Looking to benefit from consumer interest in "green" lifestyles, National Geographic will convert its Green Guide bimonthly newsletter to a full-fledged quarterly magazine. Set to roll in early March, National Geographic Green Guide will have tips for leading an eco-friendly life, home improvement advice, product news and reports on environmental issues. The premiere issue will examine ways American homeowners can reduce their carbon footprint. "Written for general consumers, not for enviromaniacs, NNational Geographic Green Guide is chock-full of simple, useful ideas, broken down into achievable steps that make 'going green' a gradual and affordable process rather than an all-or-nothing …

Could be that another awards show -- the Grammys -- could get kicked to the curb by the writers' strike. Right on the heels of the Golden Globes debacle, top recording artists who also have Screen Actors Guild cards, including Justin Timberlake, 50 Cents and Queen Latifah, are being lobbied by the Writer's Guild to skip the annual gala so as to show solidarity. Notes Gregg Mitchell, a spokesman for the Guild, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences "has not asked the WGA for a waiver or interim agreement for the Grammys. While no Guild …

The Travel Channel has launched in high-definition, with the new Travel Channel HD featuring such staple series and personalities like "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations," "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern," and Samantha Brown's "Passport." The move follows a study Frank N. Magid Associates last fall that found the Travel Channel ranked the most anticipated new HDTV network among current HD subscribers. The same survey also showed that the Travel Channel ranking as the second-most anticipated new HD cable network among shoppers committed to purchasing and subscribing to an HD service. Further, more than half of HD subscribers who are …

Between the writers strike, an overall decline in TV ratings and the budgetary crunch that comes with an economic slowdown, it has been a tough row to hoe for many U.S. advertisers this year. But that is good news for the Big Game: Already the biggest TV event of the year, the 2008 Super Bowl could be even bigger as marketers seek out "event programming," i.e. those shows audiences viewers watch live rather than recording to watch later, while skipping the commercials. "As ratings continue to erode, the Super Bowl and any of the other big events look …

Unilever has dumped Lowe from its massive Magnum ice cream account, giving the business instead to Interpublic sister shop McCann Erickson, insiders say. And while the move does not affect other ice cream brands, Magnum is the largest in the company's ice cream portfolio. The company spends about $300 million annually supporting its global frozen treats with estimated agency revenue in the realm of $20 million. McCann isn't talking but a formal announcement of the switch is expected by the middle of the week. The shift comes after a review that wrapped up last month featuring McCann and …

As the strike pushes nets to get creative with reruns and reality shows, at least some new scripted premieres stand to cash in as the result of good -- or at least lucky -- timing. Among them is Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," which is getting heavy promotion from a network that won't have "24" on the air this month. The program is getting a two-night premiere treatment this week and while it was already expected to get a lot of promotional backing, with few new returning shows on offer, all the Big Four are firing …

Toyota is targeting the "Generation X" family in ads for its new Sequoia SUV. Tagged "Anything but ordinary," the campaign breaks this week and is a no surrender kind of idea," says Ned McNeilage, copywriter at Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles which created the ads. "It should remind a Gen X parent that they don't have to fall into the status quo and don't have to settle for ordinary." One spot touts the vehicle's hauling capabilities; all will appear on TV ranging from VH1 to the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. Print and Web banners are …

Research firm Coleman Insights is gearing up to release at least four studies this year in a new "PPM Series: Mapping the DNA of PPM." The studies will examine the impact of various programming strategies as measured by Arbitron's new Portable People Meter and provide a look at the way PPM reports the responses of radio audiences to different programs. "Some in the industry have already made proclamations of what works and doesn't work in a PPM world without rigorous analysis of the data," says Jon Coleman, president. "The series will be based on extensive reviews of …