes people like to see the faces behind the day to day doings at a company? Then again Time Inc which dubs itself the biggest and baddest doesn’t have a website at all, but we digress. Come on folks $100. We know it's not much but you can buy two Lattes for you and a friend at Starbucks! We basically know most of the faces of editors and publishers, but we want current images of the suits who call Chuck Townsend master. Send your submissions to Tellus@mediawiredaily.com

What happened to Mary Berner?

Is it just us, or has former Fairchild boss turned Reader's Digest ruler Mary Berner gained some weight since her Conde days? We didn't notice it at first but when we finally! got our copy of Folio magazine last week with Berner on the cover we noticed something different. Gone were the semi sharp features and perfectly groomed hair. Now Berner, at least on her Folio cover looks like the typical suburban stay at home mommy who doesn't have the time to spruce up. We are big Berner fans no doubt, but her recent Folio Magazine cover shocked us. Berner's hair looks finger combed, what looks like a double chin is now present and her smile seems to be hiding stress. Who at RD if anyone allowed this photo to be used for the cover? You should be canned for not making sure they caught our Mary on her good side, on a good day. Oh well, it is what it is! We love you Mary.

Berner getting her footing at Reader's Digest!

-SDH When former Fairchild Publications shot caller Mary Berner took over as CEO of Reader's Digest Association, naturally she felt like an outsider among company lifers. So she did what any new dictator would do when they come into power, out with the old and in with people loyal to them. Its no secret that Berner raided her old nest for talent and now the dust seems to be settling. But with the dust almost settled, many can now see clearly if Berner will deliver new and refreshing results. Berner had a chat with Folio Magazine and explained why she did what she did and what she plans to do next so she can have another sit down with Folio sibling magazine Circulation Manager to tell them why she did what she did after she told Folio her plans to do what she is now telling Circulation Manager. Did we lose you? Yeah. Happens all the time. Tough Love [Folio]

Yet another review of Conde Nast's Portfolio

-NEIL YOSHIDA Finally some people who know business share their thoughts on Conde Nast's new business magazine Portfolio. First, a word about the cover: Only a company as fat and complacent as Conde Nast would be arrogant enough to launch a new business magazine with a cover that gives the reader no idea that it's a business magazine. There are two possibilities here. (1) Portfolio thinks that newsstand readers will look closely enough to see the subtitle "business intelligence" just below the title, despite all available research indicating that they generally don't read anything in fonts smaller than GIGANTIC, or (2) Portfolio imagines everyone everywhere already knows what they are because they've gotten quite a bit of media trade press and people who work in media tend to think that everyone everywhere pays attention to media news when, in fact, they don’t. (Other things most print media consumers don't pay attention to: bylines. But more on that later.) We know Conde Nast does cover testing for some of their magazines—Vogue, Vanity Fair, etc. We can only assume the $15,000 or so it would have cost to do that for the "Premier" issue was used to pay people to pick lint from Tom Wolfe's trademark white suit. Or maybe to pay for the first 15 words of his piece, which are as follows: "Not bam bam bam bam bam bam but bama bampa barama bam bamity bam bam…" (Here Wolfe exhibits the typical mentality of a Conde Nast freelancer who is paid by the word: why not insert a few extra bams?) It kinda looks like some kind of art magazine or something at first glance doesn't it? Wonder who or what they have lined up for the next cover? Our Big, Fat Portfolio Review: Even Our Pessimism Was Optimistic [Dealbreaker]

The New York Times tells the story of Portfolio Publisher David Carey’s near orgasm after getting the first copy in his hands. OK so we made that up

-LENN HINDSMANN With the birth of a new magazine that has long been talked about, hyped, plugged etc, come many versions of how it all came together right down to the first copy fresh off the press. But no version is ever like a New York Times version. Kathrine Q. Seelye starts of the article in the usual New York Times manner, heavy on the drama, detail for detail, to put you right there as it happens, or at least attempting to. So after all the reviews, different versions and dissecting by every media site, is the only thing left to do is wait for it to die? Joanne Lipman, the editor of Portfolio, the new business magazine from Condé Nast, tapped gently last Monday on the door of David Carey, the publisher, and then burst into his bright Midtown corner office. “It’s here!” she said, grinning and handing him a copy of the much-anticipated debut issue of Portfolio. Lush, photo-rich and thick with ads (185 ad pages in a 332-page issue), it’s an unmistakable stablemate of Condé Nast’s Vogue and Vanity Fair. Mr. Carey beamed back. He then reached over to a side table and picked up a recent issue of Fortune, one of Portfolio’s chief competitors. The Fortune cover was particularly busy, with a crowd of anonymous Google workers in casual dress and a cover line announcing “The 100 Best Companies to Work For.” He held them side by side. His glow said no contest. We hope they don't expect to sell copies based on glamour, because if our memory serves us correctly, you can't judge a book magazine by its cover In a Troubled Time, a New Business Magazine [NYT]

First Issue of new business magazine Portfolio is under lock and key and will have no Kurt Eichenwald

-SHOMARI HINES The first issue of Conde Nast's long awaited new business mag titled Porfolio is getting closer and closer to a debut, but according to Memo Pad, publishers and editors of the magazine are going all out to protect it so nothing leaks. One thing that won't be leaking is a marquee piece on terrorism by alleged boy porn financier Kurt Eichenwald. And who can blame the folks at Porfolio. They want their mag to get attention for all the right reasons right. The recent controversy surrounding Eichenwald having given $2,000 to a source while he was a New York Times reporter has reportedly made editors nervous that it will overshadow the launch issue, and Eichenwald is said to be frustrated about access to his editors. Said one source close to the magazine: "I don't think it will be in the first issue." We don't think Kurt's article will be in any of the issues until the scandal dies down. Portfolio Patrol [Memo Pad]

Morning Wire: And now this morning's worthy media news...

NBC Universal's Bravo snatches TelevisionWithoutPity.com because they aint got no pitty [Reuters] Don't forget. Lawyers also go on to become bloggers too you know [Reuters] Sony-BMG may have decided to leave the marketing of kids music to the kid kings at Disney [Reuters] New Readers Digest CEO Mary Berner is serving up a dish of revenge to her former boss Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend for shifting her out of her old gig. However we think Chuck will swallow it without chewing. [NYP] Don't fuck with or go against former Disney dictator Mike Eisner when he makes an offer for the company you're a board member of [NYP]

Condé Nast Portfolio, the Vogue of business magazines?

-Neil Yoshida Conde Nast is hoping to make their soon to be launched business magazine Condé Nast Portfolio a serious ad cow much like it's more pampered fashion icon sibling Vogue. “Vogue’s presence in fashion helps everyone sell fashion advertising, said David Carey, Portfolio publisher and group president and publishing director, Condé Nast Business Media. “We hope Portfolio, for certain types of b-to-b marketers, will extend to our other businesses as well.” In his first in-depth interview about Portfolio, Carey revealed other tidbits about the magazine, which is set to hit newsstands April 24 with a rate base of 300,000. We can't wait to get our copy. Condé Nast Fills Out Its 'Portfolio' [Mediaweek]

Conde Net set to launch hang out for teen girls

Not sure if we get this, but Conde Nast's internet unit is planning to launch what is being called their answer to News Corp's Myspace. We didn't even know Myspace asked a question. Flip.com will offer girls a forum to create "flip books": multimedia scrapbooks of photographs, home-made music videos and other postings. CondeNet hopes to tap into the same creative flair that girls show when they decorate their school lockers or textbooks. The site is Conde Nast's answer to News Corp.'s MySpace, which -- along with similiar sites such as Facebook -- is drawing millions of young users and has made it difficult for magazine publishers to keep teenagers' attention. Flip is scheduled to debut in February, but 200,000 girls will be invited to a test launch today. To Lure Teens to Its Latest Web Site,Conde Nast Turns to the 'Flip Squad' [WSJ]

Cargo name reduced to promoting Cookie cruise contests

Cargo magazine may be dead as far as print, but the name still lives on in shameless email promotions. Looking through the day's emails we came across one with a very familiar from line. At first we were confused because as far as we know this familiar product was done, buried 6 feet under 4 Time Square. When we opened it, after failing to read the subject line, we couldn't help but say to ourselves, "Desperate Bastards". Conde Nast is trying to boost the open rate on one of their many contests and felt the best to get this from former Cargo subscribers, was to send them an email using the Cargo name in the from line. After the click is the Cookie sponsored Caribbean Cruise contest, one of many email promos the Cargo name is being used to push. Continue>>

But would Jim Nelson give GQ as a gift?

The recent issue of GQ magazine has some really well thought out and designed blow in gift subscription cards. And why not it's the holiday season right. But we have to ask with all these cards falling out every 10 pages read, would GQ editor Jim Nelson give his magazine as a gift to the metro sexual males in his family? It's the gift that will keep on giving for 12 months but would someone dig opening up an envelope to find a gift subscription to a magazine? The only thing they would be getting on Christmas morning is a paid in full subscription card like the one above showing them that their Christmas gift will arrive within 4-6 weeks. That means well into the New Year. I guess the question we're trying to get at is how well are these gift subscriptions working? They are pretty though. The one above actually has four panels and is printed on greeting card stock.

Morning Wire: And now the morning's worthy media news

MTV's Left Overs Sling Media has announced that they have hired two of Judy McGrath's used and disposed executives from MTV to head a new interactive programming unit.The maker of Slingbox, a set-top box that lets viewers watch cable television on laptops and advanced cellphones, has hired former chief digital officer at MTV Networks Jason Hirschhorn, and former vice president of MTV digital media Ben White, the company said. Hank Plan a no go for Mack Former AIG boss Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has a hard on for the New York Times Co. However he can't seem to find someone else who shares his hard on for the company. But for now at least the Times' stock is responding. Conde Nast's annual ass kissing luncheon.... Yawn!! We don't know if the media over plays this event or if this is really how it goes down in the Conde Nast camp where underlings fight to be seen sitting next to Si Newhouse smelling his old spice. Cindi Leive, the serial "Today" show guest who also doubles as the editor-in-chief of Glamour in her day job, grabbed the most coveted spot, seated at the right hand of Condé Nast Chairman S.I. (Si) Newhouse Jr.

Morning Wire: NBC lights the tree online, Florio trades mags for food and more...

Dick praises the thug Time Warner big bear Dick Parsons is praising corporate thug Carl Icahn for having some kind of impact on the world's biggest media company. Parsons yesterday told a Reuters media conference that without Icahn's surprise raid and bust-up attack on Time Warner, the media company might never have gotten its own rescue plan off the ground in a timely way. Former Conde boss trading mags for food Steve Florio the man who sat at the top of the world's most fabulous magazine publisher for 10 years is finally leaving the company for good to get his hands into the stress filled business of selling food. Condé Nast Vice Chairman Steve Florio is going into the restaurant business on the East End near his home in Sag Harbor. Il Tutto Giorno is expected to open in about two weeks. The English translation for the phrase is All Day, which doesn't exactly make sense, but Florio insists the food will be first rate. Strong Interest delays Tribune sale A sale of Tribune Co won't come anytime too soon until maybe early next year as the company has decided to extend the auction to 2007. Tribune said that its advisers, including Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, recommended that the board extend the auction into the first quarter of next year in order to "ensure thorough consideration of all proposals."

Inside Conde Nast's "The Black Ball"...kinda

It looks like Conde Nast Media Group's "The Black Ball" to Benefit Keep A Child Alive Hosted by Alicia Keys and Iman was a hit bringing out the who is who in Hollywood to New York City. We don't know if Tom Cruise really had his former boss Tom Freston sitting next to him at a table like we reported what the Post reported, but the men sure did look chummy. here are a few shots of the faces in attendance. Wait, wonder if Tom Freston attended that FourSquare media gathering? Shouldn't he be on vacation in India or something? images: wireimage.com Continue>> TomKat Hip Hop mogul turned socialite Damon Dash and Wife/Girlfriend Rachel Roy The Toms share a laugh, maybe about the Old man Redstone Mayor Bloomberg cheeses with Conde Nast Media Group Prexy Richard Berkman

Tom Tom: The two Toms formerly of Viacom, team up?

Former Viacom cool hand Tom Freston and former Viacom odd ball Tom Cruise are getting into bed together...........um........... we mean around a table together according to the Post. TOM Cruise has a new best friend, Tom Freston. The two Toms were humiliated by Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone earlier this year when Redstone fired them both. Now they've become good pals and are showing a united front at tomorrow night's Conde Nast Black Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom hosted by Alicia Keyes and Iman. "[Cruise] bought a $50,000 table and has sat [Freston] right next to himself. Will this show of "Unity" lead to some kind of business venture or something, or are both Toms just trying to remain relevant? TOMS TEAM UP [NYP]

Conde Reddit news

Conde Nast didn't take long to get their finger prints all over Reddit. The Reddit logo seems to have taken on the look of their new mommy Wired. And now more Conde News: The company is officially out of the supermarket business after finally selling Supermarket News to Prism Media, who ironically along with the deep pocketed Bruce Wasserstein just bought Penton Media Conde Nast had acquired Supermarket News along with Home Furnishings News and InFurniture when S.I. Newhouse bought Fairchild Publications Inc. from the Walt Disney Co. in 1999 for a reported $650 million. Home Furnishings News and InFurniture remain up for sale. Conde Nast sells Supermarket News [Crain's NYB]

Creddit: CondeNast reportedly snapping up Reddit

Adding to what may become yet another "Headline Lemming Effect" we wanted to dub this alleged union "Creddit". If CondeNast did indeed snap up Reddit, its a clear sign that Charles Townsend is making sure that Conde's digital dick is solid enough to swing with the big boys. So will Reddit fall under the CondeNet umbrella or remain as a stand alone? Breaking News: Condé Nast/Wired Acquires Reddit [TechCrunch]

Some CondeNast execs want to end digital/print apartheid

Some CondeNast execs are speaking out from behind an article in Crain's New York Business saying that they want to take control of their own online destiny. All Conde's online properties are current controlled and managed by Condenet the online unit of CondeNast which is run by President Sarah Chubb. As big and as influential as Vogue may be, it's website which it shares with sister pubs like W has week traffic and its getting weaker. Will Conde CEO Charles Townsend listen? Magazine executives, who would speak only if granted anonymity, say that with the center of gravity shifting toward the Internet, they no longer want their online identities controlled by a separate division that not only administers the sites but collects the ad revenue, too.Insiders aren't the only ones complaining. Media buyers eager to reach new audiences also want to see the digital and print sides unite. "More and more agencies are looking for one-stop shopping," says George Janson, director of print for WPP Group's Mediaedge:cia. "I'd like to see Condé Nast lead the charge." At Condé Nast, it's print versus digital [Crain's NY]

AMI's David Pecker should be canned and replaced by Mary Berner

We don't know how David Pecker still manages to hold on to his job as CEO of American Media, publishers of gossip rags like Star, Enquire and others. The stock has been getting a beat down circ is reportedly down on Star and now they missed a third deadline to restate its earnings. Is this company being mismanaged or what? Maybe its time for change at the top and we think we have the right candidate for the job. Former Fairchild Prexy Mary Berner quit her gig after being demoted when her company was thrown under the Conde Nast umbrella. We haven't heard anything about Ms. Berner since. We think she has been laying in the cut waiting to see an opportunity to resurface again and we think we found it. David Pecker wouldn't have to completely be out of the picture, he can still play the chairman roll but Ms. Berner will be calling the shots. We're not sure how Bonnie Fuller would get along with her new boss but AMI needs some new blood and if it mean Bonnie getting the boot too then so bit it. -Neil Yoshida AMI BLOWS DEADLINE FOR RESTATEMENT YET AGAIN [NYP]

Conde Nast's Lipman, wants business with former colleague, and no the name of the new mag is not Conde Nast Business

Joanne Lipman the EIC for Conde Nast's yet to be named business magazine is looking to beef up her staff with some familiar faces. First on her list is James Stewart currently a contributor to David Remnick's New Yorker and pens a monthly column for the Hearst/Dow Jones-owned Smart Money. However Stewart like many who end up jumping ship anyway stated the following: "I think Joanne is great and very talented, but at the moment I don't have any plans about moving anywhere," Ms. Lipman isn't the only one with her eyes on the Stew. Businessweek tried to seduce Mr. Stewart to join their team as well but we guess the money wasn't right. read....

Weekend Journal a drag for Dow Jones

Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones admitted yesterday that advertisers aren't that interested in it's weekend version of the paper. This announcement sent greedy investors who can't bare to lose a penny in selling spree sending the company's stock price down $1.46. The surprise softness at the Weekend Edition, which debuted last September in the hope of luring luxury goods and lifestyle advertisers, was the most high-profile problem in the publishing giant's report. It's a good thing that Joanne Lipman who oversaw the launch of the weekend journal is safely in the luxury offices at Conde Nast. More.....

Conde Nast sticks with who they know

No wonder people can't even get an interview there. Conde Nast has filled two vacant posts with familiar faces. Paul Jowdy, vp, publisher of CN's Details, was named vp, publisher of Bon Appétit. Jowdy replaces Leslie Picard, who left the company this week to become senior vp, sales for Time Inc. Replacing Jowdy at Details will be former publisher Chris Mitchell. Mitchell had been vp, publisher at the men's monthly until leaving last September, at which time Jowdy took over the position. Mitchell left Conde to become CEO of a furniture company. We wonder why such a strange change of course, but he beat everyone to the punch and tried to explain himself: "It was something that I felt compelled to do at the time. Everyone has that one thing lurking at the back of their mind of what they should be doing. That one idea for me was, 'What would it be like to run your own business?'" Hmmm come to think of it feel like I should start a phone sex service!! [MW]