In your servile Thursday media column: the scoop on Steve Bartelstein, the Singapore Judiciary blows, Eric Holder's willing to help newspapers die slower, which is good, because nobody wants to pay much for one:

Yesterday it was reported that WCBS anchor Steve Bartelstein had abruptly quit his job for unclear reasons. Now we know why, straight from Steve Bartelstein: "I'm leaving because I've been promoted several times, and yet, no raises, despite anchoring more hours then our noon and 6pm anchors. I'm leaving mainly because I'm waiting for a paycheck that this week is now a WEEK late." He's not sure if he's taking a break or out of the TV biz forever, but either way, he should still get his last check, yes?


A Singapore court has fined a WSJ editor $6,500 for "unwarranted attacks" on the Singapore Judiciary in editorials in the paper. Man, does the Singapore Judiciary suck a big donkey dick or what? USA.


Fantastico, US atty. general Eric "Marijuana is my middle name" Holder says that he is in fact open to the idea of jiggering with antitrust laws to help the dying newspaper industry, an idea championed by Nancy Pelosi as well as every newspaper owner in America. "I think that we need to have a healthy, vibrant newspaper industry, and I don't mean just online," Holder said, right after he said he loves to read the news "on my computer and iPhone and all that." Eric Holder is the problem and the solution.


One report puts the price that a private equity firm paid for the San Diego Union-Tribune as just "a little more" than $15 million. That's damn near nothing! Probably the reason that the CEO of the Washington Post is selling off millions of dollars worth of his stock in the company. But maybe all the rich people at Microsoft would like to buy the New York Times? "No,'' said Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer, outside the McGraw-Hill Building in Manhattan this morning. "Not ‘no comment.' No." Hey man, you could have said that in a nicer way.