22 posts and columns on New York Observer

News Byte

Meet Condé Nast's Digital Gurus

in Media on August 4, 2010 at 9:26 am PT

More shoes dropping in the wake of Bob Sauerberg’s move into the No. 2 slot at Condé Nast last month: Sauerberg has created a new post of chief technology officer for the publisher and hired Viacom veteran Joe Simon to fill it. Simon will “lead all digital and technology operations and focus on innovation and the development of the next generation of digital products and services.” More fun to read about: Wired Creative Director Scott Dadich, who has become the company’s iPad frontman and who the New York Observer says is publishing’s new “it boy.” Hate words? You can hear and see him in this clip.

Found! A Magazine Guy Who Yawns at the iPad.

in Media on March 30, 2010 at 10:33 am PT

Almost everyone in the magazine industry is gaga over the iPad. Except for design legend George Lois: “It’s so different on the screen. It’s the difference between looking at a woman and having sex with her.”

Maybe Newsday Made Its Pay Wall a Little Too Strong

in Media on January 26, 2010 at 5:16 pm PT

That pay wall that Newsday put around its Web site last year? Crazily effective–at keeping people from buying an online subscription. Since the wall went up three months ago, only 35 people–as in not quite three dozen–have paid the $5-a-week fee for Web access. What does this tell us about the New York Times plan? Not much.

Hot Potato Is Ready to Eat: Do Twitter, Facebook Users Want Another Real-Time Chatter Service?

in Media on November 25, 2009 at 7:25 am PT

Last month I told you about Hot Potato, one of the buzziest start-ups in the very buzzy “real time” sector. Now you can check out the service yourself. Or at least you can get a glimpse of it in this video.
hot potato

Portfolio Lives! Sort Of: Web Site Adopted by Condé Nast’s Corporate Cousin.

in Media on May 20, 2009 at 7:46 am PT

Never say never: Condé Nast, which is closing down its Portfolio business magazine, has decided not to turn off the lights at Portfolio.com. Instead, it is shifting control of the Web site–essentially, the Portfolio.com address and a couple years of archived content–over to American City Business Journals, its corporate cousin in the Advance Publications family.
tales-from-the-crypt

New York Times Online Payment Plan Coming Soon?

in Media on May 15, 2009 at 8:05 am PT

The New York Times has already tried charging people to read part of its Web site. Now, like everyone else in the publishing business, it’s trying to figure out how to charge for online access again. The Times is reportedly mulling two options: A Financial Times-style “metered” approach and a Salon/NPR/PBS version whereby everyone gets free access to the site, but subscribers/donors get bonus goodies.
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How Sports Illustrated Nailed A-Rod, and Why It May Not Happen Again

in Media on February 11, 2009 at 12:23 pm PT

Some Web optimists dream of a day when citizen journalists armed with cellphones, blogs and Twitter accounts will step in for Big Media. But who’s going to spend many months and lot of money tracking down a single story about a doped-up baseball player–let alone stuff that really matters?

Time Inc. Layoff Update: 30+ From Essence, Entertainment Weekly; Many More to Come

in Media on November 14, 2008 at 6:06 am PT

Another day, another few dozen firings at Time Inc. The Time Warner publishing unit let more than 30 people go from its Essence and Entertainment Weekly titles yesterday. That brings the total body count to about 250, which means that CEO Ann Moore still has a long way to go before she gets to her rough target of 600 job cuts this year.

Cuts Coming to Condé Nast, Too. Portfolio Gathers the Troops for All-Hands Meeting.

in Media on October 30, 2008 at 9:15 am PT

Time Warner’s Time Inc. won’t be the only magazine publisher making cuts this fall: Condé Nast is trimming its sails, too. The privately held publisher is reportedly telling every one of its titles to cut five percent from both its editorial and business ledgers, a number that MediaMemo hasn’t been able to confirm. But I can tell you that the staff at Portfolio, Condé’s business magazine, launched with equal parts fanfare and controversy last year, has been summoned to an all-hands meetings that should be starting … now. I’ll pass along more details as I get them.

New York Times Boss to Staff: Keep Up the Good Work, and We Probably Won’t Fire You

in Media on October 28, 2008 at 5:14 am PT

Here’s a nice summation of the state of newspapers today: A pep talk to a newspaper’s staff now consists of a pledge not to fire said staff. That’s what New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller told his charges yesterday, and even then he couldn’t make the promise ironclad.