Variety

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 12:44am on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Army Archerd, who wrote a column for Variety for over 50 years starting in 1953, has died at the age of 87, the newspaper reported on September 8, 2009:

"Showbiz has lost one of its defining voices, one who honed his craft in the bygone era of close-knit Hollywood and evolved through the many iterations of the industry.

Army Archerd, who became an industry institution and beloved figure in his more than half a century at Daily Variety, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He had a rare form of mesothelioma cancer, thought to be the result of his exposure to asbestos in the Navy during WWII. He was 87.

Archerd was one of the first writers to link AIDS to a celebrity when he wrote a piece detailing, amid denials from the actor’s publicists and managers, that Rock Hudson was undergoing treatment for AIDS.

For 47 years, Archerd was the official greeter of the Academy Awards, serving as emcee and interviewer of stars on Oscar’s red carpet."

The full story:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118008272.html?categoryid=2492&cs=1

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 2:38pm on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Is Sarah Palin the next star of cable TV news? Variety writer Ted Johnson thinks so:

"In the days since she announced her resignation as Alaska's governor, Sarah Palin's decision has remained a source of mystery, speculation and debate. But there's little doubt that she'll have a future in the cable news universe, if that's what she desires.

Even before last year's presidential election, TV producers and packagers speculated that, should she be freed from the constraints of elective office, she'd be a big "get" as the host of a Fox News show or even a daytime syndicated yakker. When she made her bombshell announcement on Friday, one theory was that she had been made an "offer she can't refuse" from some TV network."

The full story:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005671.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=bd_tv

Eric Kallgren    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 2:09pm on Monday, April 6th, 2009

Peter Bart, Variety's legendary and longtime editor-in-chief, has been pushed upstairs and replaced by Tim Gray, according to a Variety report on April 5, 2009:

"Peter Bart will assume a new role as vice president and editorial director of Variety, it was announced by Tad Smith, CEO of Reed Business. In his new position, Bart will report directly to Smith, assisting him in furthering Variety's editorial mission in print and online and expanding the brand's position in new revenue streams.

Bart also will continue to contribute his weekly column as well as his blog and serve as Variety's ambassador in public venues, on television, on the web and at industry events.

"Bart has managed Variety's staff and news operations for twenty years and we have long had an agreement in place that, at the 20-year mark, he would move on to new responsibilities," Smith said. "With this in mind, Tim Gray was named editor several years ago."

Gray, Variety's editor, now assumes the responsibilities for the news operation, reporting to Neil Stiles, president of Variety."