December 14, 2009 News (*updated)

This LA Times news just in, per LA Observed, via an LA Times memo (read memo by taking the link):

Kelly Scott will succeed Lisa Fung as arts and culture editor and Suzanne Muchnic is retiring as arts reporter after 31 years at The Times.

If you're looking for V Page editor Mia McNeice at Variety, note this auto reply I got today:

Thank you for your e-mail. I am currently out of the office on maternity leave. If you have any questions about events and the V Page please contact Vanessa Morsse. Have a great holiday season and I will be in touch once I return.

The email address @variety.com is Vanessa.Morsse.


The LA Times moves religion writer Duke Helfand over to the Business staff as a health industry writer, per LA Observed.

And Business writer Lisa Girion goes to "metro," according to this memo.


LA Observed also says that more LA Times layoffs are coming tomorrow (December 15). I read that more layoffs at Fox TV (local) are imminent as well.


From Cision:

Senior editor and columnist Lorrie Lynch has been let go from USA Weekend. She leaves amidst recent staff layoffs at the publication and at USA Today, as previously reported in The Navigator. Lynch joined the magazine in 1990 and penned the celebrities Who's News column.

and

Francis Lam has joined the Internet magazine Salon.com as a food editor and has helped launch the site's food section. He most recently served as a blogger for Gourmet.com and was a contributing editor for Gourmet magazine until its recent closure. Lam can be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Francis_Lam

Wanted to make a special shout out to Harriette Smith and her In the Wings blog… check it out here!



I'm concluding with this video from Disneyland that details how candy canes are made. Merry Christmas, everyone!

December 7, 2009

Gawker reports:

DailyCandy will now stop publishing city-specific editions in all but five of those 12 cities: New York, London, LA, Chicago and San Francisco. Subscribers in the other cities will now receive an "Everywhere" edition, supplemented with local news and events twice a week.

Details and memo here.


The Huffington Post launches an LA site. Read Editor Willow Bay's welcome with details here. She concludes with:

We hope you'll enjoy hearing from these new contributors and others we'll continue to add to the mix. Our Los Angeles editor, Billy Silverman, and I would like to hear more from you, too. Send us your ideas for stories, tips, and feedback in the comments below, or email us at losangeles [at] huffingtonpost.com.

LA Observed reports the LA Times hiring of writer Amy Kaufman to join the "movie group." Her…

…responsibility principally will be to report breaking news for Calendar and Company Town, although she also will write feature stories and analysis pieces.

More info and memo here.


Also from LA Observed:

Hollywoodnews.com expects to launch in January with former Los Angeles Times film reporter Robert Welkos as the editor and Carlos de Abreu as CEO and publisher.

Take this link for more.


From Cision:

Chris Gray has left USA Today, where she served as a travel assignment editor and editor of the travel section, Destinations and Diversions. At this time, a direct replacement has not been named for her role, but travel section editor and reporter Kitty Bean Yancey, 703-854-3768, is the best contact for Destinations and Diversions. Gray will continue to write her travel blog, Chris Around the World. She can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/caroundtheworld.

and

Vickie Bane has accepted a buyout at People and is no longer with the weekly magazine, where she served as a staff writer. She covered news and personalities at the Los Angeles bureau.

and

Laura Dye Lang is no longer with Sunset Magazine, where she served as home editor. A replacement has not been named for her role at the lifestyle magazine.

and

Lisa Trottier has been named travel editor of Sunset Magazine. She also contributes to the Sunset Traveler blog. She previously served as a contributing editor for the publication.

Thanks very much to the intrepid Brenda Rees for this:

Just got a call from an ad rep from Edible Los Angeles regarding the winter issue of Edible Los Angeles, a fine publication, if I do say so!

Seems that they are "suspending" their winter issue because of some "restructuring" complications. They are planning to print a spring issue.

Seems a little suspect to me, but I like the publication and hope this isn't a sign of another magazine going south.

November 30, 2009 News

LA Observed breaks the news that LA Times Readers Rep Jamie Gold is leaving the paper and speculates…

…it's unclear if her exit is part of the fairly large newsroom reduction (via buyouts and layoffs) that staffers expect to hit next week. The buzz is that several staffers who lose their jobs will be invited back as contract workers, at lower pay and without benefits, to begin once the calendar year turns over on Dec. 31…

More LA Times… read the announcement of its new hire, "Steven Zeitchik [who] is joining The Times’ entertainment team as a reporter and blogger assigned to cover the movie industry."

So sad to read about Mike Penner's death…


Downtown News writer Anna Scott debuted her own blog a few weeks ago, with this welcome message:

This is a blog about LA people. Or, to put it more fancifully, Angelenos revealed, one question at a time. That's pretty much it. Angel City will consist entirely of Q&As with all kinds of Los Angeles denizens, from Hollywood types to barflies to artists (not that those descriptions are mutually exclusive, but you get the idea).

And who will be conducting said interviews? That would be me, Anna Scott, an L.A.-based journalist and dancing fool.

According to this FishbowlDC post, the Washington Post…

… is closing their offices in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Three news aides will be let go but the reporters in those cities have been offered positions in Washington.

Effective date is December 31. Take link above for more details.


For anyone who missed this, dated November 16:

The following Playbill.com editors and writers can be reached at the following address and phone number:

Playbill.com
525 Seventh Ave.
Suite 1801
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-557-5757
Fax: 212-661-5866

Andrew Gans: Ext. 166
Ken Jones: Ext. 133
Adam Hetrick: Ext. 114
Ernio Hernandez: Ext. 112
Matt Blank: Ext. 140

This from FishbowlLA is also from November:

Dennis Romero has been hired as news blogger for the LA Weekly. In the month since former blog editor Steven Mikulan parted ways with the paper, Romero has been a regular contributor to LA Daily. Editor Drex Heikes announced to the staff [in November] that Romero would join the paper as a full-time staffer.

This makes my heart sing… Don Shirley is back, at the wonderful LA Stage blog…

"…to blog about theater in the L.A. area. He has observed the scene since the early ’80s: as a KCRW contributor and a Los Angeles Times free-lancer, as a Times staff reporter and frequent reviewer from 1990 to 2006, and as the theater critic of LA CityBeat from 2006 until the alternative newspaper and web site folded earlier this year.

Don will choose his own topics and will express his own opinions, which are not necessarily those of the LA Stage Alliance or its members. He welcomes disagreeing comments — especially those that are thoughtful and civil. He hopes to post fresh commentary frequently. Please join the conversations."

This, on the other hand, makes my blood boil… LA Observed has a memo from the LA Times which says…

… the Entertainment Department has openings for two general assignment reporters who can write news and features across the full spectrum of our coverage areas -- from fine art, theater and classical music to movies, television and pop culture.

LA Observed surmises, and I have no doubt of it, that they're looking to replace the already excellent writers they laid off with those who might work for less. Disheartening. And a whole bunch of other adjectives I'd rather not use.


More LA Times-related stuff…

Since my last posting – and you don't need a weatherman to see which direction my finger is pointing – the Times had a bunch more layoffs last month. Among those no longer there are Barbara Thornburg; Diane Haithman,Tina Daunt and Ken Hively.

Cision reports that Metromix Los Angeles music editor Scott Sterling is also gone.

Kurt Streeter has segued from sports columnist to metro columnist, and he will, according to Cision, "focus on producing more long-form front page stories."

The aforementioned Ken Hively, photographer, has set up his own business. Reach him @gmail.com: kenhivelyphotography. He has a web site coming soon. I have a phone number, which I'll email directly if you let me know you want it. Thanks to the fabulous Nancy Hereford for the tip.


More from Cision:

Entertainment industry site TheWrap.com has nabbed recently laid off LA Weekly staff writer Steven Mikulan. His new column, L.A. Noir, will focus on the intersection of celebrities, crime, Los Angeles media and the entertainment industry. Also joining the site as deputy editor is Josh Dickey, who ends a decade of work with the Associated Press.

According to the person who answered the AP phone, long-time AP-er Steve Loeper is currently Deputy Entertainment Editor.


Also from Cision:

The Press-Enterprise in Southern California has made cuts in its newsroom and six staffers have been affected. Julia Glick, metro reporter; Sonja Bjelland, metro reporter; Sean Nealon, higher education reporter; Chris Richard, regional reporter; Melanie Johnson, education reporter; and Melissa Eiselein, community news reporter, have been laid off from the daily.

and

Sister stations KVEA-TV and KWHY-TV in Burbank, Calif. have each canceled one of their Spanish language newscasts. KVEA-TV's Buenos Dias, which aired on Mondays through Fridays from 6am to 7am, and KWHY-TV's Primero de la Tarde, which aired on Mondays through Fridays from 1pm through 2pm, have been canceled.

and

Unquiet Thoughts is a new music blog www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/alexross hosted on The New Yorker's Web site. It features notes on music by Alex Ross, who also serves as a music critic for The New Yorker. The blog, which Ross began on October 14, 2009, provides music commentary, continuations of his New Yorker pieces, audio excerpts from recommended new CDs, videos and more.

Tim Mangan's classical music blog on the OC Register site has a new "address" -- be sure to bookmark it!


Jason Middleton is now consulting for LA.com and is no longer the editor.


Jenny Peters announces on Facebook:

Jenny Peters is happy to announce that she is the new Editor in Chief of "Bel Air Magazine," a bimonthly luxury lifestyle print and web magazine scheduled to begin publishing [next spring]. Let the pitching begin! And if you would like to advertise to the residents of Bel Air, the Holmby Hills, and Beverly Hills, have we got a deal for you! All other outlets remain in place here, by the way. Here's to a profitable 2010!!

RIP Metropolitan Home magazine, as of the December issue. More from LA Observed here.


StyleSectionLA's Emili Vesilind reported about two weeks ago that Leila Baboi, West Coast market editor for Women’s Wear Daily, was laid off. More here.


Also from a few weeks back, Gawker says:

We're told the Los Angeles bureau [of Forbes] has been eliminated, along with LA-based staff writer Evan Hessel. We also hear Scott Woolley has been axed.

The full post with news of lots of other "brutal" Forbes layoffs is here.


LAIst reports that KPFK is beefing up its schedule with daily news programming. Details here.


And finally, thanks to the well-connected Flo Selfman for passing this along from Lynn Weiss

After 12 years, as hard as it is for me to believe, I am leaving Entertainment Weekly. (Sure, I was tempted to go for the baker’s dozen, but why be greedy?) However, I’m leaving for an exciting new opportunity: I will be heading up New York Magazine’s entertainment blog, Vulture.com. Starting next January, we’ll be expanding it into a national site, with a staff of breaking-news reporters, sharp bloggers, and savvy TV recappers, and unique new site features. I’m sure I’ll be working with you when I get over there (I start Tuesday, Nov. 17; my last day at EW is tomorrow), so please keep me on your mailing list and email alerts. My new contact info @nymag.com is Josh_Wolk.

P.S. Just a quick shout-out to the late ultra-publicist Frank Liberman, who's gone off to that great clipping service in the sky. I'm looking forward to the celebration of his life at a memorial service this weekend. I've known Frank since I was a little girl, and I'm sure many of you do too.

October 19, 2009 News

Thanks to the wonderful Lucy Pollak for passing along the latest arts contacts from the LA Times, with the caveat that “this is still all in flux for now.”

Kelly Scott - Theater
Sherry Stern - Dance and Music
Bret Israel - Art & Architecture

In other LA Times news, the magazine is taken back under the newsroom’s control and Editor Annie Gilbar is let go, with Nancie Clare, previously deputy editor, assuming Annie’s title. Read the press release here.

And according to Cision:

Martin Miller has been named TV editor at the Los Angeles Times. He most recently was an assistant arts and entertainment editor for the daily and before that, he was a television staff writer. He also has covered health and lifestyle and was a writer in the features department.

Thanks also to Larry Mayer, who passes this along…

KCSN dropped ALL classical music announcers and is now automated, at least from 6am -6pm weekdays.

Writer Steven Mikulan is gone from LA Weekly. Details here.

October 12, 2009 News

SO MUCH to catch up on… I’ve been super swamped without a second to post. Some of the info below is a little old, but in case you missed it, it’s all here. Thanks to everyone who wondered if I’d fallen off the edge of the earth!


DAMN! This last week from Cision:

Michelle Grabicki has departed The Hollywood Reporter, where she served as associate editor, features and oversaw the About Town page. No replacement has been named.

LA TIMES

1. GREAT NEWS from the Times for us PR types with fundraiser-party clients: Ellen Olivier is now covering same for the Image section! She writes:

"Scene & Heard"… will also be online, and feature additional photos.

Reach her @society-news.com (ellen.olivier)

2. DEPUTY ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR SHERRY STERN TAKES OVER THEATRE REVIEW AND FEATURE ASSIGNMENTS FROM LISA FUNG. Lisa’s promotion is described as follows:

The Los Angeles Times today announced Lisa Fung as Online Arts & Entertainment Editor. In her new role she will oversee round-the-clock multimedia coverage of all arts and entertainment, including Calendar, The Envelope and Company Town, as well as more than a dozen latimes.com blogs. In addition, Fung is charged with developing new online properties and services to enhance The Times' standing as the definitive source for news, information and analysis about pop culture, celebrity, movies, music, television, social media, video games, arts, culture, awards and the business of Hollywood.

Full story here.

Congratulations, Lisa!

3. SEAN GALLAGHER is the Times’ web site’s new managing editor replacing Meredith Artley who left to join CNN.com.

4. From Cision:

JIM NEWTON [stepped] down Sept. 28 as editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times. He will become an editor at large of the section, and deputy editorial page editor Nicholas Goldberg will replace him as editor.

4. This, also from Cision, happened a while ago…

DONNA FRAZIER is no longer at the Los Angeles Times. She had served as the executive editor of the Image section… No replacement has been named, but relevant pitches can be directed to Image editor Booth Moore.


And of course you’ve all heard by now last week’s announcement of the demise of Gourmet Magazine, after the November issue, and three other Conde Nast publications: Cookie, Elegant Bride, and Modern Bride. Here’s the New York Times’ take on it.


Good to hear from the wonderful Michael Burr in early September. He writes:

Just wanted to let you know that I will be reporting for RadarOnline.com. Please keep me in mind for any interesting celebrity news, stories and items. Many thanks for your help and I look forward to working with you soon!!

Reach him via gmail.com -- michaelburrla


Frontiers Editor Aaron Drake writes to say:

I’ll be handling all the Theater Listings and Reviews for the magazine, please direct all Theater-related materials to me – Brian Padgett is no longer working at Frontiers.

The masthead lists Drake alongside the mag’s other Editor Stephan Horbelt.


Has anyone else used Cision’s Journalist Tweets? They have a free email alert function that I just signed up for to see how/if it works.


Be sure to check out writer Pauline Adamek‘s new site, www.ArtsBeatLA.com, which features “timely reviews and information about Los Angeles Theater, Concerts, Opera and Art, also Films and Books.”


The Daily Breeze’s Toni Sciacqua has been promoted from managing editor to editor. According to Cision, the ME post won’t be filled. Follow her here on Twitter. Congrats, Toni!


Congratulations are also in order for AP Music Editor Nekesa Moody, whose nuptials I read about in Sunday’s New York Times; this wonderful wedding section is one of the Times' weekend hightlights for me. The people-driven coverage of mostly ordinary folks and how they met/courted focuses on telling a good tale. For the random famous person covered (not that often), it’s the story rather than their celebrity that’s important -- case in point is the wedding of John Kerry’s daughter, also covered today. Wonder if the LA Times would EVER do anything like that?


Thanks to the fabulous Lucy Pollak, who passed this along last month

Style Section L.A., a website dedicated to showcasing the talents and trends that shape style in Los Angeles, launches [September 9] at StyleSectionLA.com.

The site was co-founded by veteran L.A. fashion writers Emili Vesilind, Erin Weinger and Andrew Harmon, after they found themselves in the freelance pool following the major downsizing of style reporters at newspapers and magazines last year.

The mission? Marry evocative storytelling and gorgeous photography with modern-day speed and spunk, while cluing users in on the city's rich cultural landscape-from that ultra-happening bar in K-Town and the secret shopping spots of local style arbiters to the profound social implications of side ponytails.

Stories in the first month include a profile on L.A. designer Kimberly Ovitz, a video of American Idol's Jackie Tohn navigating L.A.'s jankiest thrift stores, a fashion shoot spotlighting L.A. fashion designers with "Fame" co-star Kay Panabaker and a feature story and portrait series that calls out some of L.A.'s (somewhat) unsung influentials, including dancer/choreographer Ryan Heffington and Wren designer Melissa Coker.

Emili Vesilind is a former Fashion Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Times and West Coast Retail Editor for WWD. Andrew Harmon is the former West Coast Editor of men's fashion bible DNR, and current Senior News Editor for The Advocate. Erin Weinger is a former Fashion Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Times.

They suggest using this email @stylesectionla.com: editors. But we know better. See specific contacts on their Contact page.


Ran into respected music writer Tim Mangan at the Hollywood Bowl in late August, which reminded me that I need to read his arts blog at the Orange County Register more often. You do too. Check it out here.

Same for Al Martinez's work. Check out his post on his 60th wedding anniversary.


From the New York Observer some weeks ago:

Jon Landman, the New York Times' deputy managing editor, is the paper's new culture editor.

More here.


Thanks to mannfolk PR's Omar Cunningham for passing along this info (some weeks ago) from Signature Magazine's publishers:

Hellin Kay has been appointed the Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director of Signature Magazine. She joins us with over a decade of experience in every facet of the fashion industry and publications in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently she was West Coast Fashion Editor for WWD in Los Angeles . Hellin has been staff Fashion Director and photographer for Russian Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Spoon Paris as well as a freelance contributor to L'Uomo Vogue, British Vogue, i-D, Elle, Nylon, French, Blackbook, Celeste, and Preen. Her personal photography work and short films have been published in books and exhibited in New York, London and Moscow .

Kay's email address at signatureladirect.com is hkay@.

The magazine’s full masthead is here.


This (from the New York Post) is also from a while ago, so I don’t know if there have been any updates, but if it’s true, it's very sad:

After failing to sell their guidebook empire for $200 million, Upper West Siders Tim and Nina Zagat are not only putting off their retirement plans, they're struggling to keep it afloat.

Over the last three decades, the pioneering Zagats -- he's 69 and she's 67 -- have turned a hobby that started in a Manhattan apartment kitchen into a brand that sells millions of books, reviewing eateries, hotels and leisure spots in 104 countries. But it is losing substantial ground to online rivals, including Chowhound and Yelp, said a source familiar with the matter.

Yelp? PLEASE. I can't begin to count the number of incredibly annoying phone calls I've gotten from their seemingly endless sales reps wanting to help a client "enhance" their presence on Yelp – for a few bucks, of course.


Read about how "KTLA-TV’s Leila Feinstein will now create and produce a daily healthcare initiative" in this LA Observed post.


Per an auto-reply email last month, Aimee Machado no longer works at KPCC.


Johan Graham, who runs a benefit auction firm, was (in August) looking for a PR specialist "to help me get my name out. If you are interested please contact me at 760-954-9964 and feel free to check my web-site at www.auctioneerist.com."


OK… that’s it for now!

August 24, 2009 News

New-ish editor for Valley Life Magazine is Deborah Shadovitz.


Gawker reports layoffs at Salon.com, including Culture Editor Joy Press.


Thanks to LA Observed for the tip that former LA Weekly music writer John Payne debuted a new music website, bluefat, recently. From the home page:

Welcome to bluefat, a magazine for music, film and visual art devotees with open minds and a fondness for the diverse. Updated weekly, bluefat is a deep plunge into works spanning wide formal regions, from rock, pop, jazz and folk to international traditional music, contemporary classical music and new-/non-genre sounds, as well as commentary on groundbreaking new filmmakers. In-depth conversations with artists forging paths outside the boundaries of popular taste visit realms where pure expression is the name of the game.

CAN YOU HELP?

Writer Debra Levine sends this along…

Save Film at LACMA, a three-week-old grassroots movement founded to convince the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to reverse its decision in cutting a valued forty-year-running classic film program, is looking for a pro-bono partner in the area of public relations.

In three short weeks, we have attracted a significant following in our online petition online that presently has more than 2,500 signatures.

The effort is sponsored by a blog. It has an affiliated facebook group – 3,500 fans -- and twitter feed.

We have had significant coverage in the Los Angeles Times, on TIME.com, and a major article in the New York Times is anticipated this week. We need to keep our interactive online campaign fresh and add to our print coverage. We anticipate the need to reach out to television to cover our upcoming celebrity-filled “Popcorn” summit with LACMA on September 1.

Please reach out by email or phone 323 662 0261 to Debra Levine (debra@levineonline.com) at Save Film at LACMA. We’re already rocking; we want to keep rolling! We need your help. Many thanks!

August 10, 2009 News

 The contact for Local News Service, the new pool news crew for KNBC, KTLA and FOX, is Ellen Winston at KNBC. Her @nbcuni.com address is ellen.winston.


Thanks to the intrepid Lucy Pollak for passing this on from Alexis Johnson, late of Angeleno:

I hope this finds everyone well. Just wanted to let you know that today [August 6] is my last day at Angeleno--after three phenomenal years, I've decided to go back to USC to get a master's in public art studies. I will still be frequently freelancing for the magazine, covering beauty and culture, but am also helping launch a new, LA-based style website on September 1st with a few former LA Times Image section writers (details to come).

For future fashion and party coverage pitches, contact Jade Chang (jchang). For all calendar requests, send press releases to eventsla.
[addresses are @modernluxury.com]

Alexis's @gmail.com address is alexismarissajohnson, and her web site is here.


And thanks to Mannfolk PR's Omar Cunningham for this tip:

Eryka Clayton, Ed/Chf of Signature LA Direct Magazine, just shot out a "moving on" email stating that she is leaving the magazine to move onto her next project, which she will let us know of in the very near future.

Ex-LA Times writer Robin Rauzi, now of The Journalism Shop (see post below), passes on the news that "UCLA Live will likely be in the market for an interim publicist asap, and that interested parties should contact the marketing director Phil Rosenthal."


This is a quick shout out to the lovely Harriette Smith and her film/theatre blog. Take a look here.

 

August 3, 2009 News

Very interesting "mea culpa" from the New York Times with regard to a large number of errors in a story on the passing of Walter Cronkite.


Lynne Heffley, one of my favorite former LA Times writers, and a bunch of colleagues have debuted a web site where you can find

"highly skilled newspaper veterans interested in taking on freelance assignments. All members are former Los Angeles Times staffers offering a wide range of skills and interests, from investigative reporters to book reviewers, page designers to project managers. If you are looking for help with a complete editorial project, email us and we'll get you in touch with the right people."

Check it out here!


Speaking of former LA Times writers, veteran music critic Robert Hilburn has a book about his career coming out in the fall, Corn Flakes with John Lennon (couldn't he think of a better title? No matter, his writing is worth it whatever it's called) and a web site with blog. Take a look.


LA Times.com Entertainment Editor Richard Rushfield departs for Gawker.com as its west coast editor. Details from LA Observed here.


Perhaps connected to the above, the Times has also announced Scott Sandell's appointment as "morning entertainment editor, Calendar," with a memo, which begins:

We are pleased to name Scott Sandell as the morning entertainment editor for the Calendar and Company Town operations. In this newly created position, Scott will give us an earlier jump on the news each day and improve coordination among Calendar, Company Town, the Web, the photo and graphics departments and the rest of the paper. Working a 7 a.m.-to-3:30 p.m. shift, Scott will scour the wires, papers and the blogosphere to put together our early morning coverage. He will be responsible for an internal memo that will be distributed to senior editors at 7:30 a.m. that gives a heads-up on stories moving to the Web and enterprise on deck for the day.

Read the rest of it here.

July 27, 2009 News

From writer Karen Young about her new online community news magazine:

Last summer you posted information about the Sun Community Newspapers going on hiatus so I just want to give you an update. I was the editor of the newspaper group at that time and we never re-opened. I'm writing to let you know that I personally created and launched an online community news magazine for the San Fernando Valley on June 22 — www.mydailyfind.com.

My mission is to spotlight the people who live, work and create in the San Fernando Valley. My tagline is: Rolling out the red carpet for community in the San Fernando Valley. I also have a free daily email to subscribers with "my daily find" which is a person, product, event, business — it really runs the gamut. The email is an article that then lives on the site

I believe that MY DAILY FIND is a new model for community journalism on the web. I have original articles with bylines, bios and photos of the writers. There is no blogging, citizen journalists or aggregated content. I use a lot of photos.

Contact address [@mydailyfind.com] is karen…


Auto reply from Robin Goldsworthy, city editor of the Crescenta Valley Sun…

Thank you for contacting me. As of July 6, I no longer work for the Tribune Company/LA Times/Valley Sun newspapers as the CV Sun was closed on July 3. To submit information pertaining to the Crescenta Valley, contact Dan Evans, director of editorial, at the Glendale News-Press [Address @latimes.com is at dan.evans]. If you need immediate assistance, or wish to submit information for La Canada, I invite you to contact the La Canada Valley Sun Editor, Carol Cormaci, at (818) 790-8774. To contact me, send an email [@gmail.com] to robingoldsworthy2.

On a somewhat related note, there's a new-ish blog with "Real-time news about Glendale, Crescenta Valley, Burbank and La Cañada" from the LA Times Community Newspapers staffs of the Glendale News Press, Burbank Leader and La Canada Valley Sun.


LA Observed reports changes at the Wall Street Journal's LA bureau here.


The LA Times Readers Rep blog announces new sports editor here.


Thanks to the sainted Libby Huebner for passing this along, from Doug Ramsey's Rifftides:

JazzTimes magazine announced today that it will come back to life with an August issue. A post on the magazine's site says that a Boston company, Madavor Media, has acquired JazzTimes. It describes Madavor as "a market-leading enthusiast publishing and trade-show group."

Read the whole post here.


The inspirational Zan Dubin Scott recommends Vocus' blog, which also has a comprehensive "media moves" section.


Got this in a press release from Kristen Calavas:

TheLookbook.com (http://thelookbook.com) is pleased to announce the hire of Shannon Levy to the position of Beauty Director. Levy previously served as the Managing Editor of Makeup Artist magazine for 5 years. She is also a Contributing Editor to On Makeup magazine and will continue in this capacity while working as Beauty Director for TheLookbook.com. Prior to her tenure at Makeup Artist, she was a beauty reporter & contributor at InStyle magazine. TheLookbook will be launching a Beauty & Makeup Artist division in the Fall of 2009.

From Fishbowl New York about two weeks ago, this news:

New York public radio station WNYC just announced that it has purchased classical music station WQXR from The New York Times, promising to maintain its classical format and transform it into a public radio station.

As part of the deal, Univision Radio Inc. will pay $33.5 million to swap its FCC broadcast license for 105.9 FM and transmitting equipment for the New York Times Co.'s license, equipment, and signal at 96.3 FM. Then WNYC will pay the Times Co. $11.5 million for 105.9 FM's FCC broadcast license, transmitting equipment, WQXR's call letters and Web site.

Full details here.


Deepest condolences to music writer Greg Burk and his wife on the loss of their daughter, Lily.

July 15, 2009 News

Jeremy Kinser moves to The Advocate from Frontiers-In Los Angeles with this parting email, noting that his last day…

…will be Tuesday, July 21. It's been a wonderful seven years with Frontiers/IN Los Angeles/Frontiers in L.A. I've accepted a position at The Advocate and am very excited about this new challenge… Please know that the magazine is in very capable hands with our Associate Editor Stephan Horbelt. If you want to introduce yourselves, please contact him at stephan.horbelt [frontierspublishing.com]

In response to my question, Jeremy adds:

I'm replacing their Arts & Entertainment position but I think my title will be Senior Editor.

Congrats!


There's a new foodie blog: GrubStreet Los Angeles, with this info from the welcome message:

For three years, New York Magazine's Grub Street has done the hungry work of a New York City food and restaurant blog, obsessively covering every crumb of news. But there's a world of cuisine beyond the five boroughs, and as of today Grub Street is going national, expanding its horizons across the continent to here in Los Angeles (and touching down in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and San Francisco along the way).

So with that — hello, welcome, good to see you! I'm Hadley Tomicki and I'll be your server/editor while we explore the ongoing adventure that is eating in Los Angeles. We'll be covering anything and everything edible in The City of Angels, from unsung street food to the latest celebrity-chef showcase, obscure local eateries and markets to the strictest reservations.

Wonder if Hadley T. is related to Bill T.?


These next items are a little old, but here they are anyway…


Fishbowl LA reports on four non-layoff editorial staff departures from Entrepreneur Magazine: Associate Editor Kim Orr, Research Editor James Park, Associate Web Editor Elizabeth Wilson, and Associate Editor of Franchise Allison Gergley. Take link for details.


WWD reports...

Tina Brown and Gabe Doppelt are reuniting for the third time, as Doppelt leaves as W’s West Coast bureau chief to join The Daily Beast, founded by Brown at InterActiveCorp. Doppelt, a former editor in chief of Mademoiselle and VH1 producer, began her career as Brown’s assistant at Tatler and was an editor at large at Brown’s short-lived Talk… Doppelt will be hiring reporters for the new bureau and will be working out of IAC’s Los Angeles building.

From LA Weekly's blog:

Long-time Los Angeles journalist Drex Heikes will return to California this summer to become LA Weekly's next editor…

Read the full story here.



You've probably already read about the top editor-level changes at the LA Times from a week or so back, but if not, check it out here.


As an aside, I got the LA Times Magazine with my paper last Sunday. Guess they finally ditched the "preferred zip code"-only delivery that was in effect for a few months.

Wonder if people have stopped freaking out yet about changes to the weather and comics pages?

June 22, 2009, News

I must rectify a grevious omission from my last post when I forgot to credit my esteemed and beloved colleague Libby Huebner, aka the sainted Mrs. Johnson, for the Jazz Times tip.

Lest I err again, let me thank the similarly esteemed Lucy Pollak for passing this on:

Hi everyone

Please welcome Stephan (pronounced Steven) Horbelt as our new associate editor. We're very excited to have him on our editorial staff. His e-mail is Stephan.Horbelt [at] (frontierspublishing.com). Stephan will be writing our calendar and theater listings so please add him to your mailing lists.

Thanks,
Jeremy Kinser
Editor-in-Chief

Nikke Finke reports the departure from the Hollywood Reporter of veteran writer Ray Richmond.


Follow these LA Times CultureMonster blog arts writers on Twitter:

@KnightLAT, @HawthorneLAT, @smuchnic, @lfung, @sherrystern, @dhaithman, @charlesmcnulty, @boehmm, @markswed

June 17, 2009, News

Not sure how recently this changed, but KFRN's current address is 3605 Long Beach Blvd., Suite 445 / Long Beach, CA 90807 (moved from 3550), per Public Service Director Suong Tran.


Thanks to this NY Times blog for info about the new online Tablet Magazine (www.tabletmag.com):

Calling itself “a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas, and culture,” Tablet magazine began publishing Tuesday. The Web site is a project of the nonprofit Nextbook Inc. and the sister organization of Nextbook Press, which publishes a line of Jewish-themed books. Tablet lists an impressive bunch of contributors and is edited by Alana Newhouse, the former culture editor of The Forward, along with Jesse Oxfeld, who has worked at New York magazine and Gawker and serves as executive editor.

Tablet Magazine
295 Lafayette Street, Suite 501
New York, New York 10012
Main phone: 646-277-2400
Fax: 212-226-5619

If you have a story idea to pitch, please contact the appropriate section.
Arts & Culture pitches: arts@
Life & Religion pitches: life@
News & Politics pitches: news@

(All email addresses are at tabletmag.com)


The La Crescenta Valley Sun gets folded into the Glendale News Press as of July 4, with more details here. Both are owned by the same company, of course, as is the La Canada Valley Sun, which remains in place as a separate newspaper. So far.


Jazz Times attempts a Lazarus – this from their web site:

06/08/09
An Important Message From JazzTimes Management
By JazzTimes
To our readers and members of the jazz community:

JazzTimes has temporarily suspended publication of the magazine and has furloughed the bulk of its staff while it finalizes a sale of its assets. The brand and operation will undergo reorganization and restructuring in order to remain competitive in the current media climate. Print publishing is expected to resume as soon as a sale is closed. New information and statements will be posted atwww.jazztimes.com as they become available.

Thank you for your patience during this challenging period.
JazzTimes Management

From EaterLA.com:

Hi, I'm Kat Odell, and today, after nearly a month of contributing to Eater LA, I'm officially taking over as the site's new editor. I'm a longtime foodie with a propensity for cheese, sushi, and doughnuts who calls Venice home, and I'm excited to bring dining and drinking news your way in the classic Eater style -- with a few new twists, too. As ever, we can't do it without your help, so if you spot some fresh plywood, signage, or anything else resty-related, hit the tipline.

Kat's eaterla.com email address is la@.


RIP Cousin Keith -- it's been a year today.

June 11, 2009, News

A warm shout-out to a great group of PR pros with whom I spent a lovely evening of food and conversation: Zan Dubin Scott (ZDS Communications), Lucy Pollak (Lucy Pollak Public Relations); Alison Deknatel (Operation USA's Communications Director), Judith Borne (Bourne Identities); Susan Gordon (special events and PR consulant), Allison Rawlings (Geffen Playhouse Director of Communications), Joanna Brody (Brody Public Relations), Mindy Berman (Mindy F. Berman Communications) and Alexia Haidos (DoubleA PR and Marketing).


Thanks to Leticia Rhi Buckley for passing along this news from Maryl Celiz:

As most of you know, I am no longer editor at Hoy, however, I'm going to start collaborating with a new Hispanic property called Cafe Magazine (print mag out of Chicago and website www.cafemagazine.com) and would love to begin receiving all your wonderful media alerts once again.

Please add me to your databases for anything that has to do with art/music/culture/health/film coverage. I'm currently looking for calendar events and artists/sites to feature in the email newsletter. Quirky and interesting photographs taken by latinos will also be featured. Please pass this along to anyone on your team that works with this type of content and feel free to send me information asap.

Her gmail.com address is Maryl Celiz.

KCET's Vicki Curry sent word of her layoff on Wednesday.

I'm sorry to report that after nearly 14 years with KCET, I've been laid off. It was long expected -- SoCal Connected is on hiatus and there's no other production currently happening at the station. There's a chance I'll return when SoCal Connected starts up again. But in the meantime, I'm looking forward to a brief respite and then new opportunities. I plan to continue working in television & video production but am open to all possibilities. So if you hear of anything that makes you think of me, please let me know!

It's been a pleasure working with you over the years and I hope to keep in touch. If you need to reach anyone at KCET, Val Zavala is still there…

Vicki's gmail.com address is Vicki.Curry

Love to my good friend KW.

And thanks to everyone for your support of and enthusiasm for this blog!

June 9, 2009 News

A bunch more people were let go at the Hollywood Reporter, according to this from The Wrap, which also noted the demise of Radio & Records.


And both John Hobbs and Christopher Cappiello have left Frontiers-INLos Angeles magazine, according to a tip from my beloved friend Kenny Werther. Editor Jeremy Kinser remains.


At Los Angeles Magazine, Matt Segal gets promoted from features editor to executive editor, Rick Meyer moves up to articles editor, and Amy Wallace comes aboard as editor-at-large, according to this memo (with more details) from Editor-in-Chief Mary Melton posted at LA Observed.


These last few weeks have brought the debut of two sites:

Jenny Peters launched www.JetSetJen.com with this message:

I've been working on launching my own web magazine for the last few months, and am happy to announce that it is up and running as of today. You'll find weekly movie reviews there, along with lots of other things to read about, including other entertainment stories, as well as travel, food, wine, fashion, spas, cars, celebrities; all of life's fun stuff, and the things I have been covering for the last twenty years for many other outlets.

So please check it out, tell me what you think, and if you like it, bookmark the site, come back often, and tell your friends and family to take a look too. I'll be updating the content every day, so please come back often and don't forget to click on those Google ads now and then, since that's where I will make the cash to keep it going. And if you have a company or client that might be interested in advertising or sponsorship on the site, please let me know.

And Katherine Spiers...

”after a valiant attempt at resistance, …decided to just go ahead and start a blog already. Here it is: http://katherinespiers.tumblr.com/

Discussing restaurants in LA and food politics in general, as well as providing a one-stop portfolio of my work that's scattered about the internet.

The design is still in the beginning stages, but the content is chugging along.

June 2, 2009, News

I've been on vacation and then catching up from that, but the news stops for no man….


This yesterday from LA Observed:

LA Weekly just announced that longtime editor Laurie Ochoa is leaving. The Weekly story says it is "actively searching for Editor in Chief candidates who will continue LA Weekly's legacy of journalistic excellence while expanding its online presence." Look for speculation about Jill Stewart, the Deputy Editor who some have called a shadow editor since she was installed by Mike Lacey at Village Voice Media, the former New Times group.

Anyone need a job? The Weekly's official announcement of Ochoa's departure is here along with a note about its search for a new editor.


While I was away, I got an email from a guy who was steamed to learn from Media Moves that the LA Times had ceased delivering the monthly magazine to all its subscribers. Shortly thereafter, I checked out the May issue on the Times' web site, and it had a bunch of stuff I was interested in reading… but NOT online. So, I dropped a note to the magazine's Editor Annie Gilbar, sharing with her both of the above points. Here's her response to my question, "Who do we write to let them know that we want the magazine back in our zip code, too?"

Hi Laura

It’s such a long story. People love the magazine – and of course they are frustrated since the distribution has changed.

We are trying to figure it out.

Will let you know when we do.

Meanwhile, thanks as always

Annie

In her reply to me she cc'd Penn Jones, whose name did not ring a bell until a few days later when his departure as publisher of the monthly magazine was announced along with the suspension – after only a few weeks of life – of the LAEtcetera weekly.

LA Observed has more.


Speaking of LA Observed, as I do again and again, I felt like a real grown-up (wink) being invited to its anniversary party last Friday. Putting faces of journalists with names I've known for years was very cool, as was meeting the wonderful Kevin Roderick. Full report from LA Observed here.


I'm sure you've all heard by now that Editor Kit Rachlis and writers Steve Oney, Dave Gardetta and Jessie Katz have departed Los Angeles Magazine. Executive Editor Mary Melton is promoted to Rachlis' spot, and the three writers will apparently continue as free-lancers.

Nice for all these corporations to get rid of staffers and re-hire them for less money (read no taxes to pay, no benefits to pay, no overhead to pay). If you believe that all these layoffs (NOT just in journalism) are REALLY a result of "the economy," I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona you might want to check out.


Lots of interesting info about LA food and restaurant writers (and a photo of Colleen Dunn Bates, Jessica Gelt and Jonathan Gold) in this post by Caroline on Crack, one of my favorite bloggers.


I was very saddened to read about the death of young (34) Daily Breeze writer Vu Nguyen last month.

I had met him in April at Lennox Middle School for a story on Mary Lang, an amazing teacher who's using Shakespeare to help her equally amazing English-development students learn English. I had pitched the story related to my client, A Noise Within, the repertory theatre company, which hosts these kids when they come to the theatre to see the Shakespeare play they've been studying. A lovely guy, he really did a great job capturing how Lang influences her students and generates excitement in the classroom. He told me how he was glad to have the chance to do this type of story, as most of his education coverage was more dry board of education-type reporting. Here's his piece.

What a terrible, terrible tragedy. Life is short.


Check out arts/culture writer Julie Riggott's new web site, Culture Spot LA, which has moved from her blog (ArtsLosAngeles.blogspot.com). She writes:

Our new site is bigger, bolder, and more eye-catching, and it will continue to grow and change. New features include Hot Spots -- listings of our recommendations for the hottest culture spots. We also have a featured article on an amazing exhibit at the Getty. We hope you enjoy what you read and will help us continue to cover the arts in any of the following ways:

--visit often and share your comments
--subscribe to receive emails about new posts
--add a link to CultureSpotLA.com on your website
--tell your friends, colleagues, members, etc. about Culture Spot LA
--become a contributor: share stories and photos
--add Editor +++ at+++ CultureSpotLA dotcom to your press release list
--inquire about advertising
--ask businesses that support arts and culture to inquire about advertising

Check this out, too: KPCC's Kitty Felde is now blogging from DC.

May 13, 2009 News

LA Confidential has a new editor-in-chief, Sari Tuschman, and deputy editor, Lesley McKenzie, both located in the Century City office. Their @NicheMediallc.com emails are firstname.lastname


Want to announce, rather belatedly that last November, the Jewish Journal's Danielle Berrin was promoted from "Calendar Girl" to full-time staff writer covering Hollywood. Check out her "Hollywood Jew" blog here.


Gary Scott reports this Daily News update:

The Los Angeles Daily News has fired LAUSD/education reporter George Sanchez… Reporter Connie Llanos will continue to cover education for Daily News.

Full post here.


PetersMusicNews.com is up and running to cover music events in the San Gabriel Valley and performers from the area, run by the wonderful Bill Peters. Check it out here, and reach him at this petersmusicnews.com address: editor


Katie Klapper passes on the news that Western Interiors has folded and that its Editor-in-Chief Michael Wolleager is now Editor-at-Large at Luxe.


KNBC's "YourLA" show is no longer operational, so take it off your list if it's still on.


Got a press release titled “THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER” AND PBS ANNOUNCE MAJOR CHANGES" that said in part:

Among the changes outlined by Mr. Lehrer and Linda Winslow, executive producer of The NewsHour, are a change in the name of the program from The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer to PBS NewsHour; a change in the broadcast format ― moving from a single anchor to a dual anchor each evening; and the addition of a correspondent who will serve as a bridge between The NewsHour’s broadcast and digital platforms. Lehrer will remain executive editor and primary anchor of the new PBS NewsHour and will lead the transition.

Full press release here.

May 7, 2009 News

This blog is two years old this month. Can't quite believe it. Thanks for all the support and tips.


Got a note that Senior Editor Bob Hofler is now in charge of assigning theatre reviews at Variety. Variety.com email is: bob.hofler


Fishbowl LA reports the arrival of former CityBeat film critic Andy Klein at BrandX.


Restaurant critic Merrill Shindler is back on KABC 790 AM. His show airs 7-8 pm on Sundays.


Los Angeles and San Francisco editions of The Onion shut down, per this memo from President and CEO Steve Hannah, courtesy of LAIst.com

As most of you have heard through the very twisted grapevine by now, we have decided to shut down our print operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Both staffs were informed in person yesterday that their last editions would be published this week. It is an unpleasant task to discontinue print in those two cities—and to lay off the good people who worked hard to make them profitable—but I believe it is the wise business decision to make.

At the quarterly Board meeting in Chicago two weeks ago, we took a hard look at the company’s business operations in this very tough economic environment. Overall, we are weathering the storm, and, as you know, we have avoided taking many of the draconian measures employed by other media companies. Unfortunately, despite healthy readership in both Los Angeles and San Francisco (readership has actually risen despite our reduction in copies in recent months) the advertising in both cities has been abysmal.

This stands in stark contrast to other parts of our business—both the majority of our print markets (Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Denver, Boulder, for example) as well as our rapidly growing digital enterprises (theonion.com, avclub.com, the Onion News Network and Decider.com—which are growing nicely and in some cases dramatically. So, at the end of the day, you have to make a decision whether to pump money into parts of the company that are straining us financially (LA and SF print) or reroute that capital into the areas of the company that are growing in size and value.

We chose the latter.

We love our print publications. They are the foundation of the Onion and, in the majority of our markets, they make us money. We have no plans at this time to cease publication in any of our other markets.

May 4, 2009 News

Nice to see some good LA media outlets among the Western Publishing Association's Maggie Award winners, including LA Weekly, Sunset, Where Los Angeles (way to go, Benjamin!), and the late LA Stage. Full list here.


Thanks to LA Observed for passing on this info from SCVTALK.com, the Santa Clarita Valley blog. Take the link for more details.

A brand new, locally-owned and locally-staffed newspaper will be coming soon to newsracks near you.

Jay Harn, former publisher at The Signal, has told SCVTalk that he’s launching a weekly newspaper called the Santa Clarita Valley Independent.

The 30-40 page weekly tabloid-style paper will feature original news, sports and entertainment stories as well as opinion pieces.

Looks like my zip code is too low class for the LA Times' monthly magazine to be included in my paper (loyal subscriber that I am!), but I found it online here. I'll probably take the time to read Howard Rosenman's remembrance of Leonard Bernstein, but nothing else caught my interest. Still, what are the odds I would have read more – and viewed their ads – if I'd gotten the paper version? Inquiring advertisers might want to know.

Got this tip today, not connected to the above paragraph, but certainly relevant. Looks like the LA Times will offer a product for "the rest of us" (subscribers, anyway). Reference to this LA Etcetera made in John T. O'Loughlin's memo quoted in this post.

The Los Angeles Times is launching LA Etcetera, a new weekly lifestyle magazine, on May 10. Its coverage will include entertainment, fashion, food, shopping and the nightlife of Southern California. The magazine will be home-delivered to Times subscribers with the newspaper’s Sunday edition.

Initial circulation will be 480,000. LA Etcetera is being produced by the editorial staff of the newspaper’s monthly magazine, LA, with Annie Gilbar as editor in chief.