GOOD LUCK WITH THAT Men's Vogue editor William Li was named the new publisher of Portfolio. Li replaces David Carey, who recently became Fairchild Fashion Group chief, replacing Mitchell Fox. This seems like a big game of musical chairs, and we have a feeling someone's going to end up without a seat. [FishbowlNY]

Today, WWD joins the ranks of time-honored publications (such as the world-renowned subway-renowned dailies, Metro New York and amNew York) by allowing its first page to be infiltrated by an annoying corporate sponsor. But, lest you interpret this as a desperate cry for help/money, Daniel Lagani (president of the Fairchild fashion group) is quick to tell you otherwise.

And he knows just how to do it! By reminding us that this isn't "selling out" so much as "moving [WWD] to an entirely new place," and reciting a boring history (stemming back to the 1970's) of the company's ad-sales innovations.

Timing, and not desperation, led Women’s Wear Daily to its decision to introduce a front-page ad, Mr. Lagani of Fairchild said. The paper did run smaller black-and-white ads called tombstones at the bottom of the front page until the 1970s, for companies like Jantzen and Peter Pan Fashions. In 2000, it ran some cover-wraps with ads for Gucci. The new front-page banners will be limited, Mr. Lagani said, to prevent overexposure.

Moreover, says Lagani, who, apparently, was not finished talking, "[i]n the case of Women’s Wear Daily, business has never been better…This is simply a smart business decision."

Sure it is, Dan. Also a smart business move? Not selling advertising space on your front page unless you really, really have to.

Even though a few independent magazines, like New York, and The Atlantic received some ASME praise in the form of Ellie noms, WWD would like to remind us that the big mag companies are really where it's all about.

Still, the day was hardly a bust for Condé Nast Publications (which owns WWD), which reaped a total of 24 nominations — triple the number received by Time Inc., which had eight, and quadruple Hearst's six. In the women's fashion category, Condé Nast was the only media company represented …

We bet Si Newhouse comes through the not 4 Times Square Conde Nast building and threatens the former Fairchilders with promises of a cafeteria if they don't praise the glory of the Conde.

New Yorker's Off Year [Jeff Bercovici, WWD]

Earlier: ASME nominations: The day many a mag editor gets drunk at Michael's

Don't expect any Devil Wears Prada-esque bashing in Wunderkind, the Jane Pratt fictional roman-a-clef being shopped around by – you guessed it – her former assistant at Jane. Unfortunately, without some severe plot reversals, there's little chance of this one making it to the big screen. Jane Pratt is, after all, painted as a do gooder, not an evil editrix.

Pratt's former assistant Karen Cohen Yampolsky is the scribe behind the "novel," though it's been rumored (and subsequently denied) that Pratt is actually the one at the keyboard.

In the novel, which has the working title "Wunderkind," the editor-in-chief is called Jill White and the publication is Jill magazine.

Jill the character is forced to do battle with a female CEO who installs her bridesmaid as the publisher of the magazine. …

In the book, Jill is forced out of her job by the treachery cooked up by the CEO and the publisher.

In real life, Fairchild CEO Mary Berner, shortly after she arrived at the top job, installed her friend Eva Dillon as publisher of Jane. Dillon is now at Cookie, the new parenthood magazine.

Oh, the coincidences. They're starting to make Nicole Richie's Truth About Diamonds "composite character" of Paris Hilton look more veiled than Prince Michael II out in public.

It's Plain - It's Jane [NYP]

• If BlackBerry maker Research In Motion can't reach a new settlement agreement with patent holder NTP Inc., we could all be facing a sudden reason to celebrate: no more instant email. [Reuters]

• Judith Miller is "deeply sorry that the [WMD] stories were wrong," but don't think that means she's apologizing. [BBC]

• While Fairchild's fashion trades must stick to Conde Nast's new rules regarding gifts from clients, consumer titles will keep their schwag free for fall. [Gawker]

• Cable companies are freaking out over the FCC's suggestion they offer consumers a la carte pricing models rather than package deals. You might not expect it, but we're actually big fans of the package deal — where else could we get a dozen and a half home shopping networks all at once? [AdAge]

• Now that Maureen Dowd is sitting comfortably as the New York Times most famous female, it's time to forget about that Judith Miller person. [Texas Monthly]

• The timing of Martha Stewart's Blueprint magazine comes suspiciously close to a similar project that was pitched at Time Inc. Unfortunately for our media obsession, it looks like there's no malintent here — just poor minds thinking alike. [WWD]

• Congrats to Lachlan Murdoch and his wife Sarah, who are expecting their second media mogul offspring. [News.com.au]

If there's one lunch we'd like to sit in on – besides the constant meals David Zinczenko and Michael Caruso continue to have at Michael's – it'd be today's Conde Nast extravaganza Si Newhouse Jr. is throwing for all his editors and publishers.

They're all being whisked off in a train of black sedans to the Four Seasons, where their meals could pay the salaries of a half dozen editorial assistants. Even the Fairchild flacks will be there, from Details' Dan Peres to Jane's Brandon "She's So Jane" Holley. They're bastard children no more. (Well, for those who don't work at Vitals.)

And while the assistants of the editors and publishers will have there own merry holiday event (at the, ahem, Conde Nast cafeteria), we can only concern ourselves with one hot button issue: What is Joanne Lipman wearing?

'Tis The Four Seasons [WWD]

• Expect to see Donatella Versace pop up on Oprah late this month to discuss her field of expertise: drug use. Oh, and they'll probably talk about fashion, and maybe anorexia too. [Gatecrasher]

• You aren't supposed to be able to pick up the 2006 Zagat guide until Oct. 17, but one Barnes & Noble pulled a Harry Potter and had it on bookshelves two weeks before its release. [Page Six]

• Michael Jackson appeared in public with his children for the first time since, well, we're not sure — it's easy to forget about veiled kiddies. This time he took them on a trip to see an exact replica of himself at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London, whereupon Paris, Prince Michael Jr. and Prince Michael II immediately added six years of therapy. [The Sun]

• Supposedly, learning you're losing your heavily sought after gig at Vitals is easier to absorb when delivered by Fairchild president Mary Berner, also known as the chic that's firing you. [Page Six]

• When we heard rumblings a couple days ago that the New York Post and New York Daily News had – gasp! – called a truce, we were reluctant to believe it. And then the Post's Page Six confirmed our suspicions yesterday when they continued their anti-NYDN rally. Or maybe the NYP's deadlines were before the white flag handshake? [Page Six]

• Dancing to Kabbalah can be hazardous to your health if you're Madonna. Because the dance diva wrote a track about one of the sect's holy men, she's been warned it could lead to divine retribution and forbidden from using his holy name for profit. Funny how they weren't squawking about her devotion being used for their profit up till now. [Globe & Mail]

• Yeah, so about that subway terror alert? Fuhgettaboutit. [AP]

• Penthouse founder Bob Guccione is facing a $4 million lawsuit from the company he used to run, which is looking for unrecovered cash, art and furniture.

• If it's not Natalee Holloway, Fox News is seeing ratings climb thanks to Hurricae Katrina. The news network nabbed an average 2.8 million viewers on Monday, it's largest of the year.

• Fairchild's Cookie is accompanying its baby mag November launch with a stroller shopping event on Madison Avenue next month. And by the way he's going, Brad Pitt might show.

• With Cargo's publisher Alan Katz jumping ship to head Vanity Fair in the business group shuffleboard, Conde Nast is bringing in American Media Inc. prez Lance Ford (of Maxim, Stuff and Blender launch fame) to run its men's shopping title.

• Google is trying its hand at print advertising, quietly buying up ad pages in tech titles like PC Magazine and reselling the space as cut-up units to marketers already a part of its AdWords program.

• First Wal-Mart secured exclusive distribution for Time Inc.'s All You, now they're securing exclusive rights to sell BET's DVDs.

• Congrats to Niche Media overlord Jason Binn and wife Haley on the birth of Penny Olivia, who will likely get her own mail slot on Park Ave South.

After nearly nine years at the helm of her nakesame magazine Jane, Jane Pratt today announced she's stepping down as editor in chief effective September 30. While no successor has yet been named, Fairchild chairman Patrick McCarthy says a name will be offered up shortly.

Pratt goes out on a high note, growing her title from a circulation of 400,000 to 700,000 and – most impressively — remaining in charge since she started it in September 1997.

Now all she needs to do to ensure her farewell will be all glitz is to can Pamela Anderson's column. And never, ever mention Sassy magazine again.