The CEO of the rather generic-sounding American Media Inc., Pecker oversees a collection of more than a dozen magazines and newspapers including the National Enquirer and Star.

We're not sure whether the rumors about American Media moving Star and its other titles down to Boca are true or not, but if so, it might be for the best. According to a someone who works there, the place is disgusting.

From our friends at the Smoking Gun comes news that a lawsuit filed by AMI chief David Pecker against a www.davidpecker.com — which houses porn ads — has been dismissed. Pecker apparently thought that since the site has the word "pecker" in it, he was entitled to the domain. HA! More interesting, though, are the documents from the decision that TSG dug up—particularly the way Pecker describes himself.

• Washington Post shrinking. Yes, yes, "tightening up the paper's news hole," is a funny phrase. [WaPo
  

WWD reports today that AMI editorial director Bonnie Fuller's juicy contract expires at the end of the month and has not yet been renewed. With AMI pinching pennies to the tune of sacking 5 Star staffers last week, some believe that there's no way in hell AMI chairman David Pecker will renew Fuller's contract for the $1.5 million she currently receives. In fact, Star's lackluster circulation has Pecker wanting to reduce her salary by much too much too much, dropping her Bonnie back down to the six-figure barracks:

The board of directors of American Media — the publishing company that brings you such joys at National Enquirer, Star, Bonnie Fuller, and a CEO named David Pecker — is meeting in New York today, and apparently there's all sorts of financial tension going on: New board members, problems with bondholders, even commercial flights (gasp!) for the execs. Of course, all this we had to learn from Nat Ives' Ad Age story on AMI. In the Post, we got no further than Keith Kelly's subhed:

• You can't even win in magazine publishing by appealing to the lowest common denominator, as tabloid king David Pecker is learning the hard way. [BusinessWeek]
• You can win, though, by appealing to the just-better-than-lowest denominator, as Jann Wenner — and his Us staff of the cool girls — has learned the fun way. [WP]
• OK! America has the Britney baby pix, allegedly. It's amazing what a little scratch can get you. [Access Hollywood via MSNBC]
• Oprah re-opens book club to works by contemporary authors. Jonathan Franzen is appalled. Then pleased. Then appalled again. [NYT]
• Economist gives free subscriptions to influential bloggers. We didn't get one, so take a guess who doesn't get a comments invitation. [Folio:]
• New weekend WSJ is a "spectacular bellyflop," says William Powers. Come on, tell us what you really think. [National Journal]
• "I'm a chiropodist," The Daily Show's Stephen Colbert tells his kids, according to the Times Mag. [E&P]

• American Media Inc. publisher David Pecker has been shelling out some hefty amounts of cash to suppress any negative coverage of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had signed on executive editor of AMI's muscle mags. Good thing tabloids or politicians don't really depend on ethics, or else this just might be scandalous. [Page Six]
• Hip-hop mogul Damon Dash complains about overexposure and Vogue editor Anna Wintour skips a day at the tents in favor of the U.S. Open? HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD?! [Lowdown]
• And, predictably, the crunchy furries at PETA have directed their ire towards the fur-bedecked Vogue queen. Golly, it must be Hate Anna Week. Someone should have told us. [R&M]
• You may find this hard to believe, but Baby Phat designer and medicinal marijuana activist Kimora Lee Simmons behaved like an "ogre" backstage at her Saturday night runway show. [Page Six]
• Pussy-loving actor Elijah Wood adores the Elijah Wood is Very, Very Gay website as much as we do! For once, we are actually proud of a celebrity. [Scoop]