?The Wall Street Journal's new glossy lifestyle magazine for high-end consumers will debut with this Saturday's newspaper as the company looks to boost advertising opportunities. The launch of WSJ comes as a weakening economy has accelerated a decline in newspaper and magazines ad sales. But buyers of fashion, jewelry, travel and other luxury goods have been less affected by the economic downturn. "It's smart positioning," says industry analyst Ken Doctor. "You've got to pick your spots even in the bad market [in order to] be positioned for the rebound." The Journal's WSJ.com website will also relaunch Sept. …

For its premiere issue, The Wall Street Journal's new lifestyle magazine, WSJ., scored a key interview: Alaska governor Sarah Palin. But it's not the sort of story one expects in the esteemed newspaper. The article, by freelancer Jen Murphy, is limited to Palin's fitness regimen. The closest thing to a tough question Murphy managed to pose was about her Palin's bad diet habits. (She skips breakfast!) WSJ. editor Tina Gaudoin says she assigned the story way back in May, before the buzz over Palin as a possible long-shot vice president pick had begun.

Next Monday at noon, TV stations in Wilmington, N.C., will shut off their old television signals and broadcast only in digital, potentially leaving thousands of older televisions unusable. A group of public officials and broadcasters will gather there and basically wait for the phones to ring. Wilmington is the first U.S. city to switch to digital-only television broadcasts. It is doing it five months early as a test of the strategy the government and broadcasters have adopted for helping people who still rely on over-the-air, analog television move into the digital TV future.

Hot dogs, soda pop and football? NBC Sports is teaming up with 7-Eleven in a major marketing effort for its "Sunday Night Football" telecasts. In-store promotions in more than 6,000 7-Eleven stores will include beverage cups and hot dog containers printed with this year's Sunday Night Football game schedule. In addition to wooing a select group of diehard football-lovers, the campaign is designed to reach a much larger audience -- the millions of casual football fans "who gather around the TV and watch the game as a social occasion," says NBCU Sports executive Mike McCarley. 7-Eleven patrons …

In a revealing profile of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, we see how the man thinks and what new endeavors have captured his attention. Murdoch's latest passion appears to be buying The New York Times. Everyone tells him it would be impossible. "But The New York Times is obviously irresistible to him. I've watched him go through the numbers and fantasize about the staff's quitting as soon as he entered the sacred temple. It would be the realization of his destiny: because the Times represents the ultimate in newspaper proprietorship." Murdoch loves newspapers. "He may be the last …

As the traditional media market splinters, print publications are popping up in unlikely places. At the local hardware store, for example. One year after launching in Home Depot stores, a free Spanish-language quarterly for construction contractors has emerged as a rare media conduit to Spanish-speaking, under-the-radar male immigrants. Brands such as Chevrolet and Mexicana Airlines have lined up to advertise in Constru-Guía al Día(Up-to-Date Construction Guide), which is available in 400 Home Depot stores with large Hispanic customer bases. Full-page ads from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo highlight energy drinks with a Latin twist. The magazine will hike circulation …

Presidential candidate John McCain not only scaled down the Republican National Convention in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, he pulled all his ads for this week because of the storm. The suspension comes at a cost. This is the last week the campaign can spend money raised for the primary. Once McCain is formally nominated Thursday, his campaign gets federal financing and can no longer use funding raised in the primary for expenses.