The head of Tribune Co. is apparently in a fighting mood, and ready to resist any attempts to water down a restructuring plan and $2 billion stock buyback that is vehemently opposed by some of his largest shareholders, the company's flagship newspaper reports. Dennis FitzSimons made a decision last month to move ahead with the plan, picking a fight that "may end up defining his career," according to a Sunday story in the Chicago Tribune. "We are not going to be intimidated," says one inside source. "I don't think they know well who they are dealing with." FitzSimons is in …

Six months after he left one of the most popular programs ever to hit the dial for satellite radio, Howard Stern has finally found serenity, Reuters reports. After years of fighting government regulators and his own corporate masters, he says: "I'm at complete peace. I've never had more fun in my radio career than I'm having right now. It's like a rebirth." But, he insists that his edge remains intact: "I'm not some happy, smiley guy who goes into the studio every day (and says) 'Oh wow! Today's a beautiful day, and there's nothing bad to be said. I'd have …

An English-language version of Al-Jazeera International "faces enough hurdles to make Olympic champion Edwin Moses tremble," reports the Associated Press. The channel's parent network is pretty much the first and last word in broadcast news in the Arab world. But the spinoff has missed a target launch date and won't set another--and it has no public commitments to show it in the United States. A competitor also beat it to the market, and it is also the subject of a campaign by people who don't want it seen here. However, the company's operators are still forging ahead with plans to …

Media buyers are holding out for price rollbacks from broadcasters, Ad Age reports, pushing for lower cost-per-thousand rates in exchange for big upfront commitments. But not all the networks are willing to play ball. While NBC and CBS have written a few deals at rates lower than last year's, according to unnamed agency sources, ABC is still holding out for increases--and there are reports that Fox is even getting them. By insisting on higher rates, ABC is gambling that dollars won't move elsewhere. It is also possible that ABC has "seen the amount of money that's been registered and may …

Some Republicans in Congress are pushing an effort that would cut more than $115 million from PBS and NPR, the Boston Globe reports. On a party-line vote this week, the House subcommittee that oversees public TV funding approved the cut, which would slice the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's budget by 23 percent to $380 million. A similar move last year was thwarted after aggressive lobbying from PBS and congressional Democrats. ''We've got to keep our priorities straight," says Rep. Ralph Regula (R.-Ohio). "You're going to choose between giving a little more money to handicapped children versus providing appropriations for public …

In the latest twist on "reality" programming, 10 cats taken from animal shelters will live in a New York house to vie for an executive-level job with Meow Mix cat food, reports the Associated Press. The battle of the felines will be shown in three-minute segments Friday night on Animal Planet channel for 10 weeks from a Webcam-equipped "Meow Mix House" on Madison Avenue. "This thing is very tongue-in-cheek," says Ira Cohen, who calls the campaign/show "a program within a program" aimed not just at getting humans to buy more Meow Mix, but to raise awareness of pet adoptions. Two …

ABC'S "Good Morning America" dearly wants to grab the No. 1 morning slot, but just as NBC's dominant "Today"--with the departure of Katie Couric--seems ripe for a fall, "GMA" is having some problems of its own, The Wall Street Journal reports. In the last six months, the show has lost its host, weatherman, and executive producer, and there have been rumors that co-host Diane Sawyer is ready to up and leave. The stakes are high in the battle between the two programs, as early-morning news shows are garnering ever more viewers and ad dollars--a contrast to the network evening news …

Two student newspapers in Virginia are fighting for their right to party--or at least to advertise one, reports the Roanoke Times. Publications at both Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia are suing over state rules that prohibit them from running any branded alcohol ads. And they have some of the best lawyers in the business backing them up, as the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia filed a federal lawsuit against the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on their behalf of the papers. The suit charges that Virginia's regulations are violating the First Amendment rights of the two …

World Cup programming offers a great opportunity to target U.S. Hispanics--and politicians have taken notice, Ad Age reports, as the New Democratic Network launches a $2 million TV and radio campaign to reach them. Taglined "Mas que un partido"--a play on words that can mean either "More than a game" or "More than a political party"--ads will run mostly in Spanish. Among the battleground markets to get them are Albuquerque, N.M.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Orlando, Fla.; Tampa, Fla.; Las Vegas; Denver and Phoenix. Ads will air initially during the World Cup on Spanish-language network Univision, as well as on Fox …

CBS Radio and Vibes Media will offer text messaging to listeners as part of a new service they hope will help broadcasters and their sponsors interact more with consumers, Reuters reports. The 25-station deal is so far the largest of its kind in broadcast radio. Vibes has also done deals with Clear Channel and Emmis, among others, but "this is the first massive group deal," says Jack Philbin, president of Vibes. "They're not just putting their toe in the water. CBS is making a strategic commitment to this space and that speaks volumes." By using the service, listeners can get …