On the media front, there is a bit of good Pacer-related news. Team owner Herb Simon has rescued the venerable Kirkus Reviews from extinction. Hooray!
The book review publisher and former sister publication, Editor and Publisher , were slated for shutdown by Nielsen Co. as it abandoned the trade press. A voracious reader and big fan of KR, Simon decided to put his money where his loyalty lies. In a statement, Simon says due to the rise of e-books and e-reading devices nobody has a good fix on the future of publishing. Turmoil however creates opportunities and Simon's "love of books" makes him want to be part of the solution for the book publishing industry.
Simon is keeping the editorial team of editor, Elaine Szewczyk, and managing editor, Eric Liebetrau, in place. Good luck to them and hats off to Simon for salvaging the 77-year-old property.
It's been a banner day for the media. Word has arrived that Ted and Rupert have buried the hatchet, and not in each other's backs. Bloomberg reports that CNN founder Ted Turner has made peace with News Corp. boss Rupert Murdoch.
Turner, who famously challenged the Aussie to a boxing match, recently treated Murdoch to a bison burger at Ted's Montana Grill. The "Mouth of the South" told students at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta that he penned Rupe a congratulatory note in which he said the Wall Street Journal is "at least as good as it was before he bought it."
Classy, indeed.
Turner and Murdoch's reconciliation should inspire all in the medialand. Perhaps Murdoch's Fox News will make nice with President Obama. How about Sarah Palin patching things up with Dave Letterman?
Who knows, maybe Duncan McIntosh, the boating/fishing magazine publisher that rescued E&P from Nielsen's chopping block, will find slots for the former heart and soul of E&P, editor Greg Mitchell and ace reporter Joe Strupp. They were jettisoned by the owner of FishRap last month.
(Image via Sports Business Daily)