Al Gore's Current TV, the cable network aimed at the so-called "Internet generation," went live Monday to some 20 million U.S. households. The network, which is the brainchild of the former Vice President and the attorney/entrepreneur Joel Hyatt, has enlisted viewers in the much-desired 18-34 demo to contribute self-generated content that's meant to give Current a hipster TV news magazine vibe. Thus far, about 25 percent of Current's programming has been submitted by the audience; the lion's share is put together by network staffers and third-party professionals.

General Motors Corp. has resumed corporate advertising in the Los Angeles Times more than three months after withdrawing its ads from the paper in a dispute over coverage of the company. GM pulled its ads in April after a column by Times automotive critic Dan Neil called on the automaker to oust Chief Executive Rick Wagoner. At the time, GM executives said they had concerns beyond Neil's column but declined to publicly air them.

For Budweiser, it looked like a match made in heaven. So America's top-selling beer tied the knot with "Wedding Crashers," paying a product-placement fee to be featured in the current box office champ and then ponying up millions of dollars for its first major movie promotion in 14 years. But then the Marin Institute, a prominent alcohol industry watchdog group, decided to do some wedding crashing of its own, alleging that even though the movie is rated R, the Budweiser tie-in encourages underage drinking because the movie's racy subject matter and its two stars -- Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn …

The Wall Street Journal reports that Murdoch and his adult children are clashing over this split of the Murdoch family trust, which owns a controlling 28.5 percent stake in the media conglomerate that Murdoch runs. That trust is now worth a reported $6.1 billion in both voting and non-voting stock, according to the report.

New Knicks coach Larry Brown will spend most of his nights stalking courtside at Madison Square Garden, but he's likely to make an impact on Madison Avenue as well.

You open up your favorite celebrity magazine. Russell Crowe is looking good in a photo spread about his Australian ranch -- especially in the shot of the dead kangaroo he's strapping to the roof of his Lexus LX 470. Flip a page, and there's an article about a hot New York eatery; a photo shows a Lexus SC 430 parked in front. Coincidence? No way. This hypothetical magazine is chock-full of product placements for Toyota Motor Corp. Its luxury division is asking several national magazines to use Lexus vehicles to illustrate stories in "groundbreaking" ways, said Deborah Wahl Meyer, Lexus …

Two months ago, General Motors rattled the ad world by consolidating its estimated $3.2 billion planning and buying account at one agency: GM Planworks, a unit of Publicis Groupe's Starcom MediaVest Group. Then last month, GM was in the spotlight again for cutting its upfront TV budget. Betsy Lazar, the auto giant's director of media operations explains the reasoning behind those moves, how she sees the media landscape shifting and why branded entertainment is a critical piece of the company's future marketing strategy.

The sale of naming rights to and advertising on the Chicago Skyway and other city assets could hold the key to a reprieve for Chicago taxpayers. The roster of possible assets include everything from airports, libraries and water filtration plants to police and fire stations and vehicles, the 911 emergency center, bridges over the Chicago River and even Lake Shore Drive.