Mediagazer: CBS's Showtime Said to Test Putting Shows Online (Andy Fixmer/Bloomberg)

6:20 PM ET, May 10, 2010

Top News:

Nat Ives / AdAge:

Magazines' Pitch to Marketers: Our Ads Will Work — We Promise — Time Inc. Works With Starcom MediaVest to Guarantee Performance Results, or Run Make-Good Advertising — NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Magazines have always promised their advertisers a certain number of paying readers.

Discussion: New York Observer, Gawker, FishbowlNY and Media Buyer Planner

Evan Smith / The Texas Tribune:

T-Squared: The Six-Month Stats — Last week we celebrated our six-month birthday (it's not too late to send a card — or a gift). It seems like only yesterday, blah, blah, cliché, blah — but, actually, it does seem like only yesterday that the Trib went live, even if doesn't feel like it (ow, my aching lack of sleep).

Discussion: Romenesko, eMedia Vitals and Fitz & Jen

Mike Shields / Mediaweek:

Huffington Post Gets Down to Business — The Huffington Post has enjoyed meteoric traffic growth since launching five years ago, and buzz to match. Now it's time for the site's business side to catch up. — Industry veteran Greg Coleman, who became the site's chief revenue officer last September …

Discussion: Romenesko, New York Observer, CJR and The Wire

David Kaplan / paidContent:

EW Scripps Classified Declines Slow; Online-Only Ad Revs Soar — Like most newspaper companies, EW Scripps (NYSE: SSP) is seeing a hint of light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to cost-cutting efforts, the Cincinnati-based company slimmed its net losses to $880,000 ($.02 cents a share …

Discussion: rbr.com, Editor & Publisher, digiday and FishbowlNY

JSOnline:

Instant replay: Alleged yo-yo champ dupes TV shows — Kenny Strasser, who either lives in Antigo or Neenah or maybe somewhere else, says he a yo-yo champion, loves talking to schoolchildren and wants to save the Earth. — He's been divorced twice, doesn't have any kids, and has personal issues with members of his family.

Discussion: Deadspin

David Carr / New York Times:

The Media Equation: Reuters Insider, Like YouTube for Traders — For half an hour last Thursday afternoon, CNBC was the most exciting place on television. Watching Erin Burnett and Jim Cramer try not to freak out — they acquitted themselves nicely — while the market tumbled like a drunken rag doll …

Discussion: WebNewser, Beet.TV, Media Decoder, Bloomberg, paulconley, NewTeeVee and Wall Street Journal

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Media Notes: one editor's balancing act on the high wire of modern journalism — Rupert Murdoch insisted that the Wall Street Journal delay publishing the news that he had just fired its top editor. — “Tell them to hold it until we have a signed deal,” Murdoch told a top aide.

Discussion: Romenesko

Brian Steinberg / AdAge:

Viewer-Engagement Rankings Signal Change for TV Industry — So Many Viewing Options Make Determining Which Shows Drive Fans' Interest More Important — NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Imagine a day when the top 10 TV shows include cult hits such as “Chuck,” “Better Off Ted” and “Heroes,” …

Discussion: NewTeeVee and Company Town

Andy Fixmer / Bloomberg:

CBS's Showtime Said to Test Putting Shows Online — CBS Corp.'s Showtime is developing an online video service for subscribers, according to a person with knowledge of the plans, joining rival cable channels that are seeking to reach customers away from TV sets.

Discussion: paidContent, NewTeeVee, Mashable! and Engadget

Ed Pilkington / Guardian:

‘Rupert will do anything’ — The acerbic Vanity Fair columnist and Murdoch biographer is not shy of making personal attacks on those in the business. But he was left shaken by the consequences of rattling Rupert's cage — Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be at the receiving end …

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, New York Observer and New York Magazine

Laura McGann / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Forbes new tool tracks advertisers' corporate reputation — Get past advertising. It's a commodity — and who wants to buy a commodity? But a service — that's a different story. — That's how Bruce Rogers, chief brand officer for Forbes, says the magazine is thinking these days.

Bloomberg:

Advertising Rebound Means CBS, News Corp. Weigh Dividends — News Corp., CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. are weighing dividend increases or share buybacks as an advertising rebound spurs cash flow, after media companies cut back during the U.S. recession. — CBS may boost its quarterly dividend 60 percent …

Hitsville:

The case against non-profit news sites — It's understandable that journalists shocked at the financial state of their industry would at some point think about a non-profit business model. — Behind the cynicism of most reporters lies a romantic streak, for one.

Discussion: Runnin' Scared