January 4, 2011 NEWS

Happy new year! A few tidbits to start off 2011...


From the December 31 Beverly Hills Courier:

Today The Courier is wishing a fond farewell to Assistant Editor Amanda Peabody who joins L.A.-based Advanced Star as a managing editor of its B2B magazine.

As of Friday, they hadn't yet hired a replacement.

***

LA Observed reported on December 10 that Dana Harris left Variety to join IndieWire as editor-in-chief. On December 27, it posted that Daily News writer Troy Anderson, who covered the county Hall of Administration, has left the paper; more details HERE.

***

From (former) LA Weekly Art Critic Doug Harvey's Facebook page on December 20:

It looks like I won't be writing for the LA WEEKLY anymore. After 13 years I was unceremoniously dumped - they're not even printing the last piece I completed under Tom Christie's watch. Well now at least I'll have time to finish my screenplay. I'll just open this golden parachute... what the ... Spam?!! Aieeeeeeeeeeee!

LA Observed noted yesterday that Harvey "announced that he will begin writing for The Nation." LA Times has MORE.

And, in case you hadn't heard previously, Tom Christie, who was LA Weekly features editor, has been gone for some time.

December 3, 2010 NEWS

New ME at Westways is Rachel Ng.


***

Charlie Amter starts Lead Editor duties Monday (12/6) for "Play," the nightlife and events portion of NBCLA's The Feast web site. Charlie also continues to freelance for the Los Angeles Times' Calendar section on nightlife as well as blogging bi-weekly on nightlife and music for Blackbook magazine's blackbookmag.com. Pitch him via gmail.com: charlie.amter@, and check out his new web site.

December 1, 2010 NEWS

Got this auto-reply Monday from Shayna Nys Dambrot...

Hello dear friend of the Flavor and/or friend of SND.

Well, the rumors are true. Issue #404 will be my last as Managing Editor of Flavorpill LA. I'll be transitioning to the role of Editor-at-Large, and focusing my attention on my new role as Arts Editor at LA Canvas, as well as my work with Whitehot and Huffington Post -- all posts where I'll be focusing on visual art and book culture.

The lovely and talented Tanja M Laden will be assuming the Editor mantle at Flavorpill, so beginning immediately, please direct all your inquiries to her @flavorpill.com [la_events] and she'll see what she can do!

I'll be keeping my Flavorpill email address, probably forever, so feel free to hit me up on your art and book related awesomeness.

Cheers! It's been a sincere pleasure.

SND

***

Some recent LA Times news...

... about Calendar columnist Patrick Goldstein's expanding beat:

Patrick Goldstein, Calendar's outspoken and contrarian columnist and blogger, is expanding his mission under The Big Picture banner. In the new year, Patrick will broaden his focus beyond movies to take on the larger popular culture, connecting the dots as only Patrick can across a landscape that includes not only film, but music, television, advertising, publishing, the Internet and their intersections with sports and politics. The column will move to Sunday Calendar, becoming a signature of the section every week with provocative, insightful commentary. Patrick also will write timely columns off the news when warranted for daily Calendar. Patrick's new mandate will not affect our critics, although it will require some additional coordination by him and his editor, Julie Makinen.

More of the memo HERE.

Note to self: "contrarian"? To what????


... and this about the Image section and magazine, including the opportunity for subscribers to opt-in for magazine delivery. According to a press release:

Beginning in January, each will unveil design upgrades and increased online features...

Image, dedicated to Southern California's distinct perspective on fashion and style, will get a bright visual boost with a more photo-intensive layout and increased reporting on trends in the making, new products and sales. In addition, beginning January 2nd , Image content will be featured in the glossy pages of LA the first Sunday of each month, while remaining a Sunday Times stand-alone section for the month's subsequent weeks.

LA...[debuts in early 2011] ...a new LA-centric e-newsletter highlighting the magazine's columns, feature stories and expanded digital content.

Full announcement HERE.

November 11, 2010 News

Contact info passed on by former LAIst Editor Zach Behrens in his new gig as KCET's " editor-in-chief for the station's new blogging operation," all kcet.org:

arts press releases:
culturedesk@

food/restaurant press releases:
fooddesk@

everything else:
newsdesk@

KCET's press release announcing his appointment is HERE.

***


At LAIst, Zach is replaced as editor by previous Assistant Editor Lindsay William-Ross, and Lisa Brenner takes Lindsay's former title. More info HERE.

***


An email excerpt from Sara Wilson, who departed Los Angeles Magazine on Wednesday:

... I’m leaving to edit the Huffington Post’s new divorce section... In future, please direct all submissions for the Coming Attractions section or the online Guide to Shayna Rose Arnold (lamag.com address is srarnold@)... If you want to reach me with divorce-related pitches (or just to say hello!) I’ll still be in L.A. (huffingtonpost.com address is sara.wilson@).


Congrats to everyone!

***


OLDER NEWS...

Goodbye to a good guy... Leo Wolinsky left Variety, per THIS New York Times story.

And as a result, new staff assignments at Variety are detailed HERE.

***


From a Citysearch's Facebook post:

TO OUR THOUSANDS OF FACEBOOK FRIENDS: Yes, it's true. Citysearch is changing its editorial operations. As such, LA editors Mar Yvette & Kelly Wardle will no longer be keeping up this page, but you can find them on Twitter: @marpop + @kellywardle. Citysearch will maintain its social media presence on a national level, so... you can get the latest company updates. Thank you & good night.

NEWS: October 18, 2010

Former Brand X Editor Alexandra Letellier heads over to the LA Times Opinion section, replaced by new Editor Krista Simmons.

***

Thanks to Kenny Werther for passing this along....

The Hollywood Reporter is pleased to announce that Todd McCarthy will be joining the staff as chief film critic.

He was most recently a film critic and columnist for IndieWire and for many years was chief film critic for Variety and Daily Variety.

***

More Hollywood Reporter news from The Wrap:

Elizabeth Guider is stepping down as editor from the Hollywood Reporter, the trade announced on Monday. Guider had been considered a lame duck following the appointment of Us Weekly veteran Janice Min as editorial director in May...Online Editor Andrew Wallenstein is also leaving the Reporter, TheWrap has learned.)

Details HERE and HERE.


HERE is a link to the masthead on the newly launched Hollywood Reporter web site.

***

From writer Elina Shatkin, former LA Times writer:

It's official! On Monday, Oct. 18, I start my new gig as the 2nd restaurant critic for the LA Weekly. You may have heard of the first guy, Jonathan Gold.

***

ATTENTION PR PROS, especially free-lancers and indie firm owners:

Two LA-area publicists are looking for a few more individuals to share a Vocus subscription in order to reduce costs. Email Carol [AT] eisnerpr dot com or call (310) 839-1400.

***

KPCC's Morning Edition host Steve Julian, who's also a devoted theater supporter and blogs at his own site and at LA Stage, is taking center stage himself as Martin Vanderhof (Grandpa) in You Can’t Take It With You at the Candlelight Pavilion in Claremont, an Inland Valley Repertory Theatre production, playing October 20 and 27 and November 3. Read all about it HERE, and go see it!

And here’s an update on former Los Angeles Times arts staffer Diane Haithman:

While she continues to contribute to Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood website and other news outlets, Haithman also a contributor to a new literary anthology. An excerpt from her novel “Dark Lady of Hollywood” -- a finalist in the William Faulkner Creative Writing Awards competition (novel-in-progress category) -- will be included in A Voice from the Planet, Harvard Square Editions' second volume of “living fiction,” (published Oct, 1, 2010), edited by Harvard alumni. The short fiction anthology features work by award-winning and new authors from Congo to Hollywood, with stories and novel excerpts set in a wide range of arenas including the jungles of Peru, the American rebellion of the 1960s, fire dancing in the mountains of Bulgaria and high finance on 9/11. Readers can take part in the dialogue by emailing the authors and chatting on the web atwww.harvardsquareeditions.org. Net proceeds from the sale of this book (now available on Amazon) go to the Nobel Prize-winning charity Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

More details available at Haithman’s Amazon authors’ page HERE.

BREAK A LEG, Steve, and CONGRATULATIONS, Diane!!

September 30, 2010

News about staff changes at the Hollywood Reporter from the New York Post:

There is a month to go before The Hollywood Reporter takes a colossal gamble and drops its daily print edition to relaunch as a glossy weekly aimed at the film trade as well as some high-end consumers.

No surprise that Editorial Director Janice Min is making a flurry of new hires this week as she scrambles to fill out the staff in advance of the magazine's debut on Nov. 3.

Degen Pener, who was the editor-in-chief of the recently sold Angeleno Magazine, is joining as culture editor... Min also took time to raid from her old boss, Jann Wenner, by hiring Carol McColgin -- who had been the lead fashion writer at Us Weekly -- to be the style editor... Min's also poached from THR archrival Variety to hire Bill Higgins, a one-time "Into the Night" columnist at the Los Angeles Times, to cover parties and events around town.

The daily print version disappears on Nov. 3 when the new weekly launches.

More details from The Hollywood Reporter HERE.

***

LA Observed reports:

Rob Guth, the Wall Street Journal's tech reporter based in San Francisco, is coming south to be Los Angeles bureau chief... Also, L.A. based Disney and music reporter Ethan Smith gets a promotion to Entertainment News Editor, "the prime reporter and shepherd of our Hollywood entertainment coverage."

More HERE.


***

I read last week about the passing of long-time wine writer Jean Burggren... she was a lovely person. RIP. Obit HERE.


***

Thanks to Kenny Werther for passing this along from Theater Mania:

New York magazine editor-in-chief Adam Moss announced today that Scott Brown will be the magazine's theater critic as of September 21. Brown has been a part-time reviewer for the magazine for the last two years, and previously worked at Entertainment Weekly and is concluding his tenure as a columnist for Wired. He will contribute to the magazine's print edition, web site, and daily blogs.

The magazine's previous theater critics include John Simon and Jeremy McCarter. Over the past two years, Brown has shared reviewing duties with Dan Kois and Stephanie Zacharek.

***

From an Elle Decor press release:

Michael Boodro, Editor in Chief of ELLE DECOR, announced the appointment of three additional senior staffers to the brand's editorial team: Ingrid Abramovitch, Editor At Large, Allison M. Mezzafonte, Executive Editor Online and Caryn M. Prime, Managing Editor. Ms. Abramovitch, Ms.Mezzafonte and Ms. Prime join the previously-announced team that includes Anita Sarsidi, Design Director, Vicky Lowry, Executive Editor and Florentino Pamintuan, Creative Director.

***

From an Architectural Digest press release:

Margaret Russell, Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Digest, has named the following individuals to her editorial staff, it was announced today.

Executive Editor —Sarah Medford, formerly Director of Arts, Culture & Design at Town & Country

Managing Editor—Lawrence Karol, formerly Executive Managing Editor at W Magazine

Special Projects Editor— Mitchell Owens, formerly Editor at Large at Elle Decor

Interiors Editor—Robert Rufino , formerly Vice President of Creative Services at Tiffany & Co., and most recently, a Senior Editor at Large at House Beautiful.

Design Editor—Howard Christian, formerly manager of the Treillage design/home-furnishings/garden shops

Style Editor—Elana Frankel, formerly Decorating Editor at Martha Stewart Living

Senior Writer—Sam Cochran, formerly a freelance writer specializing in design, arts and culture, and travel

Copy Chief— Kate Hambrecht, formerly Copy Chief at Elle Decor

Assistant Editor, Digital— Katherine Jerde, formerly Editorial Assistant at Architectural Digest in Los Angeles

Margaret Dunne, the former Executive Editor of Architectural Digest in Los Angeles has been named Consulting Editor, as has former Special Projects Manager, James Munn, both will remain in Los Angeles. George Moscahlades, Architectural Digest’s former Art Director, will stay on as Consulting Designer in New York.

September 20, 2010

This just in, via LA Observed:

Conde Nast announced today that the editorial offices of Bon Appetit magazine will be moving to New York, without longtime editor Barbara Fairchild. She will oversee the transition then leave to pursue other projects, including some with Conde Nast, according to the release.

Thanks also to LA Observed for THIS MEMO about new and changed programming at KPFK.


Wall Street Journal news from AP:

Starting next week, the Saturday Journal, under a new masthead reading "WSJ," will replace Weekend Journal with two distinct sections.

The Review section, comparable to the Times' Week in Review, will carry essay-style pieces on big ideas and events, with a pullout section inside devoted to book reviews. Gary Rosen, a former Commentary magazine editor with a background from Stanford and Harvard universities will run the section. Robert Messenger, one of the founding editors of the shuttered New York Sun, will report to Rosen as head of the book section.

The Off Duty lifestyle section will hew more toward high-end consumer reporting: fashion, tech, home decorating and design. Deborah Needleman, the editor of home decor magazine Domino before it folded last year, is leading the section as well as WSJ magazine. She has brought in fellow Domino alumnus Ruth Altchek to help run things day-to-day and Kevin Sintumuang from GQ to edit tech and gadgets. (The Journal won't reveal exactly how many extra staffers it has hired for the weekend.)

Two things that slipped through the cracks from a few weeks ago...

... this one from a press release last month:

New York, NY, August 23, 2010: Michael Boodro has been named Editor-in-Chief of ELLE DECOR; it was announced today by Robin Domeniconi, Senior Vice President, Chief Brand Officer, Elle Group. His appointment is effective August 25, 2010. Mr. Boodro has been promoted to Editor-in-Chief from the position of the magazine's Executive Editor. ELLE DECOR, the leading title in the shelter category, will also retain its core editorial team led by Anita Sarsidi, Florentino Pamintuan and Vicky Lowry.

... and this from Felix Racelis

Just wanted to let you know a former colleague of mine, Queena Kim, moved to the Bay Area a couple of months ago to become the Community Editor for the new online publication, The Bay Citizen. Queena was the producer for KPCC's Off-Ramp.

September 13, 2010

The New York Times reports this about The Hollywood Reporter:

Starting next month, Janice Min, who became the editorial director in June, and Richard Beckman, chief executive of The Reporter’s parent company, e5 Global Media, will remake the five-times-a-week publication as a glossy, large-format weekly magazine.

The content in the magazine, which will include a mix of analytical and feature articles and photo spreads, will be coupled with an aggressive and redesigned Web operation built around breaking news. A daily digital edition, in a PDF file, will replace the daily printed version distributed to subscribers now.

The prototype of the redesigned Reporter shows how he and Ms. Min plan to reach both audiences. It includes a new, more stylized logo and is printed on heavy, glossy paper. It is divided between fluff — an “About Town” section offers extensive coverage of parties and premieres — and substantive, reported features with tart language like “Coroner’s Report,” an examination of a movie that flopped. “How ‘Mad Men’ Inspired Prada,” reads the headline of another feature in the prototype.

Several items from LA Observed...

Food writer Lesley Balla announced she has left Tasting Table: "It's been a fun and incredibly informative year and a half, but it's time to move on." And a new blog http://chowballa.com/

...and this about KCBS's redesigned web site:

It's branded now as CBS Los Angeles and includes stuff from the two TV stations, CBS 2 and KCAL 9, and radio stations KNX and KFWB. Plus a whole lot that has little to do with CBS, such as newswire stories, calendar items and L.A guides of various kinds.

Here's a LINK to add events to the calendar:


...and this about a contact change for the LA Times' Health section:

Tami Dennis, health and science editor at the Los Angeles Times, is getting new Tribune-wide responsibilities and the title of vice president of health content for Tribune Company. She will coordinate health coverage at Tribune newspapers, television stations and websites and produce a new national health blog. Looks like the Tribune has decided it wants health news and information to be a money maker going forward.

Rosie Mestel named to replace Dennis as health and science editor.

Take THIS link for memo and more info.

Got this email auto reply from Wall Street Journal Speakeasy blog writer Michelle Kung:

I am currently out of the office because I am relocating. Starting Tuesday Sept. 7, I will be working out of the Wall Street Journal's L.A. Bureau at 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90048. For immediate assistance on all Speakeasy-related issues, please email the general account at speakeasy [wsj.com] and someone will get back to you. Thank you.

August 24, 2010

Just when you think arts journalism can't get any dispiriting ... check out OC Register writer Tim Mangan's blog post describing his new assignment at the newspaper. Do the names "Lindsay" and "Paris" ring any bells? Sigh.


Thanks to the amazing Ken Werther for bringing to my attention that Mark Kennedy replaces the late Michael Kuchwara as AP's theater writer and reviewer. More from the LA Times here.


Thanks to the fabulous Lucy Pollak for passing along this email from LA Watts Times' Samuel Richard...

Hello,
As part of the transition of the L.A. Watts Times to new ownership, this e-mail address will be disabled soon. Please contact me at: sam.lawt (address is @lasentinel.net)

... and also this link announcing the sale of the Watts Times to the Sentinel's owners.


LA Observed passes along today's LA Times memo with this announcement:

Please join us in welcoming to the arts & entertainment staff Deborah Vankin, who is moving over from Brand X, where she has been its innovative and indefatigable editor since its inception in print and online. Deb will work as a general assignment reporter across the arts, culture and entertainment spectrum, mainly for the Calendar section, reporting to Craig Turner.

August 16, 2010

Terry Miller is the new-ish editor of the Beacon Media group of newspapers (Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, etc.). His @beaconmedianews.com address is tmiller.


Got this auto reply from Robin Jones, who was Westways' managing editor:

I no longer work for the Auto Club. Please send any inquires to John Lehrer at lehrer.john.

Lehrer's email is @aaa-calif.com.


Lindsay Keenan at Vanity Fair has been replaced by Bramble Trionfo. @condenast.com address is bramble_trionfo.


Nathan Cooper is no longer at C Magazine; Jenny Murray Hooks, previously Managing Editor, takes his Editor title, according to the magazine's receptionist.


Per Media Bistro's Revolving Door newsletter:

Deborah Needleman, former editor of defunct Condé Nast title Domino, is the new editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal's WSJ. Magazine

August 9, 2010 - Happy 8/9/10 Day!

Veteran food writer Dee Long announces the launch of a new food and beverage blog called "Gotta Love It" on Wednesday, September 1st. "Gotta Love It" will review new food and beverage products, gizmos and gadgets that make dining and cooking easier, more creative or more fun, along with new cookbook releases. Pitch Long via @aol.com: dlong34522.


According to an article in the Beverly Hills Courier, News Editor Abbey Hood departs to enter a "doctoral program of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant University in San Francisco." Replacing her is Adam Popescu.


Thanks to Flo Selfman for passing this along:

Elle Decor editor-in-chief Margaret Russell has been named editor-in-chief at Architectural Digest to succeed Paige Rense.

Per an auto reply generated by an email to Palos Verdes Peninsula News Society Editor Frank Brown:

We regret to inform you that Society Editor Frank Brown is no longer with the Peninsula News. Please forward Anniversary, Wedding and Engagement announcements to Rebecca Villaneda at rvillaneda. Please forward all Society events and announcements to Mary Scott at mscott.

Both addresses are @pvnews.com.


And finally, this from PR Week, courtesy of a link from Carol Soudah at the Rogers Group:

Lynne Doll passes away
LOS ANGELES: Lynne Doll, president and partner of The Rogers Group, died on August 3 due to complications from a stroke. She was 48 years old. Doll started at The Rogers Group in 1985, and recently, Ron Rogers, chairman of the agency, called hiring Doll the best decision of his career. While at The Rogers Group, Doll handled crisis communications, led the public sector practice, and helped grow and expand the agency's expertise, high-profile clients, and campaigns.

July 24, 2010 News

RIP Norm Chandler Fox, writer and more. I worked frequently with him earlier in my career, and he was a lovely person. Obit HERE.


Tim Mangan, one of the best music writers around, and also one of the funniest, has his own blog now that the OC Register saw fit to discontinue its Arts Blog. Check it out HERE, and note the irony of THIS particular post announcing that OC Arts Blog was just named "Best Blog" by the O.C. Press Club.


From LAIst:

It's not often you hear about an online publication announcing its transition to print. Because it is -- although hackneyed -- usually the opposite: "print is dying." But that's not true. At all.

And to prove that point, downtown's most well-known blog this morning announced that it will begin printing a weekly. blogdowntown Weekly will join LA Weekly and other papers on downtown news racks on Thursday, August 5th. To start, 25,000 tabloid-size, full-color papers will be produced.

The 16-page or so publication will mainly feature calendar and lifestyle content, leaving developing news to the blog...

Full story HERE.


Thanks to Flo Selfman for passing this along, via Levine Breaking News:

Alex Raksin, who spent eleven years writing and editing book reviews for the L.A. Times and nine years as an editorial writer, joins the Center for Governmental Studies as Director of External Affairs.

July 19, 2010 News

Wall Street Journal Los Angeles Bureau Chief Gabriel Khan departs journalism for a post at USC, and his auto-reply email directs news inquiries at writer Ethan Smith.


According to The Wrap, Denise Martin, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times and former television reporter at Variety, has been named West Coast news editor at TVGuide.com.


LA Observed reports this media news:

Jon Thurber is new books editor at L.A. Times... [he] had been one of the Los Angeles Times managing editors, but only for the past year or so. On the books desk he replaces David Ulin, who recently shifted to book critic.

Full story with LA Times memo HERE.

Editor and publisher Jerry Sullivan has been notifying supporters and others all day that the July 23 issue of the Los Angeles Garment & Citizen will be the weekly's last.

Details HERE.


Artist Kimberly Brooks (wife of Albert) is the new Huffington Post arts editor. Here "welcome" message is HERE.


Thanks to Omar Cunningham for passing this along...

"Anne Christensen is the new fashion director at Glamour, replacing Xanthipi Joannides who retired from full-time mag duty in June after three decades of service at Condé Nast."

June 14, 2010 News

BELATED HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO PR MEDIA MOVES!

Can it really be three years since I started it in May 2007? Apparently! Hope you like our "fresh, new look"!

Oh, and Happy Flag Day!


MEANWHILE…

This from Jewish Journal's Danielle Berrin, via email, who says she's…:

… no longer handling Circuit in order to focus more on my beat…

She says to use this jewishjournal.com address for Circuit submissions: circuit@


A recent New York Times INTERVIEW with new Town & Country Editor in Chief Stephen Drucker suggests some changes at the magazine.


Thanks to Lucy Pollak for reporting that Ernio Hernandez is leaving Playbill; his replacement is Matt Blank. @playbill.com = mblank


Media Bistro reports these LA Times metro writer assignment changes:

Phil Willon will become a roving state reporter based in Riverside, primarily covering the Inland Empire counties. Riverside and San Bernardino have always provided fertile ground for stories.

Patrick McDonnell will move to City Hall, bringing reporting skills honed over many years and several continents to bear on one of our most important beats.

Details HERE.


From Ad Age:

The Wall Street Journal is expanding again, this time with an additional weekly section of leisure and lifestyle content that will build out the nearly 5-year-old Saturday edition. The new section, for which former Domino magazine editor in chief Deborah Needleman is serving as a consultant, is slated to appear this fall.

"It's a newspaper section but with quite a magazine-y sensibility," Ms. Needleman said.

More info HERE.

May 24, 2010 News

I'm opening this post on a sad note in reporting the death of AP Theatre Critic Mike Kuchwara. LAT Theatre Critic Charles McNulty remembers him HERE.


From LA Times' Culture Monster blog a week or so ago:

Exit another theater critic, enter a theater insider.

Those are the stage directions coming from KCRW-FM (89.9). The Santa Monica-based public radio outlet announced Friday that the curtain has closed on James C. Taylor's seven-year run of four-minute weekly reviews and commentaries in the Thursday afternoon "Theatre Talk" spot. Opening Tuesday at 4:44 p.m. is a new take on the stage, "Opening the Curtain on L.A. Theatre," with Anthony Byrnes.

The idea is to keep the focus strictly on the Los Angeles stage, rather than the wider view "Theatre Talk" would sometimes take, said Matt Holzman, a longtime KCRW staff member who recently became director of program development after Jennifer Ferro succeeded Ruth Seymour as general manager in February.

Full story HERE, and LA Observed has additional news about changes in KCRW's lineup HERE.



Speaking of critics, I highly recommend reading Tim Mangan's hilarious COLUMN from over the weekend.


LA Times' Patrick Goldstein makes some salient points about laying off long-time journalists and replacing them with lower-paid staff a his recent column about Variety's announcement...

...that it's promoted Justin Chang and Peter Debruge to the post of senior film critics.

Read it in full HERE.


Got this a few weeks ago from Katherine Spiers:

Hi there,
... I've just joined a new wine blog as a contributor, so I'd love to be in the loop about wine events, new products, etc. THIS is the site

Reach her @gmail: katherinespiers


The Los Angeles offices of 944 Magazine/944 Media have moved to:
944 Media
9100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700W
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

May 7, 2010 News

ALAN RICH MEMORIAL SERVICE, TRIBUTE BOOK


From Vanessa Butler:

We have decided on the date for Alan's memorial, Tuesday, May 25th, 7:30pm, at Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

It will be open to the public and we are doing a tribute book where I am accepting stories or memories of Alan.

If anyone wants to send me stories, I would need to have them by Monday, May 17th.

Vanessa's contact info: Vanessa.Butler -- [at] sbcglobal dot net

May 5, 2010 News

RIP Alan Rich

You've likely heard by now the news of Alan Rich's passing. He was, and I quote OC Register music critic Tim Mangan, "an institution of Southern California music criticism." Check out Tim's piece on Alan HERE. I also liked John Payne's LA Weekly piece HERE.


Speaking of LA Weekly, Ben Calderwood joins Jonathan Gold as food critic.

LA Observed has this from the staff memo…

Ben Calderwood started this week as our second food critic, joining Jonathan Gold, Amy Scattergood and Amy's lineup of strong freelancers to produce the best food coverage in Los Angeles.

…and more HERE.

You can find Ben on Twitter @humOrbot.


This from a press release a few weeks back:

Fine Arts LA is excited to announce that after a year of working dutifully toward building the site to what it has become, Nicole Campoy-Leffler (Editor-in-Chief) and Danyel Madrid (Editor-at-Large) are appointing a new Editor-in-Chief to take over all editorial responsibilities from within the team: Josh Morrison.

Nicole Campoy-Leffler will continue writing for the website and will maintain a managerial role at Fine Arts LA... Danyel Madrid is set to continue working with Fine Arts LA as a regular contributor...

Email at @fineartsla.com is josh


Got this auto reply from an email I'd sent to Mia McNeice at Variety:

Mia McNiece is no longer with Variety. For V page consideration, please email (@variety.com) Bob.Hofler or vpage

Per THIS from Fishbowl NY, Fiona Murray replaces Janelle Carrigan as Wall Street Journal features editor.


Thanks to Flo Selfman for passing these announcements along from Media Bistro's Revolving Door newsletter.

Todd McCarthy has been named film and festival critic and columnist at Indiewire. He had been former chief film critic and columnist at Variety.

Tim Griffin has been named editor-at-large at Artforum. He had been editor-in-chief there.

Michelle Kuo has been named editor-in-chief at Artforum. She had been senior editor there.

Erica Cerulo has been named senior editor at Lucky. She had been associate editor at Details.

Lauren Benet Stephenson has been named accessories market editor, news, at Women's Wear Daily. She had been associate online editor there.

March 30, 2010 News

CURRENT AND RECENT-ish NEWS....


From Fishbowl NY:

Sumathi Reddy, general assignment reporter for Newsday, is joining The Wall Street Journal's New York team to write about restaurants, reports the New York Observer. The Journal has been making several changes of late in the food space. Last week, the paper added Jay McInerney and Lettie Teague as wine columnists, and dropped restaurant critic Raymond Sokolov earlier this month.

Full story HERE.


From LA Observed:

Gustavo Turner [is now] music editor of the LA Weekly, replacing Randall Roberts.

Details HERE, and more on Randall Roberts below.


Also from LA Observed:

The Huffington Post is reporting that Adam Nagourney, the chief national political correspondent for the New York Times, is leaving Washington to be the paper's Los Angeles bureau chief. Current bureau chief Jennifer Steinhauer is heading the other way, to cover Congress in the Washngton bureau.

More info HERE.


From the LA Times:

Randall Roberts has joined the arts and entertainment group as pop music editor, overseeing the popular Pop & Hiss blog and coverage of the fast-evolving recording industry, the vibrant local scene of bands and hit-makers, and national and international artists from country and jazz to hip-hop, pop and rock ‘n’ roll.

Jori Finkel will join the staff to cover art and architecture

Take THIS LINK for additional details.


Thanks to Flo Selfman for passing this contact along, if you don't already have it on your mailing list:

Mike Carlin, Editor
Century City News
www.centurycitynews.com
P.O.Box 69854
Los Angeles
CA 90069
Tel 310 597 1828
Fax 424 789 2136

Mike's gmail.com address is centurycitynewsent@


Variety has DETAILS of layoffs at KCBS/KCAL, among them morning co-anchor Suzanne Rico, news operations manager Doug Dougherty and executive producer Jeff Soto. Long-time weathercaster Johnny Mountain retires.


KPCC updates:

New address/phone:
474 South Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: (626) 583-5100
Fax: (626) 583-5101

And, from LA Observed:

Madeleine Brand, the former host of "Day to Day" on National Public Radio, will host a news magazine show in the old DTD slot at 9 a.m. on KPCC's daily schedule.

More HERE.


OLDER NEWS...


Poynter has the full memo HERE from Tim Gray, Variety editor, titled 'It doesn't make economic sense to have full-time reviewers.'


Per LA Observed on March 1:

KSCN, the Cal State Northridge radio station at 88.5 FM, switched at 10 a.m. to Adult Album Alternative (AAA or Triple A) format 24 hours a day.

Thanks to Larry Mayer for THIS LINK to the press release:


From Dikla Kadosh, a while ago, at the Jewish Journal:

I am no longer the Calendar Editor at the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. To reach the new editor, Ryan Torok, please address all event-related emails to "calendar" (@jewishjournal.com). And kindly remove [my] email address (diklak) from any mailing lists.

Entertainment Tonight emails are @cbs.com and no longer @cbsparamount.com


Take the LA Times' Jerry Hirsch off your food/business lists, and add him to auto, per THIS rather un-recent Times Reader's Rep memo


Lisa Sweetingham is now deputy editor at Angeleno, replacing Jade Chang who's now the online executive producer.


AND FINALLY...

Deepest condolences to family and friends of the lovely Mark Ferber, with whom I crossed paths many times in my work over the years with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mark, who worked at the Hollywood Bowl for 45 years, passed away March 14 at age 60.

This LA Times OBIT has more about him, but even if you think you didn't know him, you probably did. If you've ever attended a concert at the Bowl, you heard him as "the voice" that made the pre-concert greeting and the post-concert farewell, live every performance. Among my favorites: "Secure all cel phones, wine bottles and other noisemakers," and "Don't empty your ice chest on the sidewalk."

RIP, Mark. Will miss you.

January 25, 2010 News

 
COOL SITES ALERT!

1. Thanks to Ann Brenoff for this one: Newseum.org has a terrific feature that displays daily newspaper front pages from around the country when you hover/click on a location in their US map.

2. A non-publicist friend posted a link to this site, PDFmyURL, which turns any web site page into a PDF for easy printing, etc. It's PERFECT for web sites that don't print as they appear on the monitor!


Speaking of useful web sites, and I believe I've mentioned this before, TheLookbook.com, is an online database where subscribers can join to get access to fashion and beauty PR contacts as well as information on wardrobe stylists, hairstylists and make up artists and their celebrity clients. President and co-Founder Kristen Steinhilber Calavas adds a position to her plate: PR Consultant for Serfontaine Denim, a brand that also works with Preface PR in Los Angeles for showroom services.


Thanks to Trevor Thomas for letting me know that Robert Nesti is the new EDGE publications assignment editor for all theater reviews. Kevin Mark Kline, who previously handled that, is now operations manager.

Also, EDGE Publications' new address is:
434 Massachusetts Avenue
#501
Boston, MA 02118
617-422-0707 (main)
617-391-0883 (fax)


This tip comes courtesy of Flo Selfman (thanks!) from Brad Pomerance:

Dear Friends:

As you may remember, I host "Local Edition," which is a five-minute interview interstitial that airs on CNN HLN in Southern California. As part of "Local Edition," we launched our franchise "Celebrities With A Cause," where I interview celebrities about their involvement in charitable, philanthropic and humanitarian organizations.

Well I am pleased to report that while we are of course continuing our Celebrity franchise on "Local Edition," we are expanding it on "Special Edition." Special Edition is a 1/2 hour interview program that will air throughout Southern California in homes served by Charter. So for those celebrities that would like the opportunity to highlight their involvement in their favorite causes, we now have a full thirty minutes to enlighten our viewers. All we ask is that the celebrity's representatives work with us to gather as much compelling still and moving b-roll to help bring the interview segments to life.

If one of your celebrity clients would be interested in joining us for such a thirty-minute interview, please contact me at your convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

With much appreciation,

Brad Pomerance
Host, Local Edition &
Special Edition

Brad's @mac.com email is bradpomerance.


And finally, a one-day-after "Happy Birthday" shout out to my esteemed colleague, the ultra-wonderful Libby Huebner.

 

January 15, 2010 News

Life After 50 Magazine's masthead shows David Laurell as editor now, apparently replacing Darcy Alvey. His @lifeafter50.com email address is david.

The masthead also shows 50 S. DeLacey Avenue, Suite 200, Pasadena 91105 as the publication's address now, rather than in San Diego. The mag is owned by Southland Publishing, whose Pasadena Weekly and Arroyo Monthly are headquarted at the same Pasadena address.


From Cision:

Chris Krewson has been named the new editor of Variety.com. He currently serves as the executive editor for online/news at philly.com and is set to join Variety in February. He will replace Dana Harris, who is moving to another position with the publication. Krewson is available on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ckrewson.

Joy Press is joining the Los Angeles Times on Jan. 4, 2010, as a pop culture editor and deputy television editor. She will split time between the New York and Los Angeles offices until spring 2010, when she will be permanently based in Los Angeles. She previously was the culture editor of Salon.com and had also served as an arts and culture editor, television critic, book critic and editor of the Voice Literary Supplement for The Village Voice. She began her journalism career as a rock critic for Melody Maker and a contributing editor at Spin.

Cision also reports the departure of writer David Keeps from the LA Times in December.


From the New York Post:

Collen Curtis, AOL's editorial director of women's and lifestyle programming, is hiring about a dozen Gourmet editors who lost their jobs when the magazine shut down in November. They'll develop recipes and content for a new AOL food site launching next month. Cheryl Brown, a Gourmet editor for a decade, will serve as editor of the site, which has yet to be named. AOL has also tapped "Top Chef" judge Gail Simmons, and chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Curtis Stone to develop their own video series for the site.

LA Observed reports these new LA Times reporter assignments; read entire memo here.

Metro desk reporter Mitchell Landesberg is the new religion writer at the Los Angeles Times. Also, Ron Lin moves to the county Hall of Administration beat, plus there are new reporters assigned to regional government [Kay Saillant] and crime [Richard Winton].

In other news, happy birthday to my fabulous mother, Claire Segal (tomorrow!).

January 11, 2010 News

SO MUCH to catch up on! Let's start at the very beginning....


LA TIMES NEWS

1. LA Times closes Orange County presses, debuts news section, and announces other changes, which I've summarized/excerpted below:

The Los Angeles Times is closing its printing operations in Orange County to cut costs and will begin publishing a new section devoted to late-breaking news…

To accommodate earlier deadlines necessitated by the elimination of the plant, the paper will launch a section dubbed LATExtra to run late-breaking news that was previously published in individual sections. LATExtra will appear Monday through Saturday, beginning Feb. 2...

... Joe Eckdahl, the paper's senior editor/Page One, [is] editor of the new section.

In another cost-saving measure, the paper will eliminate the stand-alone Business section on Mondays. Business-oriented stories will appear inside the main news section that day.

The Food section will move to Thursdays...

As part of the changes, the width of the paper will be reduced to 44 inches from 48 inches...

Read the entire story here.


2. More on LATExtra from a publisher's note, available in full here.

Designed to address print capacity complexities, create later print deadlines and complement Main A’s analysis and examination of the issues confronting our readers on local, national and global fronts, LATExtra will focus largely on California stories and include end-of-day reporting from across the spectrum. LATExtra will run Monday through Saturday and also include Weather and Obituaries in order to allow later deadlines.

3. Times Media Group launches two Orange County-oriented websites:

The Los Angeles Times Media Group and U.S. Local News Network Inc. have formed a joint venture that will include launching two news websites aimed at readers and advertisers in Orange County.

The venture… will allow the companies to share content and advertising sales across the sites -- www.theocnow.com and www.oclnn.com -- and those of three existing Times-owned local newspapers in Orange County: the Coastline Pilot, the Daily Pilot and the Huntington Beach Independent.

Full story here.


4. Scott Sandell takes on more responsibilities, according to this memo:

Scott Sandell, who has brought new energy and news-orientation to the entertainment report since being named Calendar morning editor just a few months ago, will take on expanded duties as deputy online arts and entertainment editor.

In his new position, Scott will report to Online Arts and Entertainment Editor Lisa Fung, working with her to expand our film, television, music, Company Town, celebrity and arts and culture coverage on the Web. He will continue to serve as the morning editor and as the liaison between the print and Web efforts, unifying our coverage, particularly of breaking news and daily features. Working closely with assignment editors, Scott will develop Web-only content for stories, coordinate the planning of Web components for longer-range projects and help develop blogging and social media training programs for editors and reporters.

5. Last fall, Jason Gelt replaced George Ducker as the contact for the Calendar Section Events and Kids listings.

_______________

Valley Magazine Publisher Jane Boeckmann's "Note" in the December issue of casually drops this news:

"A new year often brings growth and change, and such is the case at World of Communications, Inc. After more than 20 years of publishing 'Valley Magazine,' we will be closing a beloved chapter of our company's history. This will be the last issue..."

_______________

Join me in congratulating former LA Times writer Diane Haithman, who has hooked up with Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood site, according to this from LA Observed.

LA Observed also reports that food writers Jonathan Gold and Barbara Hansen are both now contributing to the LA Weekly's popular Squid Ink food blog in addition to everything they've been doing previously. Hansen's Table Conversations blog is here.

Kudos to LA Observed for the redesign (and for being such a wonderful resource in general!)

And, in case you missed it, here's more from LA Observed from a while back...

1) ...names names of LA Times staffers laid off here and here;

2) ...posts Daily News memo announcing departure of staff writer Sue Doyle here;

3) ...reveals info on LA Weekly's new film editor and reporter here:

_______________

Bookmark LARadio.com for useful news, including this from a recent post:

KFWB is dropping afternooner Rodger Hedgecock and replacing him with a news block from4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Co-anchoring the new drive time show will be Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee.

_______________

Got an email last week with this info/opportunity...

On behalf of UCLA Anderson School of Management and the G. and R. Loeb Foundation, I would like to invite you to participate in the 2010 Loeb Awards call for entries. The Loeb Awards are the most prestigious honor in business journalism. Our mission is to recognizing writers, editors and producers who make significant contributions to the understanding of business, finance and the economy for both the private investor and the general public. For the 2010 competition, the Loeb Awards are evolving by incorporating new media and new technologies. We’ve created two new Loeb Awards categories: Online Commentary and Blogging; and Personal Finance.

Submissions and nominations for the 13 competition categories and two career achievement awards will be accepted online only at www.loeb.anderson.ucla.edu.

_______________

PR practitioner Zan Dubin Scott is teaching a PR class in February for "anyone who wants to achieve media exposure to change behavior, inspire action or boost revenue for a cause, nonprofit organization, business or government agency."

It's called PR Plugged In: A Hands-On, Real-World Course, and it meets on Thursdays (Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25), 7-9 p.m., at Ballona Institute Research Library in Playa del Rey.

You'll find the details this week on her site, ZDS Communications.

_______________

NPR launches a new blog:

13.7, a blog set at the intersection of science and culture. Our goal is to engage in a discussion with each other -- and you -- about how science has shaped culture and how culture has shaped science.

Take the link above for more details.
_______________

OLDER NEWS FROM DECEMBER...

Lucy Pollak strikes again with this updated info:

Linda Williamson has replaced Deborah Shadowitz as editor at ValleyLife Magazine.

Emai is linda ---[at]--- ljwilliamson dot com


And so does Brenda Rees, who writes:

...got a call from a freelancer who is working with a new magazine that will premiere here in Los Angeles. Home L.A. It's put out by the same group that publishes similiar high-end quarterly magazines in the Miami area (www.homemia.com). The first issue is expected to hit the streets in February...

Flo Selfman passes on these two items from Media Bistro's Revolving Door newsletter:

The Los Angeles Times' book section writer Susan Salter Reynolds and assistant book editor Orli Low leave the paper, which now features just two full-time staffers and a blogger manning the Book Review section...

Richard Rushfield leaves Gawker after just four months as West Coast editor. The former L.A. Times scribe joins the Digital Entertainment Corporation of America as editorial consultant. Gabriel Snyder, Gawker's managing editor, says there will be masthead additions in the coming weeks...

Omar Cuningham shares:

1) this from writer Amy Prince:

After a challenging yet creatively fulfilling year and a half as executive editor, the January/February 2010 issue of Surface is my last. I thank you for your support of and enthusiasm for the magazine and do hope you stay in touch. Until then, wishing you a restful holiday season and a productive start to the new year.

Reach her now via amy ]at[ witty pioneers dot com

and

2) this, in part, from Jesse Ashlock:

Dear Friends,

If you’re receiving this note, there’s a good chance you’ve already heard the news last week that I.D. magazine will cease publication after 55 years. As announced last week, the Annual Design Review will continue in online form—and entries for this year’s competition are still being accepted—but the January/February issue will be the magazine’s last. To all those I’ve worked with during my four-year association with the magazine, and especially over my last eight months as editor, it’s been an honor and a privilege.

Jesse adds:

For questions about I.D. and the future of the Annual Design Review, please contact Gary Lynch at gary.lynch [at] fwmedia dot com

If it’s me you’re after, I’ll be easy to find:
jesseashlock ]at[ g mail dot com
www.jesseashlock.com

Susan Gordon passes this on from the Jewish Journal:

"TRIBE, A Jewish Journal Media Group monthly magazine for the affluent communities of Malibu, the West San Fernando Valley, Conejo and Simi Valley, Ventura and Santa Barbara! Tribe is the definitive news, lifestyle, and opinion monthly for the regions most sophisticated, affluent, and involved readers. Tribe covers the people, culture, entertainment, and news that define the Jews of Southern California! "

_______________

From Cision, last month:

Layoffs come to The New York Times. In total, 26 staffers were expected to lose their jobs after 74 took buyouts. The biggest names include Culture's Eric Konigsberg and Allen Salkin from the Style section. Additionally, Michele Monteleone and Ross M. Schneiderman are out. Expect more names to be revealed in the coming days...

_______________

This is a long overdue recommendation for www.martinperlich.com, the highly regarded (and greatly missed) Martin Perlich's new website/podcast series offering free downloads of his in-depth arts interviews from his more than 40 years of broadcasting.

There are talks with composers, conductors and performers constituting a veritable history of classical music from 1965 to 2008, including Leonard Bernstein, Darius Milhaud, Anna Netrebko, Steve Reich, Frank Zappa and hundreds more. There are also interviews with figures from jazz, pop, theatre, film and more, among them Gore Vidal, Bill Evans, Tom Waits, Martin Scorsese, Randy Newman, Roy Orbison and others.

As you no doubt know, Martin, the ‘retired’ PD at KCSN-FM, is author of the classic The Art of the Interview: A Guide to Insightful Interviewing and a novelist as well.

He's begun a new series of audio and video podcasts, initially focusing on new music but soon to expand to a broad range of modern/post-modern genres in film, drama, dance, and books. Check it out soon!

_______________

Finally, Happy New Year!

Here's a gift to start 2010 off right from Paul J. Krupin, whose Direct Contact PR web site is a treasure trove of resources for publicists. He writes:

Each year for the past five years I've created an annual publicity plan to help people look ahead and map out their ideas for publicity throughout the year. It's a free pdf file download I just give away to anyone who can benefit.

This unique publicity planner provides a month-at-a-glance roadmap to holidays throughout the year and identifies the lead time for each holiday. This years edition now captures all sorts of monthly calendar events and weird and unusual national and world holidays.

The special design makes it easy to develop a detailed personalized framework of key dates and events so that you map out your strategy and ideas to promote your book, product, business, organization or event in 2010 and make sure you take advantage of the needed lead time to work with target media.

You'll find this Planner on his site's Free Downloads page, which also has a generous group of sample news releases on a variety of subjects.

Check out his blog, too.

Thanks, Paul!