• The Wall Street Journal has the Times in its sights. The paper is hiring a dozen reporters to cover local news and will launch a NYC edition next year. [NYT]
• As expected, a big round of layoffs at Time Inc. is underway. [Gawker, NYT]
• Harvey and Bob Weinstein may be looking to buy back the Miramax name from Disney now that it's being disbanded. That's the rumor anyway. [Wrap]
• Bloomberg plans to make BusinessWeek "bigger, glossier, and more international." Oh, and it may start charging for access to the BW site. [MW]
• The Oscars will have two hosts: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. [LAT]

With DVR's zipping through commercials, advertisers are struggling to get viewers to see what amazing products viewers should be using. If we're not watching commercials, how can we possibly know that Stride® gum lasts so indelibly long?

You people always have something slick to say about our ads. You think you're so fucking smart? You figure out the ads, then. We'll just sit here while you work for free. Uh, we mean...Do the Dewmocracy™!

It's hard to believe that there is actually an inventor of product placement; like swine flu, it always seemed just nature's dark side. But someone thinks he did in fact invent it and is willing to sue to prove it.

David Spade had his sniveling say about the DirecTV commercial he did with Chris Farley's ghost. Now, one of the guys who wrote the commercial writes a fair, reasonable blog post about his intentions. Okay. But he ends with this:

When you think "Esquire's Greatest Achievements in Its 70+ Years of Design Innovation," you think "Hidden ads on the cover" and "That other weird flashing electronic cover gadget." Until this new doohickey!

I believe this is a 1929 ad for ExtenZe. [Copyranter. Click to enlarge.]

After much deliberation, Microsoft has decided against sponsoring the upcoming Family Guy special, 'Seth MacFarlane's Holocaust Incest Tampon Hour.' They join an illustrious list of Family Guy haters.

Our ad sales team fell for a malware scam. Sorry if it crashed your computer.

David Spade, a real human with a real human heart, is so wounded by the criticism of his new ad "starring" his dead pal Chris Farley that he's come forth with a heartfelt statement from his flack.

The trustees of the estate of Chris Farley agree: The deceased beloved portly comedian would really enjoy DirecTV, were he not dead and all. Also, David Spade is available for kids' birthday parties and cheap blowjobs. Sleazebags.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore met recently.

This year, Conde Nast hired McKinsey, folded several magazines, and instituted across-the-board budget cuts and layoffs. Clearly, the fancy days are over. Right? No, says the company. This is just a temporary blip.

Andrew Adam Newman reports: Corporations are helping you, the consumer, learn that your butt could probably use a little wet wipe down there, if you know what the corporation is saying.

Procter & Gamble is bravely helping women in Singapore overcome the cultural taboo associated with menstruation. Its marketing campaign empowers women to understand that periods are nothing to be ashamed of. That's why they named their product "Whisper." [WSJ]

The prestigious Cannes advertising awards won't ban agencies for making ads like this.

American Apparel ads raise unimportant questions: Can they get banned in the UK again, on purpose? Are buttocks economically superior to cocksuckers? And why are these fishnetty things everywhere now? Don't neglect your local sex shop. [Copyranter. Click to enlarge]

Not only does Google AdSense pay badly, it can wreck your unemployment benefits. The State of New York cut one woman's benefit checks and told her running the ads was "self employment." AdSense earned her $1.30 per day. [TechDirt] (Pic)