Nielsen, the fumbling audience measurement company notorious for snapping up the competition instead of building a better product for market, is doing the print industry a favor and promising not to get involved in measuring its audience. Even though its new "anywhere/anytime" initiative promised to be able to measure all media consumption, David Calhoun's band of incompetents won't be treading on FAS-FAX territory.

Not only that: Nielsen is looking to get out of print entirely.

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Despite loads of cutbacks, Nielsen née VNU launched a New York edition of The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. Variety also has a New York version of its magazine, as well as an online Asian edition. In a remarkable coincidence, The Hollywood Reporter will start an online-only Asian edition. Nielsen's business strategy is to offer enough of the same features as Variety that Hollywood neophytes will confuse the two. [NYT]

After 18 years working with Variety, Elizabeth Guider is taking the top reigns at The Hollywood Reporter. On the surface, that sounds like a logical career move. Until you ask anyone about the health of THR. [THR]

If loose lips sink ships, what do departing editors do? Activate nuclear warheads? The Hollywood Reporter will soon find out, given yesterday's pair of high-profile departures to the competition.

THR editor Cynthia Littleton and deputy film editor Anne Thompson have taken off for new roles at Variety, as Nikki Finke was first to report; Littleton is deputy editor for news development and Thompson is Variety.com deputy editor.

I hear Littleton is taking the marquee role as a new Variety columnist and will be expected to break news. Thompson is switching her re-branded movie column and online blog — mostly profiles and pick-ups notoriously soft on the industry — from HR to Variety.

All of which says, to anyone with the slightest knowledge of trade warfare, that The Hollywood Reporter is slip-sliding away, once and for all. At least until THR gets mouthpiece Deborah Patton into action and spins this whole mess into one of a bright future. (Hey, if Time can do it …) Though if the past tells us anything, we're not going to see much wisdom there.