Not only did MSNBC anchor Alison Stewart lose her own show The Most, but now she's causing problems for network superstar Keith Olbermann.

Filling in for The O Man last week, she hosted a segment about Wendy Vitter – wife to disgraced Sen. David Vitter, who admitted his name was on D.C. Madame Deborah Jeane Palfrey's client list – and the dress she wore to the press conference where the senator made the announcement. Let's just say, the dress was leopard print, and raised eyebrows.

Including Alison's. And, wouldn't you know it, Radar's Jeff Bercovici was there to take part in what some are calling a "low point in Countdown history" as they mocked her for looking all prostitute-y at a presser about prostitute-y things.

Last night, Keith apologized for it (see above video). Fox News might have Julia Allison, but now MSNBC has Bercovici.

Yesterday, Don Imus' longtime cohort, Bo Dietl, hinted that that Imus might be back on the airwaves as early as this September. Which, naturally, prompted Radar to wonder how unrelated third party, Al Sharpton, feels about all this.

My position is that we never called for him to be permanently barred from being on the air," he says. "We'll see when he comes back, and if he comes back, what are the boundaries and what is the understanding. We'll be monitoring the situation, but we wanted him to pay for being a repeat abuser, and he paid. We never said we didn't want him to make a living."

By which, we presume, Sharpton is really saying, "Yeah, I'm pretty much just happy to see my name in the press—or at least Radar—again, after that embarrassing 'roboho' fiasco."

We love a Radar hatchet job, especially when they're aimed at us in the form of email warfare, even after we help them with stories they're working on! But alas, it's not about us today, but about NYT media beater Bill Carter, who Radar henchman John Cook claims might be too close to his sources. Well, John doesn't claim it; critics do: "Now some critics wonder whether his close ties to networks make him the wrong guy to cover the cesspool that is show business."

Ah yes, those critics!

CONTINUED »

"If Radar didn’t learn from its first two iterations, then shame on Radar and shame on me,” says Yusef Jackson, who you know as one of the public investors of Maer Roshan's third-go-round with legitimacy. The magazine needs to appeal, continues Jackson, "to as many people in Kansas City as New York City. … If I can develop a business infrastructure around smart circulation, not ego-based circulation —that is, focusing on bookstores and airports, versus spreading it to the mass markets too early—then we have an opportunity for success."

Um, good luck with that … what did you call it again? Ah yes, that "work in progress."

God, I like to think I have nothing much in common with the airhead daughter of a pedigreed Earl who left school, became a nanny, and married a prince with a tenacious mistress. I don't see much of a resemblance, to be perfectly frank. Except for a haircut. But the truth was I had more in common with Camilla Parker Bowles's haircut, if anybody cares to examine my coiffure on my first Today Show.

–Tina Brown, discussing her new book "The Diana Chronicles" with Maer Roshan [via Radar]

Now that Radar magazine's outsourced publicity guru Drew Kerr has all but closed up shop at Four Corners, the struggling indie mag is fending for itself in the PR department. And it shows, like in this email blast.

In case you missed it, Radar's sendup of Vanity Fair's weighty Africa covers is not up! For example, did you know the budget of a single Vanity Fair Oscar party could buy enough mosquito netting and insecticide to help prevent 400,000 Africans from contracting malaria?

Oh good! We'll not go look at it.

• After months of negotiations drumming up publicity, NBC and Universal have announced a deal to bring back Law & Order.

• CBS axes annoying morning radio show. Related: "slimp flied lice" is the new "nappy-headed hos!"

• PC World's Harry McCracken brings integrity back to journalism computer journalism.

• Chilean magazine concedes they stole the "toxic bachelor" concept from Radar, who—in turn—stole it from SATC.

• Post-op transsexual Christine "Mike" Daniels looks forward to working with the L.A. Lakers, Dodgers and Kings, and—to a much lesser extent—the Clippers.

• Today, Conrad Black could be forced to take the stand, which "his lawyers are loath to do because of the risk of self-incrimination." Well, obviously.

Last week, Adam Moss' New York Magazine shut out the New Yorker at the NMA's, taking home five awards, and shocking each/all of the 25 people who actually care about such things. But now, Radar has thrown down the gauntlet, characterizing NY Mag as a technically superb, conceptually refined, beautifully presented piece of crap.

And while some are already commending Radar on a critique well done, we're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because, despite purportedly being an empty shell of an elitist rag, New York just doesn't seem the type to take this criticism sitting down.

Bending over, maybe, but definitely not sitting down.

Just hours after Life ended as we know it comes breaking word that Radar's ship has finally come in. A forwarded email communique reveals that the on-again, off-again mag has rewarded its hard-working staffers with a new (midtown!) clubhouse where they can hang their hats.

And on-the-ball senior editor, Jeff Bercovici, sure doesn't waste any time updating his contacts. We received this email missive written by Jeff, possibly typed on his new computer, possibly sent from his brand-new office!

CONTINUED »

Radar magazine reveals the secret behind their innovative success:

Other revelations from the illustrious editorial meeting? "Porn people are 'ugly.'" Yep, the third incarnation would definitely seem to be a "charm" for Radar EIC Maer Roshan…

The Associated Press confirms Radar's New York Times' scoop, announces that NBC's John Reiss will be reassigned within the week.

So much for NBC's plan to swing the ax gradually, lest they appear to be completely freaking out over losing the February sweeps to ABC for the first time in over ten years.

• Jessica Biel replaces boyfriend Derek Jeter with a battery-operated pair underpants; Cameron Diaz jumps for joy.

• Bjork and Timbaland to make loud, strange music together:

• Playing video games makes you less fat and lazy? Consider our gym membership canceled!!

• Marilyn Manson proves he's an "even bigger freakshow' than previously imagined by fighting to deny ex Dita Von Deese a single cent of his giant, Goth empire.

• The Departed to be banned in China for including a minor plot line regarding a Chinese crime ring.

• When she's not busy jabbering on about her annoying, yappy dogs, Cindy Adams is reading (and plagiarizing from) Radar.

Many (okay, seven) were quick to bring to our attention yet another faux-clusive from Radar's Jeff Bercovici, whose growing laundry list of erroneous reports already includes ripping off Keith Kelly and hypocritcally demanding to be asked to comment on stories about him when he doesn't extend the same courtesy. Today comes word that last week's exclusive news – that Apple had dumped "Mac guy" pitchman Justin Long – is entirely false. In fact, it's the exact opposite of being correct: Not only did Apple not drop Accepted star Long as the face of Mac in the "PC vs. Mac" campaign, but there's a new round of spots on the horizon that he's featured in. They were shot this week, with more planned for next. All of which makes the anticipation grow stronger for Radar's print version, where corrections won't be so easily appended.

• Britney Spears' timing of her divorce announcement could've been a snub to Us Weekly to favor People. Except Britney is snubbing People, too.

• Very important people have lots to say about Ed Bradley's death.

• It was former LAT editor John Carroll who first suggested the newspaper's current bidder Eli Broad make a play for it.

• Just because you give the rich a shiny magazine for free doesn't mean they'll read it.

• Choire Sicha will be live blogging the Out 100 party tonight. Clearly, he'll also be drinking heavily.

• Rachel Congdon goes from vlog to HBO. We hear Ellen DeGeneres followed that same path.

• Is a Radar exclusive really ever an exclusive?

• The real victims in all these celebrity divorces are the court clerks who have to dig up the documents.

If two gossip columns report the same story on the same day, to whom do we give credit? That's the little problem with our new Scoop Wars obsession. It's much easier to determine the validity of Us Weekly's claim to credit if the Associated Press runs the story the next day without attribution. But today's Page Six and Radar both have the "The Who drummer Pete Townshend strormed out of Howard Stern's studio" story (Page Six here, Radar here). That two outlets have the same information isn't terribly surprising – there's many a day when the Post and Daily News run simul-exclusives – which gave us enough pause to ignore the matter all together. And then the Sirius PR hacks at Dan Klores, looking to build on the controversy, got in touch. (Forgive our obvious plug.)

Yesterday, Pete Townshend, guitarist for legendary rock band The Who, stormed out of a Sirius Satellite Radio studio when he became upset about potential interview topics shock jock Howard Stern was kicking around. The interview was to be aired as part of the free two-day promotion launching Sirius Internet Radio, which allows internet users to subscribe to Sirius via the internet for $12.95 per month.

So who does Dan Klores point to for the story? Nah, not Maer Roshan's cracksquad, but rather Richard Johnson's rumor mill. And as anyone knows, a publicist may misspell her client's name, but she never forgets her favorite column to leak to. (There's also the small matter of Post articles being filed by 10pm the night before, while Radar's item went up at 9:15am today.)

• NYT fashion scribe Cathy Horyn gets her criticism handed to her in a lace-trim, leather-accented charmeuse hand basket. [WWD]

• Radar's Jeff Bercovici continues his time honored tradition of stealing the scoops of others. [Gawker]

• If a $10,000 matchmaking professional succumbs to using Match.com to find her own dates, does a bear still shit in the woods? [NY Mag]

• Politicos use MySpace for more than finding underage youth to have sex with. [WSJ]

• Chinatown is pissed about Hollywood taking over its streets to film movie after movie. How are they supposed to traffic in counterfeit Louis Vuitton handbags with the increased police presence? [amNY]

• All it took to get the New York Times stock price to spike a bit? Rumors of a takeover bid. [Variety]

• Which is more meta: Jack Shafer on Kurt Anderson, or Kurt Anderson on the New York Times? [Slate, NY]

Another day, another accused child molester. Sigh. The only difference is that today's alleged underage fanny grabber is none other than former Fox 11 reporter Rod Bernsen. Yeah, we've never heard of him either. But that's only because we're not allowed to watch Fox in Brooklyn.

The reporter has been charged with "abusive sexual conduct" and is to appear in court date on November 13. These charges claim that Bernsen molested two boys while aboard a cruise last week. He was arrested Saturday after departing the ship in Long Beach.

According to the criminal filing seen by LA Observed, two twelve-year-old cousins told the FBI that Bernsen made suggestive comments, used his foot to touch the genitals of one of the boys and spanked the other one once on his naked butt. The alleged assault occurred in the Lotus Spa on board the Diamond Princess.

The LA Times also has a summary of the alleged events. As an aside, Radar has a whole shpeal connecting Bernsen to Jew-basher Mel Gibson, spewing their loathe for those who befriend alleged child molesters. Apparently somebody forgot who Ron Burkle's BFF is.

United States v. Rod Bernsen [LA Observed]

Radar is already dropping staffers from its masthead. After having a site up and running for a tad over a month, the "magazine's" publisher, Katherine Rizzuto, has broken ties with Maer Roshan's third stab at creating a function space for Radar's existence. She will be leaving the greasy walls of the newly-occupied Hearst left-overs behind to return to the fluffy white and pink halls of Conde Nast's Bridal Media Group.

Rizzuto was publisher at Marie Claire from 2000 to 2004, and the associate publisher of Brides from 1997 to 2000.

As recently as August, Rizzuto was touting Roshan's magnetism:

I was amazed by the loyalty to Maer.

It appears her amazement didn't translate into such loyalty.

Obviously if she found the loyalty to Maer so amazing, it was because either she had never been so loyal to something herself, or could not imagine anyone having such faith in him. Or she didn't want to work in a tree house with a "no girls allowed" sign on it. Either way, when the publisher jumps, it's never a good sign. They're the ones who know how much these little pet projects are actually pulling in.

Radar Publisher Jumps To Condé Nast [Dylan Stableford, Fishbowl NY]

• Of course Google is buying YouTube. Up next: Google will also buy Pepsi, the CW, and an African child. [Mediabistro]

• Mel Gibson's publicist insists that he is completely sober and did not have a beer at a bar. Well, we didn't hear any "f'in Jews" comments come out of his mouth, so we know he wasn't drunk. [TMZ]

• Apparently Radar doesn't find a problem with magazine journalists accepting free trips to Istanbul where they ride on yachts and drink champagne. And here we thought they were such media watchdogs. [Radar]

• Harper's Bazaar really goes that extra mile by dressing Natalie Portman up as Audrey Hepburn. How did they ever come up with that? [AP]

• Shockingly, Pittsburgh loves Sienna Miller just as much as she loves them. They'll probably start calling her "stupid whore." (No, it doesn't need to rhyme … they're from Pittsburgh.) [Us]

• Never-been-Oscared director Martin Scorcese is going the "pretend you don't want it and maybe you'll get it" route with Departed. [Lowdown]

• Eva Longoria and Mario Lopez are on-again off-again lovers? We really need to start paying closer attention to the sex lives of TV stars. Ok, fine, we don't care at all. [Us]

• Uh-oh. Mel Gibson had a beer. Next thing you know he's building camps with special showers in them. [Scoop]

• Radar moves into abandoned Hearst offices. Roshan can only hope a little Esquire will "rub off" on his in-the-works rag. [NYO]

• Really? The guy on The Bachelor is a tool? But he looks so sexy and hip in his khakis and red bow ties. So Tucker Carlson it makes us drool. [Page Six]