NBC Picks Neil Patrick Harris to Host New Variety Show
By BILL CARTER
The network is planning 10 episodes of a music/comedy/sketch show, based on the long-running British series “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.”
A Funeral as Big as the Names His Paper Covered
By PETER BAKER
Jim Lo Scalzo/European Pressphoto Agency
Quinn Bradlee, son of Benjamin C. Bradlee, at his father's funeral.
The royalty of politics and media made their way to the Washington National Cathedral to celebrate the life of Benjamin C. Bradlee, the former Washington Post editor.
The Media Equation
Ben Bradlee’s Charmed, Charming Life
By DAVID CARR
Most journalists are bystanders who chronicle the exploits of people who do things. But the man who helped run The Washington Post for 26 years actually did things.
Marvel Unveils an Ambitious Roster of Films, With a Bit of Diversity
By BROOKS BARNES
Nine films will be released through mid-2019, and include the Black Panther — an African superhero — and Captain Marvel, featuring a superheroine.
David Gregory to Join Katie Couric for Election Special on Yahoo
By RAVI SOMAIYA
It is expected to be the first on-air appearance for Mr. Gregory since he was replaced as host of NBC’s “Meet The Press” in August.
Free Broadband for Public Housing in New York Sought as Condition in Comcast Deal
By EMILY STEEL
A group of New York politicians is lobbying Comcast to provide the free broadband as a condition for its proposed $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable.
Rich Ross Named as President of the Discovery Channel
By EMILY STEEL
Mr. Ross, a longtime Hollywood executive, will take the reins of a nonfiction network, home to programs like “Naked and Afraid” and “Fast N’ Loud.”
Her Job Split in Two, Veteran Times Executive Opts to Leave
By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY
Denise F. Warren, one of The New York Times Company’s top executives, is leaving the company after 26 years.
Matt Taibbi Is on Leave Only Months After Joining First Look Media
By RAVI SOMAIYA
The Wall Street critic is said to have clashed with his bosses, who hired him to run a magazine on the financial system and the politics supporting it.
Losses but Optimism at Martha Stewart Living
By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY
The company reported losses at all of its divisions, but said that digital advertising revenue had grown slightly for its publishing division.
CBS Orders Full Seasons for All Four of Its New Dramas
By BILL CARTER
The network has ordered additional episodes of “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Scorpion,” “Madam Secretary” and “Stalker.”
Jian Ghomeshi, CBC Radio Host, Is Fired in Sex Case
By IAN AUSTEN
Mr. Ghomeshi, the former host of “Q,” contends the sexual acts were consensual and is suing the Canadian Broadcasting Company, claiming breach of confidence.
Ratings for the World Series Remain on the Low Side
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Game 4 on Saturday had an average of 10.7 million viewers, and Game 5 on Sunday had an average of 12.6 million.
DealBook
Regal Entertainment Says It’s Considering a Sale, Sending Shares Up
By MICHAEL CIEPLY
Regal, the largest domestic theater circuit in the United States, said it had retained the investment bank Morgan Stanley to help it explore “strategic alternatives.”
How Facebook Is Changing the Way Its Users Consume Journalism
By RAVI SOMAIYA
Facebook uses mathematical formulas to predict what its users might want to read on the site, from which, a study says, about 30 percent of adults in America get their news.
Wikipedia Emerges as Trusted Internet Source for Ebola Information
By NOAM COHEN
The encyclopedia’s main Ebola article has had 17 million page views in the last month, rivaling pages from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. Inquiry Sought in Police Treatment of Press at Ferguson Protests
By NOAM COHEN
A report by the PEN American Center cited police interference with journalists, including holding reporters in areas that denied them access to the protests, and accusations of threats and assaults.
Egyptian Media to Limit Criticism of Government
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and MERNA THOMAS
A group of Egyptian newspaper editors pledged to limit their criticism of state institutions, after Egypt’s president warned of a “conspiracy” behind a militant attack last week.
For The Hartford Courant, 250 Years in Print
By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY
The paper published its first issue on Oct. 29, 1764, a one-page edition of what then was called The Connecticut Courant.
The Upshot
Americans Don’t Live in Information Cocoons
By BRENDAN NYHAN
A study was widely read as saying that liberals and conservatives get their news mainly from like-minded sources, but the truth is more complicated.
F.C.C. Delays Auction of TV Airwaves for Mobile
By EDWARD WYATT
A lawsuit challenging the sale said that the commission’s initial rules would cause some stations to lose some of their coverage area and viewers.
NBCUniversal to Settle Suit Over Unpaid Interns
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NBCUniversal will pay $6.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by unpaid interns who worked on “Saturday Night Live” and other shows.
DealBook
Roku, Video Streaming Service, Is Said to Consider I.P.O.
By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED
Founded in 2002, Roku has become one of the most popular makers of set-top boxes that let consumers stream Internet video onto their TVs.
Open Source
Iranian Photojournalist Reportedly Detained After Covering Protest Against Acid Attacks
By ROBERT MACKEY
Arya Jafari was reported to have been detained over his images of protesters deploring acid attacks on women in Isfahan.
AMC Networks Acquires a Stake in BBC America
By EMILY STEEL
The transaction brings together two television groups that attract affluent audiences.
Rebekah Brooks, Former British Tabloid Executive, Exploring Work in U.S.
By RAVI SOMAIYA
Ms. Brooks, who left Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper empire after a phone hacking scandal, is said to be talking to News Corporation in New York.
Donald Pels, 86, Dies; Media Executive Saw Cellphone Future
By STEVE LOHR
Mr. Pels, whose early investment in cellphone networks paid off for his company and for himself, had become a major philanthropist in his later years.
A Comcast Executive Raises Doubts About Streaming Services
By EMILY STEEL
Stephen Burke, the NBCUniversal C.E.O., said he was surprised by announcements last week that HBO and CBS would start subscription streaming services.
CBS Says James Corden Will Start as ‘Late Late Show’ Host in March
By BILL CARTER
The British comedian is succeeding Craig Ferguson, who ends his 10-year run on Dec. 19. In between, there will be guest hosts.
In Reversal, Barnes & Noble Executives Say Store Will Remain in the Bronx
By WINNIE HU
Executives said the bookstore in the Bay Plaza in Co-op City will remain open for at least two more years.
Unbuttoned
The Branding of Julian Assange
By VANESSA FRIEDMAN
WikiLeaks now has a commercial arm with licensing deals around the world.
Dr. Nancy Snyderman Encouraged to Take a Break From NBC News
By BILL CARTER
The medical journalist has finished her 21-day Ebola quarantine, but has been told by the network’s news president to return to work next month.
Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Carries High Hopes
By BEN SISARIO
The music industry eagerly awaits the first-week sales of Taylor Swift’s new album, “1989,” as CD sales continue to slump, and Ms. Swift moves farther away from country music.
DealBook
Ello Enshrines Ad-Free Status in Charter and Raises $5.5 Million
By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED
The budding social network Ello is reincorporating as a public benefit corporation whose charter forbids it from using ads or selling user data to make money.
NBC Is Ready to Name Weir and Lipinski as Its Top Figure Skating Broadcast Team
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, whose analysis drew praise during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, have earned an expected promotion to the lead team for the sport on the NBC Sports Group.
Bloomberg Hires Joseph Weisenthal, Business Insider’s Executive Editor
By RAVI SOMAIYA
Mr. Weisenthal, who has built a devoted following at Business Insider, where he writes up to 15 articles a day, will lead a markets and finance site at Bloomberg.
Fantasizing on the Famous
By ALEXANDRA ALTER
“After,” Anna Todd’s wildly popular web novel based on Harry Styles of the boy band One Direction, is being published as a book.
Bits Blog
Amazon Kindle Voyage, a High-End E-Reader That Beats Hardcovers
By FARHAD MANJOO
The Voyage’s main trick is a high-resolution display that is on par with the high-resolution displays now found on most of our other mobile devices.
Bits Blog
Amazon Strikes Deal With Simon & Schuster
By DAVID STREITFELD
Amazon has reached a deal with Simon & Schuster, one of the Big Five publishers, while the retailer’s battle with another publisher, Hachette, grinds on.
Spotify Introduces a Family Discount for Music Streaming
By BEN SISARIO
The streaming service, which sells online access to 20 million songs, will let subscribers add up to four accounts at half the usual price.
Gannett Reports Big Rise in Profit Fueled by TV Revenue
By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY
The company said its net income in the third quarter grew 48.6 percent, year over year, aided by political advertising.
Tribeca Enterprises and Lionsgate to Team Up on Subscription Video
By BROOKS BARNES
The new service, which is expected to start by June, will emphasize a curated selection of films intended for an art house audience.
The Media Equation
Facebook Offers Life Raft, but Publishers Are Wary
By DAVID CARR
The company has suggested that publishers could simply send pages to Facebook that would live inside the social network’s mobile app.
From the Magazine
My Captivity
By THEO PADNOS
In 2012, Theo Padnos was kidnapped in Syria by the Nusra Front. After months of beatings and torture, he was certain he would be executed. Instead, he lived to tell this tale.
Advertising
Seeing a Value in Simplicity
By STUART ELLIOTT
The 2014 Global Brand Simplicity Index ranked brands for how simple they were to use and understand, a quality of rising popularity among consumers and marketers.
Advertising
Touch of Levity in a Campaign for Gun Safety
By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is encouraging parents to ask other parents if there are guns in their homes before letting their children play there.
Advertising
Telling Urbanites to Flee the Cities
By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
The outdoor retailer the North Face has a new campaign encouraging city dwellers, among whom its jackets are already popular, to take part in outdoor activities like biking and mountain-climbing.
A Tech Twist on Home for the Holidays
By STUART ELLIOTT
The growth of marketing efforts for connected-home items is fueled by consumers’ appetite for new technology.
Advertising
Helping Parents Deal With Learning and Attention Issues
By JANE L. LEVERE
Fifteen nonprofit groups conducted research that led to a new website to help parents better understand these issues and a campaign to promote the site.
Advertising
P.R. Group’s Soul-Searching Leads to Shifts in Strategy
By STUART ELLIOTT
The Council of Public Relations Firms plans to adopt an informal name, the P.R. Council, and promote the benefits of public relations to senior executives of client companies.
Advertising
At Ogilvy, New Unit Will Mine Data
By STUART ELLIOTT
Searching for data-driven decision-making, Ogilvy & Mather is pooling its data executives in a unit called OgilvyAmp.
Advertising
Whole Foods Asks Shoppers to Consider a Value Proposition
By STUART ELLIOTT
The market chain is trying to reignite sales growth and fend off increased competition by promoting the social values it follows in stocking its shelves.
Advertising
New Stetson Cologne Reaches Out Through Gallantry
By JANE L. LEVERE
Caliber, a new cologne from Stetson, is marketing itself with a contest on the “new rules of chivalry.”
Advertising
Autumn Is in the Air, but for Marketers, Christmas Has Already Begun
By STUART ELLIOTT
In the last few years, Christmas campaigns have started earlier as retailers and marketers, worried about an uncertain economy, seek to gather their rosebuds — and holiday shopping dollars — while they may.
Advertising
New York’s the Place to Be, an Agency Says
By STUART ELLIOTT
The agency, 72andSunny, the Agency of the Year in Advertising Age and Adweek, is coming to New York.
Stanley Chase Dies at 87; Gave New York Macheath
By PAUL VITELLO
Mr. Chase went on to become a prolific producer of theater, film and television drama, with credits including a vast roster of popular series like “The Fugitive” and “Peyton Place.”
Advertising
Specialists in a Changing America
By STUART ELLIOTT
Eight independent agencies and companies that create ads aimed at minority, multicultural, urban and youth markets are coming together.
Advertising
Cascadian Farm ‘Bee Friendlier’ Effort Enlists Public to Help Protect Insects
By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
Cascadian Farm, an organic brand owned by General Mills, is encouraging consumers to plant wildflowers to provide a healthful environment for bees.
Advertising
Five Bands Join for Album to Help Combat Mental Illness
By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has enlisted five groups to create original music for the album “#IWillListen.”
Looming Even Larger Off the Court
By SCOTT CACCIOLA
Shaquille O’Neal, the former N.B.A. All-Star, has earned millions by promoting a wide variety of products, such as jewelry and soda.
Advertising
Technology Titans Lead Ranking of Most Valuable Brands
By STUART ELLIOTT
Four of the top 10 brands on the 2014 Interbrand Best Global Brands list are technology brands.
Advertising
A Whisper Campaign Started Over the Virgin Group’s New Hotels
By JANE L. LEVERE
The campaign features a spot illustrating conveniences aimed at millennial and Generation X business and leisure travelers.
Advertising
New Whirlpool Ads Feature Scenes of Thankless Tasks
By ANDREW ADAM NEWMAN
A campaign by an appliance company acknowledges the monotony of domestic duties.
Advertising
A Week of Plenty for the Ad Industry
By STUART ELLIOTT
The 11th annual conference, held in New York, was chock-full of 300 official events, additional unofficial events and many late-night receptions and parties.
Advertising
At Ad Week, a Push to Make Diversity a Reality Beyond Conference Discussions
By STUART ELLIOTT
Calls for more diverse advertising agencies have become common at the conference, but many at this week’s edition reiterated that not enough had been done to bring women into the industry’s work force.
Advertising
Irreverence, and Youth, Reign at Celebrity-Studded Ad Week
By STUART ELLIOTT
Organizers are using celebrities, improvisational comedy and other elements intended to engage those attending the annual Advertising Week in New York.
From Opinion
Op-Ed Contributor
Breaking the Law to Go Online in Iran
By SETAREH DERAKHSHESH
Top officials enjoy what they deny to their citizens: social media.
Most Wanted
Popular Demand
Twenty-six percent of all smartphone users have expressed an interest in paying for goods and services using their mobile phones. Almost 40 percent of people who shop at J. Crew are ready to pay by phone, as are a substantial number of customers at lower-end retailers like H&M (33.4 percent) and Chuck E. Cheese’s (32.3 percent).
Stuart Elliott's In Advertising
Campaign Spotlight
Before There Was Grumpy Cat, There Was Morris, 9Lives Reminds Consumers
By STUART ELLIOTT
The cat food brand has reintroduced Morris the cat through a campaign that takes advantage of social media while emphasizing the roots of the character.
Q. and A. With Stuart Elliott
By STUART ELLIOTT
A reader is underwhelmed by a Whole Foods campaign, and more on “twin ads.”
Webdenda
Accounts and People of Note in the Advertising Industry
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
George Washington University hired Tribal Worldwide as its first digital media agency of record, and Anheuser-Busch chose LatinWorks for a Mexican beer campaign.
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