October 13, 2008 News

POSITIVE NEWS ABOUT LA TIMES OCTOBER MAGAZINE

I really enjoyed David Steinberg's hilarious interview with Jon Stewart!

NEGATIVE NEWS ABOUT LAYOFFS AT KNX AND KFWB

This is from the Orange County Register:

CBS Radio delivered layoffs news to KFWB/980 AM and KNX/1070 AM, pink-slipping three anchors, several reporters and KFWB is also closing both its Orange County and Long Beach news bureaus.

Although CBS did not officially release the names of those who were laid off, other CBS sources confirmed the list included bureau chief Lori Kelman and Jennifer Bauman in the Orange County bureau and Sharon Katchen in the Long Beach bureau.

Bauman, reached at KOCE/50 in Huntington Beach where she freelances for "Real Orange," said, "I’m disappointed for me, but I am even more disappointed for the three million people who live in Orange County who lose our coverage." Kelman, reached at home Friday night, confirmed her exit and said "it's a sad day for everyone."

Katchen has been with KFWB since 1986 and worked in the Orange County bureau for several years before moving over to run the Long Beach bureau. "Everybody needs good luck right now," Katchen said, confirming that the Long Beach bureau is closing.

Others reportedly dismissed Friday at KFWB included anchors Larry Carroll and John Darin, reporters Lonnie Lardner, Dirk Morgan, Chris Sedens, Michael Forest, and Christine Villacorte.

Carroll, a prominent local TV news anchor on KABC/7 and KCBS/2, joined KFWB in 2001. Lardner was critically praised for her recent series on influential power players called "Head Shots."

A KNX spokesperson said Gerry Mulvaney, who works in creative services and did voiceovers for the station, was laid off, but he could not provide any other names. Other CBS sources not wanting to be identified listed Michael Linder, Vicky Cox and Laura Ornest among those laid off.

Cox, Katchen, Kelman and Bauman are all Orange County residents.

IN OTHER NEWS…

From writer Brenda Rees:

I'm leaving the fast-paced and hectic world of full-time freelancing to take on the position of public relations manager at Descanso Gardens. I'm excited to combine my writing and photography skills at such a great institution that's close to home. I may be able to squeeze in some freelancing on the side, so keep me on your lists!

September 29, 2008 News

NEW LA TIMES AM ASSIGNMENT EDITOR

Nita Lelyveld replaces Megan Garvey, who takes on a different job, as LA Times morning assignment editor. More details here.


RIP

Elmer Dills, veteran restaurant critic, died September 15 at age 82. According to the LA Times:

A public memorial service for Elmer Dills, the longtime restaurant and travel critic for KABC-TV and KABC-AM radio, will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 3 at All Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Ave., Pasadena.

Chris Rubin, another food writer, died August 15 (way too young) at 49. This is from the Los Feliz Ledger.

Chris Rubin, Wine and Spirits columnist for the Los Feliz Ledger and writer for many local and national publications, died Aug. 15th in Los Angeles of complications of cancer. He was 49. Rubin had received a liver transplant in June 2006 after a diagnosis of a rare vascular cancer, epitheliod hemangioendothelioma. He wrote movingly of his close brush with death, his subsequent marriage, and his heightened appreciation of life in articles for the Ledger and the Los Angeles Times’ Opinion section. Rubin, a longtime Silver Lake resident, had written for magazines and newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, Daily Variety and Travel & Leisure. Born in Los Angeles, Rubin attended UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. He combined his passions for music, food, wine and travel in his articles, which also appeared in Rolling Stone and the L.A. Weekly. Most recently he served as Los Angeles editor for Gayot publications. He is survived by his wife, film writer-producer Deborah Calla; father Stanley; mother Kathleen; sister Angie and brothers John and Michael.

CHANGES AT PRESS ENTERPRISE

According to Cision's Navigator:

Patricia Mays recently accepted a buyout from The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, Calif. and left her post as the sports editor. Assistant managing editor David Ammenheuser is now the best contact for sports-related inquiries.

September 24, 2008 News

The LA Daily News has moved! New address:
21860 Burbank Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367


Congratulations to New Yorker Classical Music Critic Alex Ross for being honored with a MacArthur Genius Award! Read more about it here.


On the other side of the coin... check out this excellent column by the Baltimore Sun's Tim Smith on the Cleveland Plain Dealer's spineless decision to "cave into pressure from a faction representing the [Cleveland] orchestra" by prohibiting its veteran music critic Don Rosenberg from covering the symphony any more in favor of a different critic who, presumably, won't be as, well, critical.


Steve Harvey, another highly missed former LA Times writer, starts a blog.

September 18, 2008 News

LAIst previews former LA Times writer Kevin Bronson's soon-to-debut Buzz Bands music blog.


Michael Jackson is gone from KGIL radio, replaced by conservative commentator Laura Ingraham's syndicated talk show. The OC Register's radio blog has this:

Missing is Michael Jackson, whose one-year contract was not renewed. Jackson learned of his dismissal when he returned home Sept. 10 from an Alaska cruise ship trip.

He e-mailed, "No comment, save to say that I found the staff delightful and I had a most enjoyable year. The rest of the story will be told (not by me), very soon. Be well."

KGIL management had no additional comment.

From Christian Chensvold about his FineArtsLA.com web site:

FineArtsLA is sort of in limbo… the site is for sale, if you know anyone who might be interested. The buyer would get:

---An established site already respected by the Opera, Phil, Ballet, and smaller groups, so the buyer can get immediate press passes and access to talent for interviews.

---Plus the Forty Unders program, which has great potential for partnerships in the community, etc.

Even though this site was inconsistently updated, it would be a shame for yet another outlet for arts coverage to disappear, so contact Christian if you are interested in discussing this or know anyone that would. It's Christian@

September 15, 2008 News

FishbowlLA has this about a new magazine, Homefront LA, that is described on its website as one that:

…celebrates the unique, exciting lifestyle of Angelenos at home. The magazine goes beyond architecture, home design and real estate to feature people who have a passion for the everyday luxury of home.

It launches in January 2009. An editorial contact email on the homefrontla.com website is edit@.


Los Angeles Confidential's New York address (the Niche Media offices from which most of its staffers work) has changed recently:
100 Church St
7th Floor
New York, NY 10007-2601


Writer Harriette Smith asks to have her film and theatre blog mentioned here. She can be reached via aol at harriettepr@.

September 5, 2008 News

Did you see the news about ALL of KCSN's programs being cancelled? It's on LA Observed, which called its post "Programming slaughter at KCSN."


This rather odd memo with all kinds of TMI came from the LA Times announcing wizards a week or so ago, but the news is basically that the LA Times' Donna Frazier, a perfectly nice person, has been named Image section executive editor.


Not sure when this happened, but Abigail Lewis replaced Avital Binshtock as editor of Valley Life Magazine. New aol.com email address is: ValleyLifeMag@. I learned separately that Avital is now doing the LA Times Travel section "Tours & Cruises" column as a free-lancer.


Amanda Peabody replaces Beige Adams at the Beverly Hills Courier and Design Magazine. Email at bhcourier.com is apeabody@. Editor Marcia Hobbs reports the magazine's expansion into fashion coverage as well.


Wall Street Journal's new lifestyle magazine WSJ. (note the ridiculous period) debuts Saturday, and you'll find the LA Times' new magazine LA (no periods that I'm aware of) in your paper on Sunday. Can't WAIT to read about Kid Rock. Not.

August 25, 2008 News

Thanks to the ever-on-top-of-things Lucy Pollak for this…

Got a message from Nancy Bishop that the Venice Magazine calendar has been discontinued with the September issue, and that the gmail venicemagcal address has been disabled.

And this…

Kristin Viola is now the editor of Where LA. Benjamin Epstein remains as Executive Editor, but he will concentrate primarily on Where OC and Performances magazine.

I just spoke with Benjamin, and he's also editor of the company's Guestbook LA and Guestbook Orange County. Keep him on your lists, especially because Performances covers LA-area arts.


The Advocate goes from bi-weekly to monthly in January, according to an announcement from Jon Barrett, the magazine's new editor-in-chief.


Oscar Garza turns up at the Daily News. About that and more on high-level staff courtesy of LA Observed.


Cision's Revolving Door has news of the demise of two magazines: Hachette Filipacchi's Home and Heart's Town & Country Travel.