The head of Tribune is defending his running of the Los Angeles Times, telling community leaders that the company has made improvements at the paper over the six years it has owned it, the newspaper reports. In a letter to former Secretary of State Warren Christopher and 19 other prominent Angelenos, Dennis FitzSimons said the Chicago-based company was spending a larger share of its revenue on the Times' editorial operations than Publisher Otis Chandler did during "what many refer to as the 'golden age' of the newspaper." He was responding to a letter from the group that backed executives who have so far refused to make staff cuts, as demanded by their Windy City masters. That showdown could intensify later this week. That's when the Tribune's board meets and could decide the fate of the company's 11 newspapers and 26 television stations, as it faces pressure from its largest shareholder to break up the company. Read the whole story...

The "Free to Be" marketing push from new broadcast network the CW features phrases like "Free to Be Fierce," "Free to Be Super" and "Free to Be Funny." But considering the channel's willingness to offer up every conceivable facet of its multi-platform network, perhaps the lasting slogan might be ""Free to Be Commercial." The CW--the first broadcast network to launch since its predecessors, the WB and UPN, did in 1995--will be flush with advertisers, pulling in $650 million in upfront commitments. The CW also has deals with a handful of top brands that make them founding charter advertisers. Buyers say an effort to push them beyond the realm of the 30-second spot was a big help. "They are trying to be a partner," says Andy Donchin, director-national broadcast at Carat, who cut a pact with CW for Pfizer. "They're trying to be creative to help sell our products, and help us rise above the clutter." Read the whole story...

To reach the often elusive college market, some advertisers have decided to sponsor free movies on campus. As part of the package, messages are plastered on pre-event publicity and at the venue. One company, Alloy Media + Marketing, likes to screen major motion pictures just prior to wide public release. This provides a free venue for college students "to hang out and experience a brand new film and fits the idea of a product launch," says Alloy vp Samantha Skey. Youth Media & Marketing Networks (Y2M) is also in the business, but it favors classics and films tied to DVD releases. The Alloy program has an option of product demonstration and sampling, and Skey notes that the screening "creates an organic sampling platform." Read the whole story...

With newspapers expanding political coverage on their Web sites, some of the most effective and entertaining use of their Internet editions thus far has been links to political ads. Big dailies like The New York Times and The Washington Post have been screening such ads for effectiveness and accuracy for years, but only recently have actual moving images been put online. Now, at least three dailies are offering readers a chance to view them via their Web pages. "If you are into political ads, you can just park there and watch," says John Harris, national politics editor of the Post, which now boasts almost 100 of them. "You can see what the ads are and come to some conclusions," he adds. The ads are seen through the Post's own Web files, links to candidate sites, and via YouTube.com. Read the whole story...

NBC Universal hopes to double revenues from overseas TV film and digital activities in the next few years, citing the appointment of Peter Smith to the job of president of its international business. Smith, who is currently in charge of NBC's Universal Pictures International division, told the Financial Times: "It would be nice to see the business double in size over the next three or four years, but we've not put a specific target on it." The broadcaster, part-owned by Vivendi Universal, now generates one-fifth of its revenues from outside the U.S. However, Smith says they want to create opportunities to grow it faster "and then articulate that to the rest of the group." The first step is to expand broadcast activities via both new and existing channels, but he also sees opportunities to produce more local content--alone and/or with partners. His goal is to expand digital distribution initiatives quickly. Read the whole story...