In your gobsmacked Wednesday media column: a shining golden possibility for hundreds of media jobs, Richard Johnson scoots from Page Six, Current TV has a Bold New Plan, and Glenn Beck lives.

  • This story is so freaking amazing I simply do not know what to do with it except tell you that it is apparently real: Four public radio stations in big markets—NYC, Chicago, LA, and Minneapolis—are forming a coalition and planning to try to pull in enough money from donors to finance "regional 'public media' news operations [consisting of] 100 reporters and editors per market in four to six markets." In the near future. Bill Kling, the man behind the plan, says the jobs would be "in the six figures with full benefits," and estimates the cost at $5 million per market per year. In other words, in the event he can score $100 million or more in funding, there could be literally hundreds of new, well-paid journalism jobs in these markets in the near future. That would be incredible. For journalists who like money! Good luck to you and your crazy scheme, Bill Kling.
  • Richard Johnson is gone, at last, from Page Six. His successor, short Brit tab vet Emily Smith, declined to comment for her own profile in the Observer. She's off to a good start.
  • Current TV has a new strategy! A successful one, this time (fingers crossed). The new strategy: more investigative programming, and "a slate of scripted and reality shows in the first quarter of next year." And no more kidnappings of its staff (fingers crossed).
  • Glenn Beck is not dying. The effect this will have on his spiritual transcendence is unclear.

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