Sally Quinn Trims Her Inbox

Based on this internal Washington Post email chain sent to FishbowlDC, looks like Sally Quinn would rather not know about which Washington Post folks are doing TV ... and whether things are spelled correctly. From: Sally Quinn To: [lots of Washington Post emails we've removed from this post] When: 01/27/2009 10:53 AM Subject: Re: THE RUNDOWN- January 27, 2009 Ease ake me off your email list Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry What was she responding to? After the jump... From: "Molly Gannon" Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:07:02 -0500 To: (more redacted emails) Subject: THE RUNDOWN- January 27, 2009 THE RUNDOWN- January 27, 2009 Today's top Industry, Tech and Business news. WP IN THE NEWS 8:05 am MSNBC Morning Joe, Columnist Eugene Robinson on political news of the day (Nebraska Ave) 10:40 am MSNBC, Polling Director Jon Cohen on the new Post-ABC News poll on Obama's stimulus plan 11:20 am NewsChannel 8, National Reporter Carol Leonnig on the effects of D.C.'s unsafe drinking water on children 12:30 pm MSNBC, National Reporter Perry Bacon on the opposition to Obama's stimulus plan 12:55 pm Telemundo, Sports AME Emilio Garcia-Ruiz report 1:30 pm FOX The Live Desk, Dot-com White House Reporter Chris Cillizza on political news of the day 1:45 pm MSNBC, Dot-com White House Reporter Chris Cillizza on The Next 24 3:20 pm WTOP, Retail Reporter Ylan Mui on the National Retail Foundations 2009 Superbowl survey 4:40 pm MSNBC, Financial Reporter Neil Irwin on the recession causing massive layoffs -UPI--Fannie Mae taps $16B in bailout funds--The mortgage giant Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) says it will seek to tap up to $16 billion in previously approved U.S. Treasury bailout funds. The move, announced Monday, marks the first time the government run mortgage firm has requested to dip into the $100 billion each that federal officials pledged last year to keep it and its sister firm, Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE), afloat, The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) reported. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/27/Fannie_Mae_taps_16B_in_bailout_funds/UPI-53861233063537/ -AP (via WTOP.com)--Developer plans bid for slots license in Anne Arundel --A Baltimore-based developer plans to bid on a slot machine gambling site in Anne Arundel County. David Cordish, chairman of the Cordish Cos., told The Washington Post on Monday that the company will definitely apply, competing with Laurel Park race track for what will likely be the most lucrative license Maryland will award. http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1585781 -United Press International--Mounting layoffs escalate costs--A Congressional proposal to shore up federal unemployment benefits with an additional $43 billion may not be enough, a U.S. economist said. The U.S. unemployment rate is 7.2 percent and appears to be climbing. In Michigan and Rhode Island, the unemployment figure has topped 10 percent, The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) reported Monday. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2009/01/27/Mounting_layoffs_escalate_costs/UPI-86201233062536/ -CBS News--On Closing Guantanamo--Following President Obama's announcement Thursday that he would close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year, the new administration has fielded criticism from some wondering about the fate of the remaining hundreds of detainees, some of whom have been held at the prison for years without charge or trial. The Washington Post also reported this morning that, following the inauguration when the incoming administration was finally able to gain access to documents pertaining to the detainees, Obama officials found that case files for many of the prisoners are non-existent, incomplete, or are scattered across several agencies, making it even more difficult to ascertain what (if any) case might be brought against them. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/25/ftn/main4752148.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_4752148 -NY Times--Dudley Is Said to Be Chosen as New York Fed President--William C. Dudley, an aide to now-Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, has been officially chosen to succeed his old boss as the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, according to news reports. Go to Article from The Washington Post: http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/dudley-is-said-to-be-chosen-as-new-york-fed-president/ -NASDAQ--Nearly two-thirds of the federal economic stimulus plan will make its way into the economy by 2010, according to a recent report. Stimulus plan offers long and short term spending--In the short term, the tax cuts in the stimulus package may account for a good portion of the spending. The Washington Post cited CBO analysis which found that less than half of the money budgeted for infrastructure projects would be spent by late 2010, out of a total of $356 billion. "Throughout the federal government, spending for new programs has frequently been slower than expected and rarely been faster," the Post cites the CBO report as saying. http://www.nasdaq.com/newscontent/20090127/Stimulus-plan-offers-long-and-short-term-spending.aspx?storyid=18993835 -MSNBC First Read--First 100 Days: Heading To The Hill--The Washington Post says yesterday's White House action capped "a week of widespread changes aimed at reversing the legacy of George W. Bush. In his first seven days in office, Obama has banned the use of controversial CIA interrogation tactics, ordered the closure of the U.S. military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and begun planning for the drawdown of troops in Iraq. He also imposed stringent limits on lobbyists, unveiled an $825 billion stimulus plan, and ordered a halt to any last-minute rules and regulations put in place by his predecessor." http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/27/1762222.aspx -MSNBC First Read--Blago Watch: Trial Vs. The View--The Washington Post's Milbank snarks, "Rod Blagojevich may be about to lose the 'gov' before his name, but the man's entertainment skills are unimpeachable." http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/27/1762214.aspx -Real Clear Politics--Economic Stimulus--The Congressional Budget Office released its report on the Democrats' stimulus bill, stating that it would produce a "noticeable impact on economic growth and employment," the Washington Post reports. "That would fall short of President Obama's goal of pushing at least 75 percent of the cash out the door over the next 19 months to create millions of jobs and ease the effects of what many economists say will be the longest, deepest and most painful recession since the Great Depression." http://www.realclearpolitics.com/politics_nation/2009/01/strategy_memo_obama_on_the_hil.html -Real Clear Politics--Is Virginia For McAuliffe?--According to the Washington Post, estimates of what he could raise and spend in this campaign range upwards of $80 million. While McAuliffe aides have tried to tamp that number down, it's probably in the ballpark of the possible. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/is_virginia_for_mcauliffe.html -USA Today The Oval--The Washington Post -- Obama's orders aim to reverse Bush's legacy: "In his first seven days in office, (President) Obama has banned the use of controversial CIA interrogation tactics, ordered the closure of the U.S. military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and begun planning for the drawdown of troops in Iraq. He also imposed stringent limits on lobbyists, unveiled an $825 billion stimulus plan, and ordered a halt to any last-minute rules and regulations put in place by his predecessor." Still, "Obama and his aides are also facing a stark reality: Rolling back eight years of the Bush administration is not going to happen overnight." http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/01/61951144/1 -Deadspin: WaPo's Mike Wise Delivers Another Revealing Profile-- "DeShawn Stevenson moved closer, toward the image of Darryl C. Stevenson. He looked for a resemblance, but the mug shot disappeared too quickly." [Washington Post] http://deadspin.com/5138816/wapos-mike-wise-delivers-another-revealing-profile -Brightest Young Things: DC News You Can (Maybe) Use-- MCCXXIII (1223 to those not into roman numerals) Is Dead. Long Live 1223. If you are an overly tan, open bar happy hour loving, shiny shirt wearing (wo)man, this will make you really, really sad. (links to GOG) http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/i-heart-dc/dc-news-you-can-maybe-use-4/ -DCist: MCCVDMII MCXXDVCIV That Club Closed Down-- MCCXXIII, a club whose name I type differently every time I write it, has closed, reports the Going-Out Gurus. Rents just got too high downtown. I wonder if that's true everywhere. Now that President Obama has taken office and started filling jobs with the people who helped him get there Clinton people, Stetson's on U Street has been restored to the glory it enjoyed during its heyday in the 90s. It might feel as though the Bush administration never happened on U Street, but you can be sure that isn't the mood in Georgetown. With Democrats ascendant, who will stay up on the right to drink those late-night shots? When will our young Republicans get back into the swing of things? http://dcist.com/2009/01/mccvdmii_mcxxdvciv_that_club_closed.php INDUSTRY -NY Times: William Kristol's Column in the Times Ends-- William Kristol, the conservative columnist, and The New York Times have quietly ended their relationship after little more than a year, the newspaper said on Monday. A single sentence printed below Mr. Kristol's weekly column in the Monday issue broke the news: "This is William Kristol's last column." His column itself made no reference to his departure, and the paper did not release a statement. Also Monday, The Washington Post announced that it had hired Mr. Kristol to write a monthly column and contribute to its opinion blog, PostPartisan. "It was mutual agreement," Andrew Rosenthal, the editorial page editor, said of the change. "We discussed this before the election, and decided that we would end now." As for whether The Times would find another conservative voice for its Op-Ed page, Mr. Rosenthal said: "Sadly, I can't answer that question, except to say stay tuned. We have some interesting plans." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/business/media/27kristol.html?_r=1&ref=media Daily Beast Cheat Sheet: http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/bill-kristols-new-gig/second-starts/ -WSJ: Layoffs at Fox Interactive Media-- News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media digital division is laying off about 5% of its work force, or about 100 people, amid continued cost-cutting efforts, according to a person familiar with the situation. The cuts, which started in the last month, are happening gradually unit by unit, the person said. The layoffs include all groups from social networking site MySpace to photo-sharing site Photobucket to mobile. (News Corp. owns Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal.) "I can confirm that several of the groups within FIM are eliminating some jobs and repurposing others," a FIM spokesman said in a statement. "This is part of a larger effort we're making to put FIM in the best possible position to succeed now and, more importantly, to emerge even stronger once the markets recover. It's important to note that we continue to hire in many areas." While layoffs are widespread across the media business, the digital sector has been seen as one of the few bright spots in the industry, as advertisers are expected to shift dollars to the Web from traditional media. The layoffs at FIM show that even high-growth areas of the media business aren't immune to broader economic woes. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/01/26/layoffs-at-fox-interactive-media/?mod=rss_WSJBlog?mod = -NY Times: BBC Assailed for Refusing to Carry Gaza Appeal-- In more than 80 years as a publicly financed broadcaster with an audience of millions at home and around the world, the BBC has rarely been buffeted as severely as it has in recent days over its decision not to broadcast a television appeal by aid agencies for victims of Israel's recent military actions in Gaza. BBC executives made the decision late last week and defiantly reaffirmed it on Monday, citing their concern with protecting the corporation's impartiality in the Arab-Israeli dispute. The dispute stirs high passions here, and the BBC, like other news organizations, has struggled uneasily for years to strike a balance, even as some critics claim it has tilted heavily toward Israel and others claim it has favored the Palestinians. The three-week Israeli campaign in Gaza that ended nine days ago had already elicited a fresh barrage of complaints about BBC bias, for and against Israel. But the decision to block the aid appeal had the effect of magnifying the protests, and their virulence. The decision has met with angry criticism from Church of England archbishops, editorial writers and senior British government ministers, as well as sit-ins at the BBC's London headquarters and its broadcast center in Glasgow. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/world/europe/27britain.html?ref=media -WSJ: Media Group Weighs U.K. Newspaper Sale-- In an effort to shore up the finances of his heavily indebted media group, Irish entrepreneur Sir Anthony O'Reilly announced a recovery plan Monday that could involve the sale of one of the U.K.'s national newspapers, the Independent. Shares in Sir Anthony's company, Independent News & Media PLC, rose sharply Monday after it said it was planning a number of moves to raise cash, including selling assets and issuing a bond. In a statement, the company said it will "focus on eliminating any loss-making businesses." A person familiar with the matter said those businesses could include the Independent, a left-leaning tabloid. Independent News & Media, which Sir Anthony built into a global competitor over more than three decades, recently has been struggling to reduce its heavy debt burden. By May, the company must come up with â‚¬200 million ($260 million) to pay off one of its loans. An initial plan to raise the money by selling its 39.1% stake in APN News & Media Ltd., an Australian media company, has been shelved because the credit crisis made it hard to find able buyers, Independent News & Media said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123300780131917045.html -Media Post: GateHouse, New York Times Co. Settle Copyright Suit-- In a case closely watched by online publishers, The New York Times Co. agreed to settle a lawsuit by GateHouse Media by removing headlines and first sentences of GateHouse articles from Boston.com. A preliminary version of the settlement, filed with the court Sunday on the eve of trial, also provides that Boston.com will respect GateHouse's technological measures designed to stop the "copying of any original content." The three-page preliminary settlement between Boston.com and GateHouse provides that Boston.com can still link to GateHouse stories. Neither side is paying monetary damages, but the settlement is viewed as more favorable to GateHouse than the Times. "In my mind, this is GateHouse getting everything it wants," said David Ardia, director of the Citizen Media Law Project. He added that the resolution could affect a broad swath of online media companies that link to others' articles. "Media properties are going to ask: 'How did GateHouse and the New York Times work it out?'" Ardia said. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=98929&Nid=51588&p=462539 -Media Post: Time Inc. Digital Hires Ex-Yahoo Exec Cisneros-- Former Yahoo executive Bettina Cisneros has been named vice president of marketing and sales development at Time Inc. Digital. As director of marketing at Yahoo, Cisneros developed brand marketing and communications programs for the business-to-business marketplace. She also created strategies and programs to provide cross-network media solutions for some of Yahoo's largest advertisers. "Time Inc. is a magnet for some of the best leadership talent in the media industry," said Kirk McDonald, president of Time Inc. Digital, in a statement. "Bettina's experience will help us harness the power of Time Inc.'s digital assets, including Web sites that attract more than 26 million unique visitors each month, so we can continue presenting advertisers with innovative and effective programs that deliver substantial reach in content-rich environments." The digital unit has undergone a management shakeup since Time Inc. announced that it would lay off 600 staffers last October and reorganize its magazine business into three divisions. McDonald himself became president of Time Inc. Digital only last November following the departure of Ned Desmond, the long-time head of Time's interactive efforts. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=99120&Nid=51588&p=462539 TECH/ BUSINESS -WSJ: Could Skype Be for Sale?-- The Web has been buzzing with speculation that eBay may be looking for a buyer for Skype, the online communications service that the company bought in 2005 for $3.1 billion. Some analysts have been calling for eBay to shed Skype for years, given the seeming disconnect between Skype's core business of online phone calls and eBay's core business of online auctions. The latest turn in the speculation came last week, when eBay's chief executive John Donahoe, speaking with analysts about fourth quarter earnings, dubbed Skype a "great stand-alone business." He continued, "the synergies between Skype and the other parts of our portfolio are minimal. We're going to continue to run and operate the business. It's not a distraction currently. And at such time when we have further announcements on that, we'll let you know." Speaking with the Journal after that earnings call, Mr. Donahoe certainly talked up Skype's qualities, noting that it had become a $550 million business with excellent operating margins. Skype is "getting more valuable by the day," he said. He also said that eBay wasn't going to "force" any synergies between Skype and its auction business. Still, though, he said he had no news to report on a potential sale. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/01/26/could-skype-be-for-sale/?mod=rss_WSJBlog?mod = -AP: Verizon's Earnings Rose 15% in Quarter-- Verizon Communications, the telecommunications company, said Tuesday that its earnings increased 15 percent in the fourth quarter, as the shrinking economy did little to dampen consumer appetites for wireless, Internet and TV service. The company said it earned $1.24 billion, or 43 cents a share, up from $1.07 billion, or 37 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding charges mainly for job cuts, earnings were 61 cents a share, matching the expectation of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Revenue rose 3.4 percent to $24.6 billion from a year ago. That fell slightly short of analyst expectations at $24.74 billion. Verizon Wireless added 1.4 million subscribers, slightly down from the 1.5 million it added in the third quarter. It ended the year with 72.1 million customers, putting it in second place after AT&T. But Verizon Wireless closed on the purchase of Alltel on Jan. 9, giving it more than 80 million customers and vaulting it to first place in the U.S. cellular industry. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/technology/companies/28verizon.html?ref=technology -LA Times: Netflix attracting more subscribers through streaming video-- Netflix showed little sign of the economic slowdown that's been nailing other companies this corporate earnings season. But it attributed its fourth-quarter jump in revenue, profit and subscribers to a surprising factor: surging popularity of its online video streaming service. The movies-by-mail service said today it added 718,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter, far more than analysts had expected, bringing its subscriber base to nearly 9.4 million. Netflix expects the number to reach 10.6 million subscribers within the next three months, even as other parts of the entertainment business contract because of the recession. "It's very clear that streaming is energizing our growth," Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings said on a call today with analysts. Hastings said the company's streaming business was propelled by connection with devices from LG Electronics, Samsung and Microsoft that offer Netflix's "Watch Instantly" service. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/if-you-stream-i.html -Media Post: MySpace Extends Conversations 365 Days Per Year-- The days of sending holiday letters to update receivers about the year's events has transformed into portals in social media platforms. Social media also gives brands the opportunity to continue the conversation with consumers every day during the year, according to MySpace executive Angela Courtin, who gave one of the keynotes at OMMA Social Monday in San Francisco. Keeping the conversation active is one of several discoveries that MySpace has perfected during the past five years since the company was founded. Consumers want self-expression, positive change and fun, said Courtin, MySpace SVP of marketing, entertainment and content. As use shifts to social media, it's no longer a race to build a destination--but rather constellations that connect, she said. Consumers have become curators as MySpace developed a model that lets people have a unique fingerprint online to share things they love, from books and music to people. Consumers not only share intimate details about themselves, but plug in advertisers they hold close to the heart, too. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=99126&Nid=51588&p=462539 -Media Post: Hulu Buys Super Bowl Spot-- The NBC/News Corp. Hulu video site will get one of the biggest marketing platforms ever for the Internet video site: this Sunday's Super Bowl to add on NBC. The company issued a press release announcing the media buy. Analysts note that the Super Bowl has had a price tag of $3 million for a 30-second spot, although the price tag has dropped in recent days, according to reports. Given NBC's partial equity interest in the Internet video channel, it isn't known what--if anything--Hulu has paid to secure the commercial placement. Executives note that the buy will be the first apparent purchase of a Super Bowl commercial for any Internet video site. In regard to the creative, a Hulu release would only say it would focus on revealing "the secret behind Hulu. We look forward to chatting with you further after air this Sunday." http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.san&s=99136&Nid=51586&p=462539 INTEREST -NY Times Bits: Problems With Your Checking Account? Try Twitter-- Jimmy Fallon, Shaquille O'Neal and Erykah Badu have all jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. Add to that listâ€¦ Bank of America? According to a blog post on the company's Web site, the bank opened up shop on Twitter last week. "We are now listening AND responding to customers on Twitter," it said. "We are entering a new territory. A place that is not familiar to many in financial services â€” but a place with tremendous opportunity." San Francisco-based Twitter, which allows people to post updates, or "tweets," up to 140 characters in length, is catching on at some large corporations that are looking to try out social media as a way to improve customer service and public opinion of their brands. For example, Starbucks dishes out updates on special offers and nutritional and store information using Twitter. The online retailer Zappos, Comcast and Southwest Airlines have also created official accounts on Twitter to interact with consumers and respond directly to complaints. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/problems-with-your-checking-account-try-twitter/ -NY Times: Senate Approves Digital TV Delay-- The Senate voted on Monday to delay next month's transition to digital television until June 12 because some viewers would not be ready for the switch. The voice vote followed a call by President Obama's administration to postpone the Feb. 17 date for major TV stations to stop sending traditional analog signals. Similar legislation awaits action in the House on Tuesday. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia who leads the commerce committee, said last week that he had reached agreement with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, the top Republican on the panel, on the legislation. Some Republicans had opposed a delay, saying it would cause confusion by changing a long-planned date. A federal program to subsidize digital equipment that some viewers will need has fallen short of money, and last week the government reported a waiting list of 1.4 million households. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/business/media/27digital.html?ref=media -USA Today: Mattel gives Barbie online dream house-- Playtime with Barbie is about to get a virtual makeover. Toy company Mattel is revamping the online presence for its popular brands â€” including the iconic Barbie and, for boys, Hot Wheels â€” with expanded playable, customization and networking features on the new Mattel Digital Network. The changes, to begin rolling out this spring, will create "an online destination for the kid in all of us," says Chuck Scothon, the network's general manager. "It will provide a great play experience, whether virtual or extending the physical play experience." And the upgrade will help Mattel keep pace with its competition online. Other brands such as Disney, LEGO and Hasbro have added features that aim to keep children connected with their sites â€” and products. "There is a battle is for kids' eyes on the computer," says Warren Buckleitner, editor of Children's Technology Review (childrenssoftware.com). These days, companies need "a smart strategy behind their toys that does things like keep track of a child's age and recommend or suggest (products), whether obviously or subliminally." http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-01-26-mattel-website-main_N.htm

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