New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has initiated an investigation into Arbitron's portable people meter system. The research company was slapped with a subpoena Tuesday from Cuomo's office requesting documents dating back to 2003. Inner City Broadcasting and a group of Hispanic broadcasters are seeking government intervention because they say Arbitron's methodology undercounts African-Americans and Hispanics and results in lower ad revenue for their stations. Arbitron is set to commercialize the PPM service next month in New York and seven other top markets. It currently has two PPM markets in Houston and Philadelphia. Only the Houston …

Politico, the online political news site, has launched a new content sharing network that will provide news items to newspapers in exchange for ad placements on their sites. Politico editors select media organizations that will have access to the site's top stories for use online and in print. Politico will be allowed to sell national advertising to be placed on partners' sites, and revenue from those ads will be shared between Politico and the media outlets. "Rather than having to pay for a wire service, these papers can use Politico's content while making money on ads …

Esquire has gone electronic, but it has nothing to do with the Internet. A 10-square-inch display on the cover of the magazine's October 2008 anniversary issue flashes the theme "The 21st Century Begins Now" with a collage of illuminated images. On the inside cover, a two-page Ford ad features a second 10-square-inch display with shifting colors showing the car in motion. The flashing images have succeeded in boosting advertising in the issue and have generated fresh buzz about the Esquire brand, say editors. Scott Daly, a Dentsu media buyer, says the concept is a needed shot …

While Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius XM Radio, was trying to shore up Wall Street support Tuesday, his company's stock sunk to the lowest price in five years. Sirius XM stock has been suffering since the merger of Sirius and XM partly because of a heavy debt load. Karmazin told analysts the company will end 2008 with 19.5 million subscribers and will end 2009 with 21.5 million, guidance that fell short of some analysts predictions. He also stressed that Sirius XM will show about 13% revenue growth next year compared with a 3% decline for the traditional radio …

More and more TV news hosts are asking viewers to "Twitter your comments to our guest." But if you use a DVR to watch the shows on delay, you can't interact with them via Twitter or other electronic device because you are too late. As more television companies master their new media brands, will viewers be more likely to tune into their shows in real time, ads and all? A smart strategy would be to create incentives for real-time viewership, such as viewers posing questions for guests, guiding alternative scenes, or deciding what challenge the players have to …

Leslie Moonves, CBS' gravel-voiced chief wants to turn CNet into a $1 billion Internet business within three years and use it as a tool to reshape parent company CBS. The key, he says, is to boost traffic and ad rates at CNet's dozen Web sites, including TV.com, video game site Gamespot.com, and food site Chow.com. To that end, Katie Couric was on CNet streaming special shows from the conventions. Chow.com editor Aida Mollenkamp will appear on Rachael Ray's show, which CBS syndicates, and CNet reporters are expected to populate every segment possible on CBS news shows. Ttraffic …

Cosmopolitan magazine is searching for musically talented women through an alliance with YouTube. Dubbed StarLaunch, it invites aspiring musicians to upload their video to YouTube to be voted on by industry vets and music fans. The winner will share the stage in a New York pop concert and get a cash prize. Cosmo has landed key sponsors for the program -- Cover Girl, Pantene, and, for the first time, Nikon. "Technology people, who tend to advertise to men, are recognizing that women are an important target for them," says Donna Lagani, publishing director. Sponsors get pages in …

The Magazine Publishers of America's new ad campaign, "Under the Influence of Magazines," includes three tongue-in-cheek print ads and seven online trade ads. Created by Toy New York, the ads all point to www.magfacts.org, which claims that magazines are the No. 1 medium in driving search among 18-to 44-year-olds, influencing readers' intent to buy autos and packaged-goods. In a demonstration of product placement, the MPA ads incorporate products from Adidas, Häagen-Dazs and Mini Cooper, winners of the recent Kelly Awards competition for magazine advertising.