Because he still does not understand the power of Us Weekly, just its profit potential, Jann Wenner is willing to unload the tabloid, and Men’s Fitness, but reportedly wants to hang on to Rolling Stone, an ailing music title with declining circulation and ad pages. Nevermind that trying to sell Us for a rumored $750 million might be a little difficult in the middle of this credit crunch. And the fact that purported buyers, like the oh-so-reputable Conde Nast, would also find itself defending its sometimes-invented cover stories each week. [WWD]
It was not Rolling Stone that Conde Nast was after, but another of Jann Wenner’s publications: the tabloid Us Weekly.
That’s what Keith Kelly hopes to clarify in today’s column, where he names a price tag of $750 million that Si Newhouse would have to cough up to get his hands on the well-performing celeb weekly in what’s already a crowded market.
Except news of a potential deal brings more questions than it does answers. Officially, Wenner media says, “There are no talks. Wenner Media and its properties are not for sale.” As for Conde Nast, they’re word is, “It is a company policy to never comment on potential acquisitions.” But what would upscale Conde want with a tabloid that, no matter how much revenue and how glossy, is still viewed as downmarket? CONTINUED »
If Graydon Carter’s nervous laughter is to be believed, Conde Nast might be buying Rolling Stone, if only to prevent another Barack Obama cover that pulls from a non-exclusive photo shoot instead of an over-styled production that puts him in a Zegna suit — with style credit. [Folio]
When Details publisher Chris Mitchell moved over to take the spot at Wired, it opened up the gig at Dan Peres’ magazine. Filling the spot is Steve DeLuca, currently the associate publisher at Condé Nast Traveler. But remember when he was the publisher of Rolling Stone, and then ousted in 2006? Let’s take a trip down memory lane, which includes more than a little job-costing spat with Jann Wenner. It involves Asian women, a small organ, and a tattoo. CONTINUED »
All that speculation that Us Weekly was going overboard in its support for Barack Obama … turned out to be entirely on target. Publisher Jann Wenner clearly has a soft spot for the senator; he’s donated $3,150 to his campaign. But now he’s going one step further.
For the first time in its 30-year history, Rolling Stone will endorse a candidate for president while the primary season is still going on. The magazine has endorsed White House hopefuls before (it started doing so in 1972), and regularly chooses Democrats, but only after the parties choose their nominees.
Now, RS is giving Barack Obama its stamp of approval, even though the battle between him and Hillary Clinton wages on.
“The reason for the early choice is twofold,” write the editors in “Barack Obama: A New Hope.” “Undoing the damage of the disastrous Bush years will take a leader who can unite a deeply divided nation, and politicians with gifts like Obama’s are so rare that it’s imperative for each of us to do our part.”
So far, Rolling Stone has virtually ignored Hillary. But perhaps if she puts out an album, Clinton could at least score a blurb.
Is Us Weekly using its seven-figure circulation to launch a war against Hillary Clinton? That’s the charge the New York Times is alleging given all the fawning Janice Min’s tab has been doing over Barack Obama.
(The story comes two days after the Times admitted it got beat by another gossip charge, Matt Drudge, about the Prince Harry story, which the paper of record was completely in the dark about.)
Nevermind that Obama wouldn’t answer an Us reporter’s “Boxers or briefs?” question — Min & Co. totally have it in the bag for Barack, just like the rest of the media. How else to explain the tabloid’s “Just like us” treatment with the presidential hopeful; here he is buying groceries, here he is playing with babies, here he is restoring America’s good name abroad and providing health care for all Americans.
The Times‘ Richard Perez-Pena points to corporate cousin Rolling Stone, which ran an Obama feature last year but hasn’t yet covered Clinton, as evidence of potential bias.
There’s also some, uh, more concrete evidence, which Michael Calderone points to, like identifying the campaign Jann Wenner is donating to.
STONES, ROLLING After losing Rolling Stone executive editor Joe Levy to old foe Kent Brownridge and Alpha Media, Jann Wenner ups Eric Bates and Jason Fine to executive editor slots. [WWD]
ROLLING PEBBLES Congrats to Jann Wenner and Matt Nye, who welcomed twins (via surrogate) into the world, joining their 1-year-old son Noah. They also just plunked down $5.8 million for the 65-acre Teviot estate in the Catskills, so expect to be sending over two gifts this month.
STABBING BACK The war between Kent Brownridge and Jann Wenner rages on! Like a writers strike! Brownridge, the current Maxim and Blender guru and former Wenner No. 2, poached Rolling Stone exec editor Joe Levy, who will be installed atop Blender next month. Watch now as Kent starts a celebrity weekly just so he can send love letters to Janice Min. [AdAge]
Think Jann Wenner’s got a bum rep? Think again. This “highlight” (taken from an interview with Norman Pearlstine) reminds us why the narcissistic publishing maven was our favorite Halloween costume of 2007.
Speaking about the pool of young talent: [Wenner] didn’t see an “Internet brain drain” because young people apparently face the choice between working for either “Salon or Slate, or for a magazine with a major and meaningful audience.”
Either that or they just get pigeonholed into working for Rolling Stone.
This just in from Jon Fine: “Jann Wenner: Still Incredibly Ornery and Idiosyncratic After All These Years.” Really? Weird! After all those years of hiring and firing people, refusing to share any of the credit for Rolling Stone and rumors that he’s miserly, erratic and not averse to kissing Neal Boulton, we figured he was pretty well-adjusted. Albeit somewhat scary.
Although we can’t always shake the nasty habit of writing in the royal we, occasionally one of our editors decides to shake off the cloak of anonymity to write a short, pithy statement long, rambling diatribe about a topic of their choice. Today, Debbie Newman is that editor.
With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about last-minute costume ideas. And this year, instead of frantically hunting through the on-sale rack at Ricky’s for that elusive half-priced garment that says “Slutty, yet sophisticated,” why not be creative? There are plenty of do-it-yourself costumes* that require minimal effort on your part and are guaranteed to please potentially capable of suiting your needs.
Moderately intrigued? Read on, anyway! After the jump, a complete rundown of the scariest media personalities around with useful tips on how to capture their “essence” without breaking the bank or sacrificing your unique rebelliousness.
Neal Boulton wants a nonsexual cameo in Michael Lucas’ next pornography flick, presumably to go with his nonsexual relationship with Jann Wenner. [Queerty]
Ed Felsenthal, the Assistant Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal, is likely to become the new editor of Men’s Journal.
Between Wenner and Murdoch, we’d take disability leave. But between a rock and a hard place, which would you choose?
Did you know that Jann Wenner has a tendency of hiring people and then firing them less than a year later? Of course you did. But in case you forgot and/or stopped caring (because seriously, who reads Rolling Stone or Men’s Journal anyway?) Keith Kelly is here to remind you just how many bright-eyed, bushy-tailed MF editors in chief have been steered towards the exits before they even had a chance to unpack.
Wenner has basically been averaging one editor per year, and whomever he hires will be the magazine’s third editor in 12 months.
After bouncing Michael Caruso - and then getting into a court fight - he settled on Tom Foster, former Men’s Health feature editor. When that didn’t work out, Wenner went to his Rolling Stone roster and moved Kaminisky into the top job.
Obviously, it doesn’t end there.
We got our hands on the gritty details of Jill Ishkanian’s $55 million lawsuit against Us Weekly and her old bosses, and out of the goodness of our heart we wanted to share with you the most interesting details.
And by “most interesting” we mean “pretty much the entire thing,” ’cause it’s hilarious.
And by “hilarious,” we mean “so much fun as a spectator, not as much fun as a defendant.”
We’ve stacked the meaty parts after the jump. And fret not: We’ve bolded the most worthwhile legalese.
Jann Wenner, Janice Min, Ken Baker, and Wenner Media proper are being hit with a $55 million lawsuit today filed by former Us Weekly staffer Jill Ishkanian, we’ve learned.
In court papers being filed now-ish, Ishkanian – who left the magazine and went on to form the paparazzi agency Sunset Photo and News – alleges her former bosses went on the attack after her departure, trying to sully her reputation. Though it should have been expected: The suit alleges Janice and Ken threatened to ruin her if she ever tried to leave the magazine or encourage anyone else to do so.
Among the charges Ishkanian is claiming: “INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS; NEGLIGENT TRAINING AND RETENTION; BREACH OF CONTRACT; BREACH OF THE COVENANT OF GOOD FAITH AND FAIR DEALING; SLANDER AND SLANDER PER SE; LIBEL AND LIBEL PER SE; INTENTIONAL INTERFERENCE WITH PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE; CIVIL CONSPIRACY.”
As you’ll recall, after Ishkanian’s departure, Us Weekly went to the FBI alleging Jill was hacking into Us computers to gain information about celebs and their whereabouts. But as we’ve learned before, Us also intentionally left Ishkanian’s phone lines at the magazine active to collect information from sources who didn’t know she had left. They also kept Jill in the loop via email, even after repeated requests not to be included on sensitive in-house Wenner emails. CONTINUED »
Despite being subjected to numerous unflattering Austin Powers comparisons, henchman Kent Brownridge (Jann Wenner’s former “Number 2″ man who’s earned himself a well-deserved reputation of “Dr. Evil”) is not without his fair share of supporters. Unfortunately for Brownridge, it seems as though not even his supporters really seem to like him.
The rap on Kent Brownridge, who’s running Maxim for private equity player Quadrangle Group, is that he’s unusually smart and unusually ferocious. And that the latter overshadow[s] the former…”If you get in his way, he will roll right over you,” says a former Wenner executive, and this is one who claims to be a fan.
But we’re not biting. Sure, this Brownridge guy has a bad rep (plus he even looks evil) but you have to consider that most of that’s coming from oversensitive writer types who just want to be coddled. In fact, we think Brownridge sounds like exactly the sort of guy we’d want to grab a beer with after work! That is, assuming Pat Buchanan already has other plans.
Are those rampant rumors about things souring between Jann Wenner and Matt Nye … true?
When the sometime-Jann Wenner paramour isn’t at Genre’s offices, he can be spotted training at Trinity Boxing on Greenwich Street.
(Oh, we thought you answer to the headline question was “Yes.” Sorry about that.)
Editorial Director
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