Know what's more childish than a cable news battle? A cable news blog battle! When it comes to chronicling America's most visible pundits, executive rank shake ups, and how talent spends their clothing allowances, there are really only a few players in the game. Beside all-things-media blogs like Jossip, TV news types log on to TVNewser, Chickaboomer, Inside Cable News, and Johnny Dollar. And just like the networks they cover, sometimes these blogs start attacking each other in print.

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PEACOCK SHAKE-UP TVNewser is reporting that NBC is going to close its Dallas and Chicago bureaus. Some staff members will move to the local owned and operated stations; Chicago will fall into the New York hub, Dallas will go to the Los Angeles hub. [TVNewser]

OFFICIALLY OVER As we speculated, CBS ended its fling with transparency and killed their ombudsman site Public Eye. [TVNewser]

Point: "A tipster tells us staffers at TV Guide have been told that there will be a mandatory 3pmET meeting today, where it will be announced that the print edition will be discontinued with the final issue being the Fall Preview. The tipster says TV Guide Channel and TV Guide.com will continue." [TVNewser]

Counterpoint: "The director of communications and PR at TV Guide has said that TV Newser's report on the September demise of the magazine was false. 'TV Guide magazine is alive and well,' she wrote. 'There was no mandatory meeting today; like most businesses, our offices closed at 1 pm for the holiday weekend. Everything is business as usual at TV Guide magazine as we are busy preparing for the new fall television season as well as our 5th annual after party celebrating the Emmys on September 16.'" [MBP]

Even with new editor Chris Ariens, TVNewser is still carrying the reputation of "NBC lapdog," at least to the Keith Olbermann pundits who put Claymates to shame in their enthusiasm. [Olbermann Watch]

In his New York Times debut, former TVNewser Brian Stelter turns his attention to Without Prejudice?, the Game Show Network's stab at combining our desire to win cash we didn't have to work for with our desire to point out the flaws of others from the comfort of a seated position. (Around Jossip HQ, the latter is practically our job description.)

It looks like a decent explanation about where the GSN channel is headed as it attempts to do something novel, like gain viewers, but honestly: It's still hard for us to imagine Stelter doing anything other than staring at a handful of TV screens waiting for Fox News' ticker to scroll "Osama" instead of "Obama."

• Michael Moore, chubby liberal nutjob or marketing genius?

• "Newspapers read like they're put out by terrified bureaucracies," writes Columbia Journalism Review. Um, that's because they are, says Dean Starkman (a.k.a. "Obvious Guy.")

• The new TVNewser reveals his top-secret identity! Oh no, wait—we already knew that.

• Jack Shafer fought Bill Keller, and Bill Keller won. Easily.

• Internet video advertising costs projected to reach an estimated 4.3 billion over the next four years, thanks in large part to CNN.

• WaPo praises Steve McPherson for having "great programming instincts" and a "low hooey threshold." Which explains why the guy can't stand Ben Silverman.

The college grad and newest NYT employee signs off from the blog that probably helped Mediabistro.com demand a bit more cash. Batter up, Chris Ariens.

"Please join me at Michael's Restaurant on Wednesday, July 25, in raising a toast to TVNewser's Brian Stelter, as he sets out to leave the confines of the blogosphere for the print world," writes Mediabistro.com founder Laurel Touby, who's not exactly having a bad week herself.

"But," Laurel continues, "every ending is a new beginning, and I've got some very exciting news to share. I'll be unveiling the next TVNewser - who will be taking the blog in new and exciting directions. Stay tuned — you'll have to be at the party to find out who it is (I'm inviting only 100 people, so you'll be among the first)!'

All of which would ordinarily be pretty damn exciting except for one small thing: we already know who the next TVNewser is.

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Mediabistro.com's job listing for the next TVNewser editor, where Gail Shister is said to have applied: "If you've been reading TVNewser over the past few years, you'll recognize that there is an unparalleled opportunity to take the brand to the next level."

Translation: We think the thing is staid, yo.

Earlier this week, we told you the New York Times was tapping TVNewser editor (and 21 year-old Towson University graduate) Brian Stelter as its newest media reporter. Which means Stelter's old job is up for grabs, and Mediabistro hasn't wasted any time looking for his replacement. And, from the looks of it, the pool of applicants isn't exactly limited to undergraduates this time around.

According to HuffPo, the people who have already applied to be the new Newswer include "a famous TV columnist with umpteen years of experience," "an executive producer at MSNBC," "a senior producer at CBS" and "a former managing editor of Cablevision."

In related news, our contract is up later this year, and we're already fielding offers from a variety of potential replacements including multiple high school dropouts, a college student who's "a journalism major and with a minor in communications, and [has] always enjoyed the Perez Hilton site" and the guy who sells us our morning coffee.

When we started this little blog, we had big dreams of being in the magazine industry one day. Who knew that years later, we'd still be … working on this little blog. But that's not the future memoir of all media bloggers! Just look at Brian Stelter, the college grad behind TVNewser, who just signed on with the New York Times' media beat. Except now instead of posting emails from anonymous tipsters, he might have to, like, go out and verify stuff. Eww.

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• Mary-Kate Olsen is taking time out of her busy not-eating schedule to play a Christian fundamentalist on Weeds.

• If you scratch Tom Friedman's back, he'll totally return the favor with a "reach-around."

• Debbie Matenopoulos reminds us all why she was cast as the orignal "dumb blond" on The View.

• Nicole Kidman distracts her husband from his cocaine addiction by getting back in the saddles.

• NYT: "For the First Time, New York Links a Death to 9/11 Dust." Fortunately, Jerry Falwell's not around to attribute the blame to the Jews.

• TVNewser editor Brian Stelter graduates from college; fails to graduate from TVNewswer.

• According to Harper's Bazaar, two out of every three "chic" stylish women has had sexual relations with Gilles Bensimon.

• Charlie Rose is "Larry King for Mensa members." And the best place for presidents to give length one on one interviews without saying anything.

• NY Times shareholders demand a shake-up. When asked to elaborate, investors said they have no problem with "boring, elitist crap," just so long as it's turning a profit.

• Geraldo Rivera launches one-sided feud with TVNewser's editor, calling him a "pubescent rejectionist."

• NBC execs are nostalgic for the days when people actually watched their television programming.

• Which may or may not explain why My Name Is Earl is bringing "new car smell" and eau de "obnoxious cologne" into your very own living room.

We love ourselves some TVNewser – we really do – but in case you ever have a hankering to make an argument – as Jon Friedman has, among others – that the cable TV industry "Bible" doesn't traffic in gossip and is more journalism than sensationalism, here's your counterpoint.

Update: For those who want to know, from a blog that does traffic in gossip – that would be – the anchman in the blind item is, we hear from an insider, Matt Lauer. (All alleged, of course.)