Lamar Advertising, which owns and operates outdoor advertising and sign displays, on Wednesday issued second-quarter sales guidance that was below Wall Street estimates. The company expects sales between $316 million and $319 million, not counting its revenue from it acquisition of billboard business Vista Media. Analysts had anticipated sales of $321.7 million. Vista is expected to generate revenue of about $3 million per month, Lamar said. The company earlier reported a first-quarter loss of $1.6 million due to higher expenses and minimal sales growth.

Evidence suggests that doctors are subtly shilling for drug companies through their media appearances, under the guise of being objective experts. Slate describes a recent example of an NPR radio panel of "four prestigious medical experts that discussed the controversial link between antidepressants and suicide and agreed that critics' worries were overblown." But the program did not reveal that all the experts had financial ties to the makers of antidepressants and the radio program itself received grants from the maker of Prozac. Some medical sources for the media who appear independent are, serving as stealth marketers …

Microsoft will compete more directly with Apple's dominant iTunes store by selling TV shows at its own online store for use on its Zune music and video player. Microsoft announced it would initially sell more than 800 TV episodes at its Zune Marketplace, including popular shows currently unavailable at iTunes, such as NBC Universal's "The Office," "Heroes" and "30 Rock." Microsoft has a lot of ground to cover to catch up with Apple. The iTunes store, which sells music, movies and TV shows in the form of digital downloads, is the dominant retailer in digital entertainment, surpassing Wal-Mart Stores …

Perhaps a one-stop online destination for buying magazines will do for periodicals what Amazon.com has done for book sales. Barnes & Noble announced it will sell magazine subscriptions online at steep discounts for more than 1,000 print and digital titles. The retailer said more than 12,000 back issues of hundreds of titles will also be available digitally for single copy purchase. Unlike other discount magazine sites, Barnes & Noble's BN.com will offer both print and digital options in an "integrated shopping experience," according to BN.com's CEO Marie Toulantis. A typical magazine will cost about $25 per year and a …

24 Hour Fitness unveiled an ad campaign last night built around the reality of club members' lives that includes network TV ads and a dedicated Web site, 12millionlives.com. The first spot, "Sharlynn," follows the tribulations of a Utah woman who "lost more than 130 pounds and gained her self-confidence back." On the Web site people can interact with Sharlynn and other members in the ads and can add their own stories to the case files. The combination of real-life people in traditional ads with online social media may effectively tap the emotions of its target audience. …

Reuters' Media division has experienced a management shakeup in the wake of its merger with Thomson, including the departure of U.S.-based Reuters Media GM Stephen Smyth. This week it offered a clearer picture of its revamp. It will now be a news agency, a consumer media outlet and a professional publisher, according to the company. It will also seek ways to integrate its media offerings with Thomson's data. "Part of the information that Thomson gives on health, science [and other topics means] there will be a lot more news for the Reuters clients," states Monique Villa, CEO of …