ABC Television Group president sent out a memo this morning telling everyone to face the "harsh reality of having to eliminate jobs." ABC News is laying off 35-40 staffers, in a move rumored for months. One source tells us cuts will come mostly in New York (with some in LA), largely in the marketing/ research/ sales departments.
TVNewser reports that 60 open positions also won't be filled, and they have the extremely vague memo announcing the cuts. If you know more details, email us.

Fashion Week Daily reports OK! editor in chief Susan Toepfer was dismissed today, just a few months after taking over for Sara Ivens at the second-rate tabloid weekly. A number of OK! staffers have been cut as well, although additional layoffs are expected in the coming days. [The Daily]

The Baltimore Examiner is closing 30 months after it launched because of low revenues. The Examiner chain of free papers will keep its San Francisco and Washington editions going. Memo below:

President Obama is okay and everything, but why is he always touching everybody? That hurts! Remember when he put his hand on that Politico reporter's shoulder? Now Politico has brought in the FBI:

Congressional Quarterly is profitable. The company that owns it also owns the St. Petersburg Times, which is less (or un-)profitable. So the company is selling CQ to shore up the declining paper. Is that bad?

Who says the magazine industry is doomed? The debut issue of Capital Style is coming out on February 23rd, and it promises to cover everything from "fashion" to "local boutiques" to "new trends" to "hot new restaurants." Okay, so it's only covering those subjects in Central Ohio. Whatever. We're totally taking this as positive news anyway. [Capital Style]

Melissa Lum, accessories editor of shopping rag Lucky "quit shopping." She encourages you to continue to do so, however. [Beautiful Stranger]

So much media news already this Wednesday, but there's more(!): WaPo Book World's gone, Super Bowl parties are canceled, and Reader's Digest's brutal recession memo:

Rod Blagojevich's hilarious media tour has succeeded! Sure, he'll still be kicked out of office tomorrow, but now everyone in America loves him!

With the steady crumbling of Conde Nast, you have to wonder how long their chairman, Si Newhouse, can hang tough. Great media baron families like his are a dying breed.

The raft of rumors we received this morning have been confirmed: Conde Nast is folding Domino magazine. It won't be the last to go.

• Fourth-quarter profits at the New York Times Co. were down nearly 50 percent compared to a year ago; the company also announced that it has retained Goldman Sachs to sell its 17 percent stake in the Red Sox. [NYT]
• More on Condé Nast's decision to close Domino. [NYT]
• Because there isn't enough choice with the 364 different iterations of HBO you already have, another premium cable channel is headed your way. [WSJ]
• How al-Arabiya got the first post-inauguration interview with Obama. [Time]
• Hurry up! There are only two spots left for the Super Bowl on Sunday. You can make the $2.4 million check payable to NBC. [THR]

NYT Co. ending monthly financial updates. Less bad news!

Congratulations to Self magazine, for Conde Nast CEO Charles Townsend naming its publisher the company's Publisher of the Year! But when you look at the numbers, you see just how sad this award really is:

Feeling depressed because the recession and the internet are both killing the book publishing industry, and hurting your hopes for the big literary contract you deserve? Just self-publish! Every other jerk is.

The New York Times Co. released its fourth quarter financial results this morning. They are bad, bad, bad, and apparently without any upside on any front anywhere. Observe:

WWD reports that Condé Nast has decided to shut down the shelter title Domino. The staff was informed of the news this morning. [WWD]

How does Julia Allison make money? It's an eternal question. We already know she can live in her "office." And now a Nonsociety intern has illuminated another revenue stream: full-time asking for free stuff!

Useless middle managers, desperate to stay busy and avoid layoffs, are coming up with ever dumber corporate responses to the recession. We will discover and mock them all, with your assistance.

During the campaign, the polite and respectable liberal media steered clear of all the "Obama is a secret Muslim!1!!" stuff. Now he's given his first TV interview as president to Al Arabiya. Who loses?