The pitched battle between Lifetime Television and EchoStar Commmincations attained another unseemly public milestone yesterday when a clutch of prominent women's organizations took out newspaper display ads criticizing the satellite company for the way in which it dumped Lifetime--the women's channel--a couple of weeks ago. Among those who endorsed the anti-EchoStar statement was Gloria Steinem, the writer-feminist. She and others believe EchoStar chairman Charles Ergun acted improperly when he decided to deny EchoStar's subscribers the full range of Lifetime programming, for which he cited a demand by Lifetime for a large licence-fee increase. Lifetime says that claim is inaccurate. In …

Fortune senior writer Devin Leonard here explains how, after years of dissatisfaction with financial results at Dow Jones, the company's controlling family, the Bancrofts, were persuaded that this was the time to make changes in top leadership.  Unfortunately, says Leonard, Dow's Wall Street Journal failed to tell the tale.  "When the whistle blew and the shit hit the fan, we got all the branches of the family together and said, 'Something has to be done,’” James Lowell, the Bancrofts' onetime investment advisor, told Leonard.  Richard Zannino, Dow's newly installed CEO, is said to recognize the challenges faced by the …

The first 11 issues of the redesigned TV Guide showed a rise of 38 percent in newsstand sales, according to figures released by its parent, Gemstar-TV Guide.  Furthermore, the magazine experienced fewer subscription cancellations than it had expected in the wake of the recent changes.  The latest incarnation of TV Guide is a total departure: it no longer features highly customized local listings, which was long the magazine's calling card--and, for the first time in its history, it is full-size.  The objective was to gain attention on the newsstand and appeal to a young demo. Gemstar-TV Guide says the …

Paul La Monica, a senior writer for CNNMoney.com, has looked around the mediascape and arrived at the following conclusion: "I think 2006 is going to be the year when major media firms try to tap into a growing trend: increased interest in religious-themed content." There's ample evidence that he's right. For starters, you've got "The Book of Daniel," "The Chronicles of Narnia," and "The Da Vinci Code"--content that you'd be hard-pressed to have produced for general audiences just a few years ago. Some of this may be a reaction to the enormous box-office success of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of …

The Food Network, which has experienced a surge in buzz, if not necessarily in viewers, will continue in 2006 its foray into high-concept programming--meaning shows not devoted exclusively to the art of cooking. The aim, clearly, is to be more entertaining. One of the new shows Food Network premiered this week is "Ham on the Street," which features comic/chef George Duran quizzing people in public spaces about food topics. Another show on the way (it'll debut in the spring) is "Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger," which will focus on quick, healthy recipes. Returning for its second installment March 19 is …

Need to get a TV commercial on-air--fast--but find yourself lacking both time and money? A Los Angeles-based start-up, Spot Runner, says it can help. For as little as $500, the company will permit clients to select from a generic TV spot from its online library. The spot is then customized and massaged for particular demos and markets. Spot Runner will even help you get it on the air, in either local or regional markets. The company is the brainchild of Nick Grouf and David Waxman, who, according to C|Net, previously founded PeoplePC and Firefly Network.

Neither a bashful man nor a modest one, Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Mel Karmazin is predicting that his company will be a $600 million advertising market by the end of this year. He made his statements this week as Howard Stern, radio's most publicized act, began broadcasting on Sirius' channels. While Howard's first day was commercial-free by design, he has since begun airing commercials. Six spots ran yesterday, including ones from Heineken beer and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. According to Karmazin, 10 percent of Sirius' revenue will eventually come from advertising. It's possible Sirius could even attain that goal …

If you happened to catch former Walt Disney Co. chief Michael Eisner sitting in for Charlie Rose on PBS last autumn, you saw a man enjoying himself to the fullest. It was so satisfying an experience, says Eisner, 63, that he decided perhaps his post-Disney days ought to be spent, at least in part, in front of the cameras. And so they will be. Eisner has signed to host "Conversations With Michael Eisner," an hour-long, bi-monthly interview program on CNBC. No date has been set for its premiere on the NBC Universal-owned business channel. "I always felt that when an …

Despite a tough year for other forms of print media, the magazine industry ended 2005 on a relatively high note, according to new figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. Not only were total ad pages up--in some categories by double digits--but rate card revenue also showed an overall increase. As an added benefit, figures for the month of December also showed gains in each category compared to the same month the previous year

Boasting that News Corp. owns "the greatest content collection in the world," its leader, Rupert Murdoch, yesterday told a gathering of analysts that his company was looking to expand and deepen its commitment to Web-based businesses. Murdoch predicted News Corp. would produce $350-$400 in Web revenues next year. "We love hearing about all these new [technology] gizmos. We'll be in all of them," Murdoch said. "They are useless without anything on them." He said News Corp.'s filmed entertainment division--Twentieth Century Fox--might well proceed aggressively into Web distribution, particularly for low-budget movies. Offering such films to audiences for $3 or $4 …