Nobody at Bauer has any idea where those rumors about Life & Style shutting down entirely came from. But the Bauer dust has settled, leaving In Touch EIC Richard Spencer in charge of both celeb weeklies.
There's no plan to fire anyone at L&S, says a source there. That doesn't mean the climate won't change by next week, of course, but we're told both magazines will maintain separate news reporting staffs. Spencer has met with senior level L&S staffers already and, from what we understand, everyone is well-liked. At least enough to keep the friendly game of smiles going on in Englewood Cliffs. Staffers at L&S tell us they're "thrilled" and "so happy" to have new leadership.
Not making that list of well-liked, of course, is Mark Pasetsky, the now-former L&S chief who took the reigns in November to, um, our chagrin and delight. He was a "nightmare manager," says one knowledgeable source, "demanding to get stories that didn't exist." Well, yeah.
The press release from Bauer says Pasetsky is going back to Mark Allen & Company "and will continue working with Bauer on various branding initiatives" — a notion one source says "is bullshit." As in: Pasetsky is fully done at Bauer.
Spencer's two deputies, Dan Wakeford and Michelle Lee, will also transition to dual roles, we're told.
So we do we go from here? Both In Touch and Life & Style will march ahead with their October price hike, lifting newsstand copies from $1.99 to $2.99. And the magic behind In Touch's 1.2 million rate base – with sales hitting 1.5 million twice in August, beating People – is expected to be transferred to L&S.
Editorial Director
ummm. Mark was very well-liked actually. He and Mark and Sam made a very good team. Mark P. busted his ass to make this thing work. Has anyone noticed that sales were way up this week.
Are you high? He was completely inept as an editor. He had no respect for his staff or the time and energy that they put into a story. Staffers like and respect Sam.
Bauer just seems to be contracting in every way. Hubert keeps getting rid of people and not replacing them. Isn't it a conflict of interest to have Richard be EIC of two competing magazines. Think it's going to be pretty hard to recruit at this point after the Cocktail fiasco. Hubert doesn't put any value on people whatsoever.
"bauereditor" above must be Mark Coleman. No one else would have the audacity to say that "Mark and Mark and Sam made a very good team." The three of them rule with a special blend of arrogance, abuse, and incompetence. They're a good team in the way the Nazis were good prison guards.
nope. it's not Mark Coleman. They can't be Nazis…they're all Jewish. If anyone is a Nazi it's Hubert. He fired three Jewish editors in a row and is now bringing in the Germans. Isn't this what happened during WWII?
Are you sure you're not Mark Coleman? You're just as bad an editor. I never said they were Nazis.
Ahhh, well the fact is the Hubert does what Hubert wants and today's golden boy is tomorrow's kick to the curb. MP is many ways got what he deserved but NEVER forget he was doing the big man's bidding at EVERY MOVE,
So so sad for all involved.