Jayson Blair is ready for his closeup. The disgraced New York Times reporter has hired an agent to scope out book and TV deals that could net him a mid-six-figure paycheck - way more then he ever would have seen working for the paper.

Nearly 100 House Democrats asked Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell Wednesday to publicly justify his agency's plans for overhauling media ownership restrictions before making the changes.

Magazines that boast more teen readers are more likely to run ads for beer and liquor that their young patrons aren't old enough to drink, a new study has found.

The cost of buying one advertisement during the final episode of Friends in the US will be $2m, making the commercial breaks the most expensive ever for a non-sports program.

Advertisers have said they would pull sponsorships from the more salacious types of reality shows, which sends a distinct message to programmers. Networks are responding by offering slates more heavily reliant on scripted programming.

The comedian and former talk show host, whose Rosie magazine lasted for a year and a half, will be a regular contributor to the gay and lesbian magazine The Advocate. Her first column appears in the May 13 issue.

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for April 28-May 4.

About $8 ½ billion will be spent this year to advertise on network TV, which has a declining audience, says Advertising Age editor Scott Donaton. "And the people who are doing this should be committed!"

A group of investors said Friday they want to start a television network aimed at the interests of an estimated eight million Muslims living in the United States.

There's one consolation that the Wall Street Journal can take from the 30-month pummeling it's suffered at the hands of advertisers: It would have been far worse had it not been for the Range Rover and Ritz-Carlton ads.