Susan Lyne in waiting to take over at Time Inc!?

-JOANNE She may have denied it time and time again but former Martha Stewart Living CEO Susan Lyne wasn't fooling anyone but herself. For over a year she has been rumored to be a favorite to take over as Time Inc CEO when current boss-lady Ann Moore exits the Time & Life building for good. During the start of said rumors, Lyne denied she was leaving MSO anytime soon. But as you all can now recall she left MSO a few weeks ago and is said to have had lunch with, or plans to have lunch with Ann Moore. Could Moore be briefing the new boss-elect on the current climate at the company? Could the meeting have been set up by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes so both ladies can become acquainted? Could Lyne move in as CEO before Moore departs? We think so! Ann Moore could turn over her CEO duties and title to Lyne in the coming months while holding on to the Chairmanship during the changing of the guards. Taking on the gigantic Time Inc and reporting to a results driven boss like Bewkes will be a whole new challenge for Lyne, but we think she can do the job. Wait a minute. There are also these rumors about Lyne running Oprah's new OWN Network. But wasn't MTV CEO Judy McGrath's name floated for that job too?

And now this morning's worth mentioning media business news...

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia earns, but still misses analyst estimates due to a book deal [Reuters] Speaking of MSO, the company said it will acquire the media and licensed properties of TV chef Emeril Lagasse for around $50 million in cash and stock [Reuters] Things will get really ugly at Tribune Co's newspapers like the LA Times before they get somewhat pretty [NYT] We love Jon Fine and his"One Guy" theory piece, but there was just too many "One Guys" in it. [BW] Former Disney ruler Mike Eisner digs in his pockets and comes back up with $1.75 Million

MSO's Lyne says she isn't leaving the company, but that could be because the top spot at Time Inc isn't vacant yet

-SDH Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia CEO Susan Lyne in a memo assured her troops that regardless of what they've heard in the media, she isn't going anywhere. But what Lyne should have included at the end of that sentence is the word 'Yet". I want to address an item that ran in the press while I was away, suggesting I might leave MSLO in the near future. Nothing could be further from my plans," she wrote. "I love this company; more importantly I believe in this company." But of course you do Susie, you're the CEO so you have to talk the talk and walk the walk. But if Jeff Bewkes comes calling tomorrow saying Time Inc CEO Ann Moore got hit by a bus or is opting for early retirement, you would be outa there wouldn't you? More money and bigger brands to rule over, why not! Martha Stewart CEO Lyne will not leave company [Reuters]

Compared to other media CEOs, MSO's Susan Lyn isn't making shit

-YOSH Susan Lyn, CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) may be eyeing the exit. Lyn is said to be feeling kinda under valued due to the measly $4.4 million she made last year. It's so funny that all this is coming to light on Jeff Bewkes' first day as Time Warner CEO. Lyn is said to be a possible replacement for Time Inc CEO Ann Moore when she retires or gets the boot with a fat check. So how soon until she calls it a day at MSO? Hey Sue, while you wait, you should start writing a book about your time at MSO and the whole Martha Stewart going to jail thing. We would so buy it. The clock started ticking on a one-year automatic renewable option clause as of yesterday, but the original pact that she signed in Nov. 2004 has not been replaced by a new long-term contract, according to the latest SEC filings. That agreement officially expired on Dec. 31, 2007. Her pot of about $3.5 million in company shares lost 58 percent of their value in the past year. She began unloading stock after the price began skidding, collecting just under $890,000 in the past 12 months, and still owns shares valued at about $1.24 million, according to SEC filings. MSO'S LYNE MAY BE LOOKING FOR BETTER RETURNS [NYP]

Shocker! Martha Stewart kills Blueprint, next up, Rodale kills Men’s Health Living by end of 2008

-YOSH Fishbowlny is reporting that Martha Stewart Living Omni Media is doing away with Blueprint magazine, which it launched under two years ago. This could be taken as more evidence that magazine publishers no longer have the stomach to give a new launch years to pick up steam. They want a hit right out the gate. Then again that would be wishful thinking in today’s industry. Staffers were told that the reason behind the decision is due to the fact that they "misjudged the market" in other words, the magazine was a total failure. Blueprint, meaning its subscribers will be folded back into Martha Stewart Weddings, minus the dupes. MSO is said to be looking into placing some of the staff in new rolls within the company. Those who aren't placed, well you know how that goes. On another note, wonder what the life span looks like that Rodale Inc gave to Men's Health Living? Our guess, about a year. EARLIER: Martha Stewart gives birth to Blueprint

Morning Wire: Someone told MTV and AOL that you care that much about music lyrics, and more in this morning's not so worthy media news

MTV and AOL wants to help you learn your favorite song by providing a new song lyric search service. where do they come up with this shit? [NYP] CNN in second life [NYP] Advertisers will do anything for attention, they are now turning their scopes on people with physical or mental disability via a website called disaboom.com. Soon they will find a way to communicate with your dog. [NYT] Tribune Co and Gannett Co Inc team up all in the name of revenue [Reuters] Martha Stewart living, continues to take Yahoo's left overs [Reuters]

Ann Moore meet Susan Lyne, your potential successor?

Time Inc CEO Ann Moore is on her last tour as Time Inc CEO and one name keeps popping up as her potential successor, Susan Lyne, the sharp Prexy of Martha Stewart Living Omni Media (MSO). But we have to ask is Lyne's name on soon to be Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes's list as well, or is this all media play? Lyne seems to be the ultimate favorite to be the next Time Inc Queen but would she even interested in the gig? We think s. There is no doubt that she loves the idea of running the world's biggest magazine publisher. Then again with the current situation MSO finds itself in, we're not sure if her star is shining bright enough to attract Bewkes's attention right now. Is Martha Stewart washed up? Wall Street says yes.Investors have pummelled the shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO.N), which are down 40% since the middle of last December, while the broader stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index ($US:INX), has gained 8%. It's not just a question of shareholders being tired of stars-and-stripes cupcakes and perfectly coordinated window dressings. As they tend to, investors are merely reacting to bad numbers. "Her appeal does not seem to be dropping," Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Chief Executive Susan Lyne said in an interview last week. In fact, the company is so confident in her staying power, it recently reiterated projections that it will book a profit for the year -- despite nothing but losses so far -- because of impressive strength in merchandise sales through new channels in the coming months. "Everyone here is incredibly excited about the momentum the company has," says Lyne. Has the public soured on Martha Stewart? [MSN]

Old man Sumner Redstone's famous phrase still relevant, even in this here digital media era

Well at least they are big enough to admit it. It’s not all about a pretty website with videos and graphics and all that. Apparently it seems that is what the digital media folks at MSO thought was the key to killer traffic to their site. However they are now slowly seeing the light and realizing that it’s all about the content first, then you can slap on all the pretty shit later on. Old man Sumner Redstone said it best when he coined the phrase "Content is King" especially if the users control it. Executives at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia took great pains earlier this year to make certain the company's redesigned Web site looked flawless before rolling it out to the public. After all, this is a media company whose magazines, books, products and programs feature ideas about attractive and tasteful lifestyles. Why not a beautiful Web site? "That was a big mistake," Wenda Harris Millard, the company's president of media, said this week during a panel discussion at Advertising Week. "We put beauty before utility." Execs admit plenty of missteps in new media world [Reuters]

Media Brief: MarthaStewart.com sneaks a relaunch

With no fan fair whatsoever, the folks at Martha Stewart Living quietly re-launched their website. The site is nothing out of the norm, with the soft greens and images of its name sake founder. However, we likes we likes!!! MarthaStewart.com

Martha Stewart points fingers

Apparently still ticked off by how she looked in courtroom sketches during her trial, Martha Stewart was surprised to see that the woman behind the sketches was in her studio audience and didn't think twice to call her out.

Martha Stewart Living's new EIC tickles stock

Louise T. Blouin MacBain's magazine empire suffered another blow yesterday after the editor of the startup magazine Culture & Travel bolted to take the top editor post at Martha Stewart Living. Michael Boodro, who helped launch Culture & Travel this spring at MacBain's LTB Media, assumes a title that has been vacant for several years, taking over some of the responsibilities of Margaret Roach, the editorial director of the company, and Amy Conway, the executive editor, who was moved to editor of special projects. He'll be working closely with the creative director, Eric Pike MARTHA POACHES EDITOR FROM MACBAIN [NYP]

New Martha Stewart logo is not a big deal at all

We came across an article about the new design of the Martha Stewart logo and if you ask us, it’s kind of a step back. The former logo was more attractive in our opinion and has been associated with the Martha name for some time now. We just don't get what all the hoopla is about. It’s a fucking circle with the woman’s name in it. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has a new logo that will soon grace most of its properties. The circular mark, designed by Steven Doyle of Doyle Partners, has already popped up on the company's Web products, including the Martha Stewart page on Kodak.com. Martha's new logo a better thing [NYB]

Afternoon Wire: And now the afternoon's worthy media news

NBC digital chief and possible wild card of GE boss Jeff Immelt Beth Comstock is shocked that NBC.com gets so much traffic but said that the site won't be a portal like Yahoo! Yeeeeeaaah! She also calls Youtube a frienemy. One of the many tabloid editors in King Rupert's stable, Clive Goodman has pleaded guilty for plotting to tap the phones of aides to Britain's royal family, including Prince Charles and his two sons. Folks in the UK are that obsessed with the boring royal family that they would really love to hear Prince Charles having phone sex with Camilla Parker Bowles? One of Martha Stewart's many minions has decided to give her former boss some competition of sorts by leaving to launch her own media business. But we can't believe Cyndi Stivers left over a month ago and we're just now getting wind of this. Then again who the fuck is Cyndi Stivers? Wait she was one of the founders of Time Out New York Jeff Zucker is about to be hated even more when he rolls out another round of NBC 2.0 ism on the West Coast.