"NewsStand" Closes Up Shop. CNN's "NewsStand," a nightly newsmagazine that touched on entertainment, financial analysis, and hard news, has been cancelled. The network
has cut the show's 10 p.m. slot in half, featuring instead a news broadcast with anchor Bill Hemmer and the political talk-show "The Spin Room," respectively. The cancellation
comes as CNN implements sweeping changes to streamline its newsgathering operation and better integrate its Web and broadcast channels. The company recently announced plans to lay
off 400 employees. (Sue Binford, CNN News Group, 404/827-3380)
New Mag Faces the Music. Dennis Publishing, creators of Maxim, that soft-core monthly that litters the bathrooms of bachelors everywhere, is launching a music
publication. Blender will sing a different tune than competitors Spin and Rolling Stone, trading pop-culture puff and political insight for a "hard-core focus
on music," says spokesman Dennis Kerr. Heavyweights Malcolm Campbell (longtime Spin publisher) and Andy Pemberton (former editor of Europe's widely-selling Q
magazine) will lead the show. Four issues of Blender are planned for this year, the first to appear in late spring. Adds Kerr, "You're not going to see articles about
what's in Al Gore's pants." Um, darn.
(Andy Pemberton, Dennis Publishing, 212/302-2626)
Order in the Court. Some TVpundits predicted "Court TV" wouldn't outlast the O.J. trial, but our nation's fascination with all things litigious has kept it a staple
channel for most basic-cable plans. On February 16 Court TV will premier "Hollywood at Large," a program exploring crime and justice as it is reflected in popular books, film,
and TV. It will also give testimony to high-profile law suits and celebrity clashes with the law. Robert Downey, Jr. alone will no doubt provide enough material for several
seasons.
(Frederika Brookfield, Court TV, 212/692-7867)
Plastic.com Recycles Business Model. Investors may be fleeing dotcoms
faster than rats from a sinking ship but that didn't stop Automatic Media from
launching yet another new content site last week. Plastic.com follows on the
heels of the company's other sites, Feed, Suck, and AltCulture. Like its predecessors,
Plastic.com relies on a small editorial staff to manage and cultivate postings
from Web visitors, who discuss everything from the Ashcroft Senate hearings
to "Kiss" bassist Gene Simmons. Low overhead and dynamic communities will help
Plastic.com keep a teflon skin as more dotcoms die, says VP of business development
Matt Goldberg.
(212/334-7592)