'Gold Derby' Is Going Solo

The LA Times' popular entertainment award blog "Gold Derby" and its founder and editor Tom O’Neil are branching off from the Times' site. A new blog will launch under its own Gold Derby banner on November 1st. O'Neil will continue to write for the Times' "The Envelope" entertainment blog, where Gold Derby was formerly housed. Press release after the jump: LOS ANGELES - October 6, 2010 – The Envelope, the entertainment awards insider from the Los Angeles Times, will team with GoldDerby.com’s founder and editor Tom O’Neil to broaden The Times entertainment portfolio when GoldDerby.com re-launches as a stand-alone destination on Nov. 1st. For the past five years, The Times has licensed O'Neil’s Gold Derby blog, which provided multimedia punditry for The Envelope. He will continue in his role as a regular Envelope contributor for the upcoming awards season, posting to a new, yet-to-be-unveiled blog and writing for the print editions, while also overseeing the return of GoldDerby.com. The revamped and re-established Gold Derby site, which can be accessed via TheEnvelope.com, is wholly owned and operated by Tom O’Neil and The Times will exclusively handle advertising sales. "The entrepreneurial spirit has struck. I’ve been wanting to expand upon my original concept of focusing on the horse race and bring gaming, multimedia elements and user-generated content into the mix,” said O’Neil. “I’m excited that The Times supports this expansion while continuing to include my commentary in The Envelope and I hope you’ll tune-in as I ramp up the odds-making in the process.” "The Envelope and GoldDerby.com complement one another, yet have distinct identities," said The Times Assistant Managing Editor, Arts & Entertainment, Sallie Hofmeister. “We are pleased to renew our relationship with Tom O’Neil and continue to have his GoldDerby as a notable feature in The Envelope’s line-up of news, interviews, awards analysis and red carpet happenings.” O'Neil will be editor-in-chief of GoldDerby.com while Paul Sheehan resumes the role of executive editor that he held during the site's original run. He will be supported by a team of longtime Gold Derby fans who’ve proven their prognostication abilities, including Chris "Boomer" Beachum, Rob Licuria, Matt Noble, Darrin "DoubleD" Dortch and David "Guru" Schnelwar. They'll be joined by frequent contributors like Andrew Pickett, Matthew "Boidiva02" Cormier and others. All views will be translated into racetrack odds for the turbulent and ever-changing awards season. GoldDerby.com will also pool award predictions from scores of media experts, many of whom contributed to the original site and feature video interviews with Oscar contenders. At its peak in 2005, the site showcased the Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award forecasts of more than 45 journalists from Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, New York Daily News, New York Post, Hollywood Reporter, Premiere, People, Us Weekly, TV Guide and E! Entertainment. "The marketplace for The Envelope’s entertainment awards news, hot predictions and red carpet coverage has proven insatiable and we are delighted to provide our advertisers the expanded portfolio our deeper relationship with GoldDerby.com offers," said John O’Loughlin, Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President of Advertising & Marketing, Los Angeles Times. "Advertisers want to be a part of the excitement and reach the industry insiders and award junkies we attract." The Envelope, launched in 2005, is the indispensable source for comprehensive entertainment awards reporting, analysis and red carpet coverage. In print, online and at its events – the highly successful Envelope Screening Series and Roundtable discussions – The Envelope provides an in-depth look at major awards categories, the festival circuit, casts, crafts and industry luminaries. Its renowned Buzzmeter also provides predictions from The Times editorial staff and a stable of media experts nationwide and Ministry of Gossip is "the gospel on celebrity and pop culture."

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'Gold Derby' Is Going Solo

Matthew Fleischer

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Matthew Fleischer