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

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 …

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 …

Writer and industry observer Simon Dumenco, who pens the wickedly penetrating Media Guy column for Advertising Age, says this week that he has simply had it:  Don't make him any more promises about convergence, no matter how convenient the downloads, how inexpensive the new service, how entertaining the clips. He's on overload.  Until the industry understands simplification, Dumenco wants no more TV shows on iPods or news clips on mobile-phone screens--nor does he care to read about how magnificent these are.  Says he:  "I’d pay to make all the shiny, happy coverage media about 'innovative' new digital media delivery …

On the heels of earlier success selling episodes of current-era NBC and ABC television shows, Apple has announced it will soon offer a limited collection of classic "Saturday Night Live" skits for viewing on its video iPods and home computers equipped with iTunes software. The downloads will cost $1.99 each. Without offering specifics, an Apple spokesperson is quoted in The New York Times as saying the company had sold more than three million video downloads in the months of October and November, 2005.

The details remain sketchy, but ABC News says it has struck a deal with BBC News to distribute about 40 video clips a day to users who access ABC via the Internet and mobile phones. BBC's clips, chosen by its news-division producers, will focus on a diversity of topics: United Kingdom and world news, as well as technology, entertainment, and business. The cost of the deal was not disclosed, nor did ABC News say if the video clips would be available free or at a monthly charge to subscribers of its premium off-Net services.

According to a report in WWD.com's Memo Pad column, Time Inc. is not yet done with its current round of layoffs. Next up: Employees in London who work on Time magazine's international edition. About 20 employees there have been asked to accept voluntary buyouts. A company spokesperson says it's premature to know how many who refuse the package will be asked to leave. Just a month ago, says WWD.com, Time bureau chiefs in Moscow, Beijing, and Seoul were relieved of their responsibilities. All of this comes at a time when Time Inc. is feeling the pressure from parent company …

Although industry sources believe ABC had been off to a slower than normal start for Super Bowl ad sales--owing, perhaps, to the upcoming Olympics, which appeals to a similar advertiser base--the network said yesterday it has sold out virtually all of the game's first half. Super Bowl XL, to be played in Detroit February 5, will be heavy on automotive advertising (GM and Ford are both committed, while Chrysler has not yet made its final decision). Also strong will be the financial/insurance category. Burger King, Gillette, and ESPN Mobile have also purchased spots in the first half, according to ABC. …

The Mississippi-based American Family Association, which espouses a conservative, Christian-values philosophy and often leverages its membership's presumed buying power against media outlets, says five TV stations refused to air the two-hour premiere episode of "The Book of Daniel," a new series on NBC. Four of the stations that joined in the boycott are in the South; the fifth is in Indiana. It's not known if those stations will air future episodes of the show. According to AFA, Daniel mocks Christianity and, in doing so, is offensive to its members. In particular, the group opposes some of the plotlines in the …

MarketWatch media columist Jon Friedman apparently enjoys snarkiness as much as the next guy, but he warns that it has become so prevalent in journalism today that it's in jeopardy of becoming the norm.  "It's possible, if the movement continues to build more forcefully, that a generation of young journalists will take their cues and allow commenting to replace reporting," writes Friedman.  Who is to blame? Friedman digs into the history books and cites various origins, in print and broadcast journalism.  In the modern era, he says, it's the political satirists who have had a great impact.  Most recently, …