Rosie Acknowledges Lack of Control, Contradictions
In what was expected to be her last day on the stand
in her breach of contract trial with former Rosie
magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr USA, Rosie O'Donnell,
under cross-examination, acknowledged some major
discrepancies between her original deposition and her
initial testimony over who she believed had ultimate
editorial control over Rosie magazine.
Under cross-examination by G+J's attorney Marty
Hyman, O'Donnell admitted not having read her
agreement with G+J and that she was not clear whether
she, in fact, had the creative control she said G+J CEO
Dan Brewster had assured her of. She also conceded,
that as editorial director, her responsibilities did not
include the hiring and firing of staff, or determining or
distributing compensation levels, which would seem to
be key facts given that it was G+J's appointment of
Susan Toepfer as Rosie magazine's new editor that
precipitated her walking out on the publication.
Who's In Charge Of Penthouse? Who Cares?
- This just in: Contrary to numerous reports today, Bob
Guccione says he has not resigned as editor in chief and
publisher of Penthouse magazine or as chairman and
CEO of its publisher General Media Inc. General Media
Inc., is the unit of Penthouse International, which last
month filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid
sagging sales. A number of major news organizations
reported today that Guccione had resigned from the
magazine he founded in 1965 as a thinly-veiled and
raunchier imitation of Hugh Hefner's Playboy. Those
reports said Milton Polland had been named chairman
and acting chief executive of Penthouse. This
afternoon, Penthouse released a statement denying
those reports and assuring that Guccione remains very
much in charge of the flagging media enterprise.
All The News That's Fit To Blog? Not Yet, But Maybe
Soon
Blogging and social networking may or may not change
the face of traditional media as we know it. But Web
wonks at a freewheeling panel discussion in New York
Thursday morning said the impact of both is already
being felt up and down the media food chain. And with
one of the panelists estimating that somewhere in the
neighborhood of three million blogs currently exist -
three million people decrying the Bush Administration's
economic policies, overcrowding at the local zoo or the
propriety of continuing "8 Simple Rules for Dating My
Teenage Daughter" without John Ritter - it probably
behooves those few who aren't paying attention to get
with the program.
The blogging crowd was on enemy turf. The breakfast
roundtable, dubbed "The People vs. The Media: Will
Blogging & Social Networking Turn the Media World
Upside Down?," was held at publishing power-lunch
mecca Michael's (in the back room, dubbed "Siberia" by
one attendee). Nonetheless, the session was the
blogging and social networking equivalent of an all-star
game, featuring A-list bloggers, venture capitalists and
suppliers of blogging and social networking technology.
The most interesting take on the rise of social
networking (and the potential for monetizing it) was
given by Tribe Networks chief executive officer Mark
Pincus. Pincus, whose Tribe.Net seeks to be to
professional networking and advice what Friendster is to
dating, suggested that social networks - especially ones
that serve as de facto referral networks - could
ultimately serve as an alternative to classified ads. The
potential implications for advertisers are enormous, as
local classified activity is generally considered a better
indicator of purchasing intent than a search on the Web.
And You Thought Tampa/St.Pete Was For Retirees
America Online and Digital Marketing Services recently
surveyed kids between the ages of seven and twelve in
the US to find that 46% go online four times during the
week. Furthermore, the survey determined that 20% go
online every day.
As for the major US markets where most kids are using
the Net most, AOL found that the Tampa/St. Petersburg
area has the highest percentage of kids going online
between five and seven days per week.
WHO'S GRILLING WHO? -- Well, it's not exactly the
rumble in the jungle, but former heavyweight champ and
current grillmeister George Forman has been matched
with C. Lee Peeler, deputy director of the FTC, Bureau
of Consumer Protection, for the 25th Annual Promotion
Marketing Law Conference Dec. 8-9 in Chicago. Now
that may seem like an unusual pairing, but we suspect
Foreman has had to do more sparring with attorneys in
recent years than with pugilists. As for Peeler, we doubt
he'll manage to go more than three rounds against
Foreman, if he doesn't take a dive first.
Media Links
WASHINGTON WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS
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Production Companies and More
SCRIPTS WANTED
Miller-Clark Entertainment
I'm looking for a completed low budget slasher-horror
film that can be shot in a few locations, preferably a
remote house, woods, cabin, etc., with a small cast.
Can have a lot of digital visual FX and should be quirky
in some way (think Cabin Fever, Evil Dead).
This film will be shot on a low budget, so the writer will
be paid, but it will be commensurate with the budget.
The fee paid the writer will be below WGA scale and will
be purchased outright. It will be straightforward, but DO
NOT submit to us if you are expecting to direct, act in
the film or expect to be attached in any other way to
it. Writer will get story and writing credit. The writer will
get shared writing credit if we choose to rewrite it.
Miller-Clark Entertainment is the live-action division of
Animationwerks. Currently the company is in pre-
production on two 3D animated feature films, has a
children's program in production with Warner Brothers,
and executes many of Showtime films visual FX shots.
Please email a one-paragraph description of your script
to:
Jim Clark
gorrorfilm@yahoo.com
TELEVISION
THE DISTRICT
Studios USA TV/CBS Productions
12641 Beatrice Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures, LLC (Barry
Levinson/Paula Weinstein)
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522-0768
818-954-1210
Clean Break Productions (Tom Arnold)
14046 Aubrey Rd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
818-995-1221
818-995-0089 fax
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attribution. (c) Betsie's Literary Page 2003