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?

Folio Magazine releases their annual stroke job list of magazine industry influencers and innovators

By SDH Folio Magazine the magazine about magazines and the people who markets them does it again with their popular Folio 40 list where magazine industry execs get to see their names in print and read all the nice things Folio, whose subscribers are said execs, has to say about them. Each magazine industry professional listed on the Folio 40 will no doubt continue the stroke job via an internal press release to their employees shoving the accomplishments in their faces as if it benefits anyone but themselves. We bet they will also update their resumes mentioning this listing as well. The list hi-lites those making bold and smart moves in the industry via the following categories: the Visionaries, the doers, the influencers, those under the radar and of course the ones to watch. Our good old buddy (in our heads of course) Jeff Bewkes made the list under the “Ones to watch” category because according to Folio: All eyes have been on Jeff Bewkes since he took the helm of the mega media company January 1. Even before Bewkes' appointment was announced, speculation about Time Inc.'s future ran rampant. Bewkes has since downplayed the possible sale of the publishing division, but the industry will have to wait and see. Wow!! He made the list for this? We think David Pecker would have been better in Bewkes’s place with a merger still possible for AMI and all the other shit that Pecker has all over his hands. At this point to include Bewkes on the list seems like a quick space filler. If not Bewkes or Pecker, then Time Inc CEO Ann Moore, because whatever decision Bewkes makes regarding the future of Time Inc, wouldn’t it be based on what Moore can squeeze out before her contract runs out of steam?

Are Time4 Media turned Bonnier Corp employees just naïve?

By SDH When two companies with different cultures come together, what you will get is a culture clash. When the company that is buying the company you’re currently working for says that nothing will change, that’s just to stroke you while they close the deal because there is no way a company is going to drop over $200 million to acquire another company and not put their mark on it. One would be naïve to believe otherwise. This seems to be the current situation at Bonnier Corp which bought Time Inc’s Time4 Media group. Editors are quitting left and right because they don’t agree with the direction the new owners want the magazines to go in. The latest to leave the Bonnier nest is longtime editorial director of the Parenting Group Janet Chan due to what some think is her clashing with publisher Greg Schulman who is the middle man put in charge of enforcing the Bonnier doctrine. Chan has since been doing editorial consulting. Come on people. Did you really think that everything would have remained the same when you rolled under your new masters? How naïve of you!! Either roll with it, or roll out. Luckily for people like Janet Chan, she can probably afford to roll out, which she did.

Extreme Makeover: Time Inc Edition

By SDH There is no doubt that changes are needed at Time Warner’s magazine publishing unit Time Inc. This is the division that has gone mostly untouched for sometime now. Under current CEO Ann Moore, the company unloaded its enthusiast titles to Bonnier Corp, launched and folded the well hyped OfficePirates.com, re-launched and folded Life (which is supposed to re-launch again as Getty Images type web destination), killed Business 2.0 and pink slipped dozens of staffers. OK so all this is business as usual in the magazine industry and not attributed to Moore’s management style. We all know It’s no secret that when a company is looking to cut costs they look to layoff staffers first to fluff up the bottom line. But is that all the shuffling we will see at Time Inc? The company is legendary and publishes 125 titles, and has a slew of businesses in fulfillment, content solutions, retail sales and marketing, customer acquisition and the list goes on. We are not sure how these businesses are doing for the company but some serious streamlining needs to take place in these areas in order to establish a more focused objective. CONTINUED... MAKING AN EFFORT The company has been slowly but surely making a push on the digital side. This was one of the reasons why new Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes decided to wait and see what will become of this digital push before making any decisions. Fair enough we guess, but even before Bewkes took over, Time Inc was badly in need of a makeover. The company needs to be refreshed with new ideas, objectives and a new structure to better meet the current challenges that publishing companies face. Time Inc for the most part is still stuck in analog while other companies remake themselves to handle the changing climate. If the suits at parent Time Warner want to see some changes, they need to make the first move. For starters, we think a fresh face at the top would kick things off right. Not to discredit Ann Moore, but a change at the top would signal a new beginning and would be a strong statement. Following a change at the top, the company needs to be spun off so it feeds off of itself, officially weaned off mommy’s tit. By doing this, investors and the Time Warner board will see the true value of the company and will probably get a clear idea of the value of each product the company publishes, online, print and the different businesses which sit underneath it. DECISION TIME Following a spin off, Time Warner should then take a long hard look at all Time Inc’s products and businesses and decide which ones are no longer worth keeping in the stable and look to unload them via an auction to raise cash to invest in the company’s digital business via strategic acquisitions or R&D. From these auctions, the current roster of 125 magazines should be reduced to about 70-90, and businesses should be streamlined where it makes sense. Hopefully with these reductions the company will see savings on paper, printing and of course salaries following an obvious layoff of staffers. These auctions should only include low performing or none core domestic and overseas titles and businesses. A successful sell off and streamlining of businesses will leave the once bloated Time Inc with some cash and a more lean and mean physique to move swiftly and aggressively towards growing its digital business and strengthening already established brands. Earlier we mentioned a change at the top. A TRIMMED STRUCTURE A new Time Inc under a new leader should have a more clear and streamlined structure. For example the magazine groups are currently broken out into 6 areas, Entertainment, Home/Living, Life/Style, Luxury, News/Business & Finance and Sports. Right off the bat both the Entertainment and Sports groups should be merged as one. The Life/Style and Home/Living groups should be merged as one cutting the 6 groups to 4. Such a restructuring would result in instant cost savings. For International, everything needs to fall under the Time Inc brand further pushing the one brand one focus objective. IN JEFF BEWKES’S SHOES Standing in Jeff Bewkes’s shoes the two names that would be at the top of our list would be Reader’s Digest Association (RDA) CEO Mary Berner, and outgoing Ebay CEO Meg Whitman. It’s obvious why we would have Mary Berner’s name on the list but you may be wondering why Meg Whitman? Well Meg Whitman has a strong consumer background and understands their behavior on and off the web. These experiences come from her being CEO of Ebay of course, and her being a top executive in Disney’s consumer products division which we think would come in handy at Time Inc. As far as t Mary Berner, since being named CEO of RDA, Berner has wasted no time putting her stamp on the company. She re-lined the corporate suite with people she knows and trusts and is putting some spark back into the company’s flagship publication Reader’s Digest by green lighting a total re-design in print and online under new Editor Peggy Northrop. Any one of these two women would be a good choice to take the reigns at Time Inc. We have no doubt that there are some good male candidates out there but for some reason since Don Logan passed the baton to Moore, we only see another woman after the Moore era ends. CAN’T ANN MOORE DO THE JOB? When someone has been in a company as long as Ann Moore has been at Time Inc, they sometimes are blind to certain things. They are sometimes immune to the fact that changes are needed. In cases like this, a fresh mind is needed because Moore may have hit a glass roof with her ideas which sometimes causes a recycling effect. In today’s magazine industry climate, size doesn’t matter, and it’s the size of Time Inc that is preventing it from reaching its full potential.

Time Warner's Bewkes speaking a little clearer now

BY SDH During his first earnings call as Time Warner CEO, Jeff Bewkes didn't meet expectations as far as what many on the call was hoping the lankly banker turned media heavy would reveal about his plans. When the call was done, all we knew was that he was indeed the new CEO, AOL will look to sell off their sleepy dial up business, even though we can't imagine who would want to buy it, and he was leaving Time Inc as is. But now as he warms to the new gig, Bewkes is spitting out more as he starts to see the big picture more clearly. During the recent Bear Stearns media conference, Bewkes teased the audience with his AOL hopes and plans, only saying that he was open to slapping the troubled internet unit with another company, a clear hint to Yahoo! that they can come knocking. But Bewkes's other revelations only further boosted what others have been saying for some time now like spinning off Cable. However Bewkes continues in his mistake of not trimming up Time Inc. Jeff Bewkes must change his position on the magazine publisher or it will get worst.

At TimeWarner, the makeover has begun

BY SDH On Saturday, Jeff Bewkes will hit the two month mark as Time Warner CEO. It will also mark the beginning of the long awaited restructuring under the Bewkes Administration. As speculated just two weeks into the CEO gig, Jeff Bewkes has made his move on New Line Cinema. The movie studio will now be thrown under the Warner Bros umbrella and New Line Co heads Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne will get their walking papers, but of course that part is being spun as if leaving the company was their choice. This is just part of the first stage of what many expect to be a drastic makeover of one of the world's biggest media companies, whose stock has been stock in a ditch and whose dominant position has dwindled as competitors like News Corp take the lead. Now if only Bewkes didn’t decide to do a wait a see with the company’s overweight magazine business, Time Inc. We are moving quickly to improve our business performance and financial returns," Time Warner President and CEO Jeff Bewkes said in a statement. Time Warner puts New Line Cinema under Warner Bros [Reuters]

Time Warner continues to work at eliminating its cumbersome structure

BY SDH Time Warner in an effort to save some cash, said that it plans to cut more jobs. The first round of cuts will happen at the luggy Time Inc, where jobs were already cut about a year ago. Many have said that the business unit needs to be cut down in size as far as the many different businesses it operates. Luckily though, this time the cuts will only hit a little over 100 people. Belt-tightening efforts continued last year across other parts of the sprawling company, resulting in $262 million in restructuring costs as 4,400 employees were terminated. That was down slightly from 2006, when the company spent $295 million as it eliminated 5,600 jobs Time Warner to Cut More Magazine Jobs [SFGate]

Jeff Bewkes's game of wait and see with Time Inc, not a smart one, or so you say

BY SDH When Jeff Bewkes hosted his first earnings call as CEO of Time Warner many were anxious to hear his plans for the future of the company. Some of the things he mentioned were expected like continuing to revamp AOL from sleepy dial up to ad machine. But what no one really expected was his decision to keep the luggy Time Inc magazine business as is, with hopes of it becoming growth business via digitalization. We asked you, our readers if Jeff Bewkes was making a mistake by leaving Time Inc with its over 100 magazines in tact and 56% of you who participated said he is indeed making a mistake.

For Jeff Bewkes, it’s a damned if you do damned if you don't kinda situation

BY SDH Just a little over a month on the job and Jeff Bewkes finally gave some hints as to what his immediate first plans are to set overweight Time Warner on a path to re-invention (if you will). As you know by now from all the coverage its been getting, the lanky lord of everything from CNN to HBO to Time Inc, said that his team is working to split off AOL's outdated dial up business with plans for a possible sale (to who?), he is also taking a long hard look at cable and will get back to investors on that one. But the shocker of that whole earnings report for us was the fact that Bewkes says that he is sticking it out with Time Inc, the publisher of magazines like Time and People. OK so maybe it wasn't too much of a shocker but we thought that like AOL and Time Warner cable, Time Inc would have been put on a lift for a serious look under the hood. Nope. Bewkes will decide what to do with the magazine business if and when it turns into a growth business with all the digitalization going on over there and all. So anyway on that note, today's poll: IS JEFF BEWKES MAKING A MISTAKE BY LEAVING TIME INC INTACT? YES, THE COMPANY HIT A GLASS ROOF YEARS AGO NO, IT CAN BECOME A GROWTH BUSINESS JEFF BEWKES IS AN IDIOT

The quote that bought Time Inc CEO Ann, Moore Time

"We're good at publishing. We're a leader in the industry. It's a good business we think. As it expands out beyond print into digital we think it can turn into a growth business," Bewkes said, adding that keeping Time Inc. intact “depend[s] on our being able to demonstrate that to ourselves and our investors.” -Jeff Bewkes, CEO TimeWarner

After calling it quits back in 2001 The Industry Standard is back via the web and on the cheap with one full-time editorial employee

-SDH The one time Bible of the Internet Economy, The Industry Standard which met the same fate as many of the dotcom’s it covered back in 2001, is now back as a dotcom about dotcoms. The site is backed by International Data Group which is keeping a tight grip on costs by only having one full-time editorial employee. The site will look to freelancers (50 of them) to keep the content flowing. Will this lead the folks at Time Warner to re-launch Business 2.0 as a web only magazine as well? Then again, Time Inc may still be trying to get over the shit stain that was OfficePirates.com. Good concept, shitty execution.

Next week is Super Tuesday earnings report week

-SDH Next week's entertainment line up is looking to be an exciting one. On Monday, News Corp will report its 2nd Quarter Fiscal 2008 results. On this call analysts will be waiting to hear about any plans in the works for the recently acquired Dow Jones as well why they decided to not free up the Wall Street Journal website, DUH! On Tuesday it will be Disney's turn to spill the beans about their First Quarter 2008 Financials. Disney is expected to announce earnings of 52 cents a share on $10 billion in revenue, not too bad Bobby! Can we get some acquisition news soon though? Saving the best for last, Jeff Bewkes will make his debut on Time Warner's earnings call as CEO on Wednesday. We have no doubts analysts are itching for this one. Some of the questions Bewkes and his team are expected to face will include, what are his plans for the oversized company, AOL, Time Inc etc... Oh yeah they are expected to report earnings of 29 cents a share on revenue of $12.6 billion. But we all know analysts will be more concerned about Bewkes's plans for the structure of the company. Media conglomerates seen posting higher profits [MarketWatch]

Heath-O-Rama: Time Warner may have gold in Heath Ledger's death but they will never admit it

-SDH With the untimely death of movie star Heath Ledger, Time Warner will benefit even if it's wrong for them to admit it. Not only did People Magazine (published by Time Inc) beat competitors to a cover story, another Time Warner division, Warner Bros. will release "The Dark Knight" this summer with Ledger playing the Joker. Time Warner totally owns Ledger's death and they will indirectly promote anything Heath related to ensure that no one forgets about the actor at least not until after the release of "The Dark Knight". Fans of the actor will no doubt flock to movie theaters to see their idol in what may be his last movie. With People Magazine's cover win, Time Inc will see the results in their spreadsheets.

Media analyst James Goss would like to see a 3some at Time Warner just like the rest of us

-SDH Content, Cable and Internet is how Wall Street media analysts and the rest of the media industry watching world would love to see Time Warner in the near future and many are expecting new CEO Jeff Bewkes (JB) to make that vision a reality. This is absolutely what needs to happen at Time Warner. However if and when a split up like this takes place, changes at the top of a couple of the split offs need to be made. Randy Falco needs to head back to Television and leave the web (AOL) to the web pros, he was brought in solely because he knows how to sell an ad or two. At Time Inc, it has to be out with the Ann and in with the new. Again we just hope Wall Street isn't setting their expectations too high for Jeff Bewkes because if he fails to meet them, he will fall hard and be eaten alive. We can only imagine the pressure JB is under at this very moment, still trying to iron out what he is going to do to revive Time Warner but at the same time not making Dick Parsons look prehistoric. Media stocks earn early kudos [THR] EARLIER: Is TimeWarner’s problem, its size, and could a Viacom style break up be the answer to its long standing woes?

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]

Is Time Inc's Ann Moore a white woman, or a really lite-skinned black woman, or a white woman with a tan, or both?

-ZOE S. We have been trying to figure this out for some time now and decided to go ahead and put it out there. Time Inc CEO Ann Moore doesn't look like a white woman, but she doesn't look like a black woman. The kicker? She can pass for both. We've seen the woman in person and she still puzzles our mind. So with that said, is there anyone out there who can answer our question? Is Ann Moore white, black or mixed? Please cool our burning curiosity.

Time.com step's on CNNmoney.com's toes

-MARTY Maybe we're missing the point but, for some reason Time.com has a new global business section. But isn't this kinda taking away from Time.com's sister site CNNmoney.com. Isn't this just creating yet another destination within the Time Inc digital stable when there should only be one per topic. CNNmoney.com is already the home of the Fortune Money Group, one big destination for all things business within the Time Inc digital stable. It would be crazy to see CNNmoney.com launching a section focused on world issues wouldn't it? This to us, just saysTime Inc is all over the place with their so called digital strategy. Bottom line the new Global business section should have been something within CNNmoney.com. Its all about the one stop guys.

The new Fortune.com kinda makes us think of Portfolio.com...kinda

-YOSH In an attempt to remain relevant due to the launch of Conde Nast's heavy business glossy, Portfolio, the folks at Fortune Magazine finally pulled the curtains back on a newly redesigned Fortune.com. One thing struck us when we headed over to the Fortune website though. For a quick second, and we mean a quick second, we swear we were on Portfolio.com. We guess its due to the white logo on a dark charcoal grey background and the layout of the site. Then again the layout seems to be standard for business and current events magazines. We can understand why Fortune felt the need to redesign their website and even the magazine. But we think it falls short in the originality department. We were thinking more of a big blue Fortune logo with grey hi-lites or something on a white background and a font other than Arial or Georgia. But at the end of the day, the new design is a major improvement from the previous design. This comes as Fortune magazine is readying to launch its big print redesign in December or Jan. Some parts of bringing-the-big-brands-back strategy were hinted by Ann Moore, CEO of Time Inc. "What happened is we took the emphasis off the brands...it seemed crazy not to re-establish the power of these brands. We put in a new management team in place now." Also, since Fortune absorbed a lot of Business 2.0 journalists, it now has expanded online daily coverage on Fortune site. Fortune.com Redesigns; Magazine Relaunch Imminent [PaidContent]

Time Inc's John Squires has that kinda successor tone in his statements

-MARTY Time Inc continues to firm up it's digital offerings in the never ending campaign for magazine publisher's to remain relevant, and rumored potential Ann Moore successor John Squires is talking up the company's Internet efforts in a very CEOish way. John Squires, executive vp, Time Inc., said that while he’d like the company’s sites to “crawl up in terms of scale,” he’s happy with their rank in engagement and revenue per user. Speaking today at a Time Inc. Digital Showcase, he noted that according to Time Inc.’s own ranking, the company’s sites come in 15th among media companies in terms of time spent per visitor. At the same time, Squires emphasized the push to get people to stay on the sites longer. “Everything we’re doing, we’re trying to put through this lens [of] how long can we hold people for.” Time Inc. Bolsters Digital Brands [Mediaweek]

Time Inc CEO Ann moore speaks

In this video Time Inc Chairwoman Ann Moore speaks on everything from Business 2.o to the restructuring of the Fortune Money Group and Time Inc possibly being an independent company.

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]

holy shit! Time Inc finally has a corporate website, still no digital ad czar

Wow we cannot believe that after all these years Time Inc finally launched a corporate website and with no fanfare. There is a executive management page featuring not so flattering pictures of the company's senior management team, which by the way only includes one black person. It even includes some individuals who are on their way out the door like Executive VP Mike Klingensmith. Finally we are allowed inside the biggest magazine publisher. Hopefully Conde Nast will add a management page to their site so we can see the people pulling the strings in Si's house. Waytogo Ann and company waytogo. -MARTY Earlier: Time Inc hunts for a digital ad czar. Still has no corporate website

At Time Inc, forced retirements and a new potential Ann Moore successor

TimeWarner is making it clear that current CEO Dick Parsons is staying put until the board says so. However over at Time Inc, a new layout is already taking shape as long time exec Michael Klingensmith has agreed to walk on Time Inc's request. He was one of four underlings reporting directly to CEO Ann Moore who is also scheduled to depart in early 2009 or 2010. This won't be the first or last requested departures as Ann Moore and her bosses at TimeWarner clear the path for her successor. EVP John Squires's name is now being thrown around as a possible replacement for Moore. Klingensmith will retire shortly after the first of the year, leaving just three executive vice presidents reporting to CEO Ann Moore. "They approached me and I sort of jumped at the chance," said Klingensmith. TIME EXEC SAYS HE'LL RETIRE [NYP]

It may have passed over our heads, but did Time Inc find the digital czar they fired people to create a salary for?

Last month we posted about Time Inc's search for a digital czar to come in and grab online advertising by the balls. However we are not sure if they did find their dream guy/girl, or they are still looking? Earlier: Time Inc hunts for a digital ad czar. Still has no corporate website

Time Inc names that guy Paul Caine with the ugly smile Prexy of new entertainment group

Time Inc CEO Ann Moore continues to put in place what will be her legacy when she is long gone from the company, even though her successor may come in and undo her doings. Time Inc. has created the Time Inc. Entertainment Group, an umbrella organization for the Entertainment Weekly and its Web site and the People group, and named Paul Caine as its president. Stephanie George, executive vp, Time Inc. announced the changes in a memo to staff.The reorganization is designed to help Time Inc. better leverage its entertainment properties with advertisers, George wrote in the memo. Another big paycheck the company has to cut that's all. Oh yeah and Dave Morris clearly left because he was passed over for the gig, or he can't stand Paul Caine, or both. Time Inc. Creates Entertainment Division: Caine Named President; Morris Exits EW [MW]

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]

Time Inc hunts for a digital ad czar. Still has no corporate website

Time Inc is looking for a stiff to oversee its print and digital business in an effort to drive ad revenue across its brands within its new FortuneMoney Group. Lets hope Time Inc boss lady Anne Moore lands herself a winner, so she can go out on top. Time Inc is creating an executive position that will be responsible for all print and digital ad revenue in the group, which includes Fortune and Money magazines, the Fortune Small Business magazines and the CNNMoney.com Web site. On another note. Why does one of the world's biggest magazine publishers lack a corporate website? You want to milk the digital ad business but you don't even have a website to showcase your brands and the people behind them. Let’s go Time Inc. Launch an official Timeinc.com website. Time reshuffles business magazine ad sales group [Reuters] Earlier: The digital strategy set forth by Time Inc Queen Ann Moore is gaining traction

For Time Inc's Ann Moore and Hearst's Cathy Black, no new titles, at least not print anyway

-LENN HINDSMANN The two panty wearing CEOs of two of the worlds most powerful magazine publishers have no plans to launch any new titles. Instead Ann Moore and Cathy Black will focus on building their company's internet offerings, via web videos and user generated content. The days off multi-million dollar launches and over the top launch parties, may be a thing of the past as more and more magazine publishers close print titles to focus on the web. But will these two women roll out winning web strategies? Each have already failed at new launches in print and the internet. Time Inc launched an online magazine geared toward young men called "Office Pirates" but the site folded after it failed to generate the kind of buzz Time Inc was hoping far. Hearst launched the well buzzed Talk Magazine back in 1999 but the buzz went away and the magazine died soon after. Will Time Inc and/or Hearst experience this again in their push to land a seat on the digital media train? In the history of US magazine launches, the high point may have been August 1999, when Tina Brown's Talk magazine debuted. Jointly owned by Miramax and Hearst Communications, Talk came into the world with an extravagant party in which Hollywood celebrities and former presidents took over the Statue of Liberty. Time and Hearst focus on new media, not new titles [FT via MSNBC]