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I Want Media, 01/02/03  It was the year in which several media CEOs were shown the door, the high-profile magazines Talk and Rosie were shut down, and both the Wall Street Journal and Greta Van Susteren unveiled dramatic facelifts. Yes, 2002 was an eventful year in media. Here is a brief look back at 2002's top media stories.
>> Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal correspondent, was abducted in January while reporting in Pakistan, and died at the hands of his captors. >> Bonnie Fuller, appointed the new editor of Us Weekly in February, quickly turned the title into the "hot magazine of the moment" and was named Editor of the Year by Advertising Age. >> The New York Sun, a new daily newspaper backed by Conrad Black and described as bringing a conservative approach to news in a city known for its liberal views, launched in April. >> Martha Stewart made headlines regarding her alleged involvement in the ImClone insider-trading scandal (and was voted I Want Media's 2002 Media Person of the Year). >> Talk magazine, after two years of publication, was shut down after Miramax and Hearst ended their financial support. Editor Tina Brown resurfaced later in the year with a popular column in the Times of London. >> Rosie O'Donnell pulled the plug on Rosie magazine following months of feuding with partner Gruner + Jahr over editorial control of the former 125-year-old McCall's. >> New economy magazines continued to fold as fast as many dot-coms: Yahoo! Internet Life, Upside, Forbes ASAP, Washington Techway. >> The New Yorker, which had been awash in red ink since it was acquired by the Newhouse family in 1985, recorded a net profit of just over $1 million in 2002. >> Hugh Hefner vowed to take a "step back from the explicit nature of the nudity" in Playboy as the magazine faced strong competition from soft-core lad mags like the hugely popular Maxim. >> The Wall Street Journal introduced color, new graphics and a Personal Journal section, marking the most significant overhaul of the paper's "iconic" design in 60 years. >> Greta Van Susteren raised eyebrows when she left CNN for Fox News Channel -- and surgically raised her own eyebrows and other facial features. >> Andrea Thompson, the actress-turned-anchor for CNN Headline News, resigned less than a year after her controversial hiring. CNN execs insist she wasn't forced out. >> Talks of a possible merger between CNN and ABC News were widely criticized by observers who described the proposed union as "belonging on the scrap heap of bad ideas" and "a matter of serious and crucial national concern." >> ABC didn't succeed in its attempt to lure David Letterman's entertainment show from CBS to replace its news program "Nightline." But the network was successful at stirring talk that broadcast news may be declining in relevancy. >> Top media execs Gerald Levin and Bob Pittman of AOL Time Warner, Jean-Marie Messier of Vivendi Universal, and Thomas Middelhoff of Bertelsmann left their jobs earlier than expected after betting too heavily on visions of digital convergence rather than focusing on the bottom line. >> The SEC opened an investigation into the accounting practices of AOL Time Warner after the Washington Post raised questions about how the company generated revenue through several unconventional deals. >> The founder of Adelphia Communications and two of his sons were arrested and charged with using the bankrupt cable-TV company as their "personal piggy bank." >> After a storm of criticism, NBC abandoned its plan to break the 54-year broadcast network ban on airing liquor commercials. >> In 2002, cable television outperformed broadcast, grabbing a higher aggregate share of the audience for the first time ever. >> Al Gore said that "some major institutional voices" are "part and parcel of the Republican Party," in reference to conservative media such as Fox News Channel, whose widespread popularity led it to be regarded as "the most powerful television news organization in the country." >> The New York Times reportedly strong-armed the Washington Post into selling its stake in the International Herald Tribune. The Times, as the sole owner, said it plans to make the paper part of its strategy to produce journalism in a variety of formats. >> The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times launched competing tabloids aimed at 18- to 34-year-olds, in an attempt to transform young audiences into regular newspaper readers. >> The Pentagon, which may allow hundreds of journalists to accompany front-line troops should the U.S. enter a war with Iraq, provided news staffers with a boot camp for combat familiarity. >> Journalists were nervous after Columbia University revealed it was developing software that could scan news and write lead paragraphs. The new Google News, an automated news summary, raised concern that "the day is approaching when editors can be replaced by computers." Meanwhile, MIT began work on a remote-controlled "robot reporter" that could be dispatched to the world's danger zones. >> Blogging, once a pastime for serious geeks, became increasingly popular with the masses in 2002. Blogs were credited for being among the first to latch on to an ABCNews.com news brief on Trent Lott's racist comments and kept focusing on Lott's past until the national press took notice. >> A defamation suit in Australia sparked by a story on the Web site of U.S.-based Barron's magazine raised fears that it could "render the Internet unusable as a vehicle for mass communication." >> AOL Time Warner announced a new strategy for America Online, in which AOL subscribers would get free access to exclusive Time Inc. magazine content and CNN video news clips. >> Cable operator Comcast acquired AT&T's cable systems and instantly became a media powerhouse, controlling fat communication pipes into 39 million homes. Comcast now wields unprecedented control over which TV channels and Internet services have access to U.S. households. >> DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics struck a deal with EchoStar that ended their plan to create a national satellite monopoly, freeing the TV service to talk with other suitors, such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. and John Malone's Liberty Media. >> A federal judge blocked the sale of Napster to Bertelsmann, a decision that forced the once-popular file-swapping service out of business. Other new technologies are still believed to be a threat to industry economics, such as TiVo and other personal video recorders. >> The New York Times stirred controversy with the revelation that its editors killed two columns that differed with the paper's editorial stance favoring women as members of a men-only golf club. >> Dow Jones & Co. faced a revolt from its unionized employees, who lobbied for a shake-up of the company's board and diminished powers for CEO Peter Kann. >> TV pioneer Roone Arledge, chairman and longtime president of ABC News and creator of "Monday Night Football," died in December. >> Following the worst advertising downturn in decades, the ad marketplace is showing signs of improvement, with a full recovery due in 2004, according to industry forecasters. >> READ "TOP MEDIA STORIES OF 2001" >> ROUNDUPS OF THE YEAR IN MEDIA Media Predictions for 2003: The State of the Media Media Post, Friday, 01/17/03 The line between news and advertising will get fuzzier, and only a handful of IT trade magazines will remain in print by July. Big Media Licks Wounds From 2002 Hollywood Reporter, Wednesday, 12/31/02 Investors with significant holdings in the stocks of big media companies are counting their losses. Media: The Start of Something Big? Business Week, Tuesday, 12/30/02 The expected advertising recovery may bring investors back to media stocks. Layoffs: Hang On in '03 Broadcasting & Cable, Monday, 01/06/03 Layoffs in TV, radio, publishing and other media outlets dramatically slowed in 2002, but that doesn't mean jobs are safe quite yet. Media Company Execs Head List of 'Worst Managers' AFP via Yahoo!, Saturday, 01/04/03 Gerald Levin, Dan Brewster and other top media execs headed up Business Week's list of the "worst managers" of 2002. Moguls! Scapegoats! Insiders! Fortune, Monday, 02/03/03 Rupert Murdoch and Barry Diller are among the media figures included in Fortune magazine's list of "People to Watch" in 2003. For 2003, Media Sector Fomenting Rebellion Los Angeles Times, Sunday, 12/29/02 Will AOL Time Warner will bid farewell to chairman Steve Case? Will Viacom see a shakeup at the top? The Balance of Media Power Is Poised to Change New York Times, Monday, 12/30/02 "This will be the most important year since the passage of the Telecom Act seven years ago," says one regulatory analyst. Sneak Peek 2003: Media, Marketing & Entertainment Forbes.com, Thursday, 12/19/02 "Unlike 2002, which was pretty quiet, there will be some major M&A deal activity in 2003." Big Changes on the Horizon for Media Industry in 2003 Electronic Media, Monday, 12/30/02 With transactions expected to move into high gear, one investment banker is fantasizing about a Viacom-AOL Time Warner combo. New Leaders Emerge in Media After Stormy 2002 Reuters, Friday, 12/20/02 Tech savvy media execs, such as MTV's Tom Freston and AOL Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes, could see their stars continue to rise. Some Companies Stand Out in the Battered World of Media New York Times, Monday, 12/16/02 Companies likely to do better in 2003 are those with stable management, like Viacom and News Corp. Media Companies to Watch in 2003 CBS.MarketWatch.com, Friday, 12/13/02 While media firms are praying that forecasts for an advertising boost pan out, the industry is also fretting about a possible war in Iraq. Who Will Make Big News in 2003? CBS.MarketWatch.com, Friday, 12/20/02 Mel Karmazin, Michael Eisner, Martha Stewart and Steve Case are among the media people to watch in the year ahead. Cable TV Networks Seen Major Media Focus in 2003 Reuters, Friday, 12/13/02 CourtTV, Comedy Central, AMC, SciFi and USA Networks are among the "juicy assets" that could be for sale in 2003. For Cable Networks, 2002 Was Solid Year Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, 01/01/03 Lifetime was the most-watched basic cable network in 2002, while Fox News Channel recorded the most sizable year-to-year gains. From Anna to Ozzy and All the Busts, Bumps and Breakthroughs in Between Chicago Tribune, Wednesday, 12/31/02 The Chicago Tribune takes a chronological look at the year that was in television. 2003 Predictions For Online News Biz Editor & Publisher, Wednesday, 12/18/02 The rush to fee-based online content will slow as the economy picks up and online advertising grows. Best (and Worst) of Online Media in 2002 Online Journalism Review, Wednesday, 12/31/02 Major newspaper Web sites continue to use pop-up ads for now, ignoring the complaints of many readers. Top Online Journalism Stories of 2002 CyberJournalist, Thursday, 12/19/02 Blogging became mainstream, charging for content made a comeback, more broadband users got their news online. 46 Media Workers Lost Their Lives in 2002 Canadian Press via CNEWS, Monday, 12/30/02 Many journalists and other media workers were killed in the past year, according to a new report. Newspaper Outlook 2003 Editor & Publisher, Wednesday, 01/08/03 Many industry questions involving advertising, readership, diversity and convergence were left unsettled last year. Publishers to Watch Rising Expenses in 2003 Editor & Publisher, Thursday, 12/19/02 Most newspaper publishers are pledging to keep head counts level while rooting out efficiencies. 2003 Outlook: Publishing New York Post, Wednesday, 01/01/03 Maer Roshan's Radar magazine and Anna Wintour's spinoff of Teen Vogue will be among the closely watched launches. Forecast '03: STILL Afloat Folio, Wednesday, 01/01/03 Analysts expect an increase in magazine M&A activity, but business is expected to remain tough for trade publishers in 2003. min magazine Names the People and Magazines 'To Watch' in '03 min-Press Release, Monday, 10/21/02 Keep your eye on FHM, Popular Science and Fast Company magazines, and people such as Michael Kelly, Elizabeth Crow and Michael Clinton. The Glossies Awards Folio, Wednesday, 01/01/03 Referring to Us Weekly editor Bonnie Fuller as an "evil genius" is meant as a compliment, insists Folio's Simon Dumenco. So How Was 2002 For You, Media? Let's Say Pungent New York Observer, Monday, 12/23/02 Jim Seymore is named Best Editor in Limbo; Tina Brown earns Best Comeback; Us Weekly closing later than Time is called Funniest Trend. New Yorker Kudos; AOL Time Warner Catcalls New York Post, Monday, 12/25/02 The New York Post's Media Ink column makes its picks for Persons of the Year. Media Person of the Year I Want Media, Wednesday, 01/01/03 I Want Media's poll names Martha Stewart as media's most influential figure in 2002.
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