TNT Group, of the United Kingdom, is about to launch a magazine targeting London-based readers of the eight Eastern bloc countries that joined the European Union in May of 2004. According to a report in U.K.'s MediaWeek, a trade publication, more than 175,000 Eastern citizens have moved to the U.K. in the last 20 months, chiefly because of their greater earning power there. The new magazine, titled Fusion, will debut in February and will be distributed free throughout central London. "The mindset of English businesses has changed dramatically in the last six months and we have created a vehicle to …

Amid abundant evidence that it remains in a struggle for relevance in a fast-changing ad and consumer market, TV Guide, published by Gemstar-TV Guide, has named a new publisher. Peter Haeffner, who had previously been eastern sales director of the magazine, also has experience as a onetime ad director of Meredith Corp.'s Better Homes and Gardens. After years of flirting with the concept, TV Guide only last autumn transitioned from digest form to a full-size magazine, hoping to pick up newsstand readers while at the same time ditching its signature feature--detailed market-by-market program listings. The company also recently suffered the …

Ending speculation that he might sign with an all-news cable operation, Ted Koppel has agreed to a comprehensive deal with Discovery Channel, saying he would bring eight former Nightline staffers with him, including executive producer Tom Bettag. Koppel and company will produce at least six news programs a year for the cable channel, probably hour-long documentaries on serious topics. In explaining his decision, the former ABC newsman said he had also been in discussions with HBO, but in the end believed that Discovery was a better fit. As for the cable-news channels, Koppel said he never gave them a thought. …

Martha Nelson, the managing editor of Time Inc.'s People magazine, has been promoted to editor of a newly created unit called the People Group. She will be succeeded by Larry Hackett, who is currently deputy managing editor of the magazine. Nelson, who was brought to People from In Style, of which she was the founding editor, is widely thought to be a future candidate for the role of editorial director or editor in chief of Time Inc.  In her new position, she will oversee the People franchise as well as Teen People, People Espanol, a number of special editions …

With the hope of gaining more readers for its print edition, TheWashington Post has inked a deal that will bring its voice to local radio.  Washington Post Radio will be a joint venture with Bonneville International Corp., a Salt Lake City-based company that owns radio stations around the U.S.  At first--beginning in March--Post Radio will be heard exclusively in the Washington, D.C. market. No word on if or how it will expand.  "This is a wonderful opportunity for The Washington Post to encourage the radio audience to read more of the newspaper," said Boisfeuillet Jones Jr., publisher of …

Four months after the reorganization of Advance Magazine Group--now known as Conde Nast Publications--the president of Fairchild Publications has stepped down. Mary Berner, the dynamic president of Fairchild, which is now a unit of Conde Nast, said in her announcement that, "It's been an incredibly rewarding experience," but that "I want to run my own company again." It's generally believed that Berner was unhappy with the new hierarchical structure at Conde Nast, which had her reporting to Conde Nast CEO Chuck Townsend.

In launching two new half-hour programs this month, "Full Force of Nature" and "It Could Happen Tomorrow"--Wonya Lucas, executive vice president-general manager of The Weather Channel, says the company is hoping to hit viewers' "awe button." The new shows will join with "Storm Stories" to form a two-hour block of prime-time programming intended to help redefine TWC. "It's a delicate balance between expanding the definition of weather while still being reliable to viewers day to day who have come to expect something of you," Lucas told Ad Age. The introduction of a new prime-time block is described by TWC as …

With rumors swirling that Yahoo! may end up in some sort of deal with Microsoft, option investors are betting on additional gains in shares of the Web media company. According to Reuters, "Analysts said reasons for the heightened interest in Yahoo! call options ranged from recent rumors that software company Microsoft Corp. might be seeking to partner or merge with the Internet company, to bullish expectations for the company's upcoming fourth quarter earnings report." Rumors of a Yahoo!-Microsoft alliance have amped up since last month's announcement that Google would take a five percent stake in Time Warner's AOL unit. Microsoft …

The Magazine Marketing Coalition--which consists of more than two dozen executives whose companies work closely with the magazine industry--has selected Mullen as the agency to develop a campaign supporting magazines' marketing initiative. The campaign will target the advertising community and will roll out this quarter. "In today's interruptive media environment, magazines are perfectly positioned to shine as the medium whose advertising engages consumers and mobilizes them to act," said Nina Link, president and CEO of the Magazine Publishers of America in announcing the Mullen deal. "We look to Mullen... to help us communicate our medium's enduring appeal to consumers and …

Motorola, a laggard in the worldwide mobile-phone market until a year or so ago when it began offering a series of more appealing handsets, has announced a subscription radio service that it describes as "revolutionary." The company's iRadio, which will cost consumers just $7 a month, will "break the mold of competing radio services," according to a company statement. Unlike the more expensive satellite radio services (XM, Sirius), iRadio can be heard only on mobile phones, and it is dependent on the rapidly developing Bluetooth technology. That requires users to wirelessly download programming, which may be perceived as less convenient, …