NBC.com announced a slew of digital content for all shows this fall, including Webisodes for "Heroes," "30 Rock," "The Office," and "Kath & Kim." "The Office" also will feature microsites for Andy and Angela's wedding planning and a new Meredith blog. "Heroes" will launch a special heroes-versus-villains social network. NBC.com visitors also will find behind-the-scenes content for various shows, trivia, polls, games, galleries and "Lipstick Jungle's" Web-only magazine Bonfire. "The fans are interacting and having fun with their favorite shows as they've never been able to before," says Vivi Zigler, NBC executive.

Current and former Los Angeles Times employees are suing Sam Zell and the Tribune Co. over actions taken since Zell's leveraged buyout of Tribune Co. last year. The complaint, filed Tuesday, alleges that the structure of the buyout -- executed through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan -- and Zell's conduct have diminished the company's value in order to benefit board members. The suit also alleges that Zell has de-funded employees retirement packages and raided the employee pension fund for more than $400 million. Plaintiffs include Times auto critic Dan Neil and Jack Nelson, the paper's former Washington, …

The plummeting stock market and news that three well-known firms are in serious financial trouble has had limited short-term fallout on Madison Avenue. But the longer-term damage to consumer confidence could be a lot more serious for the media industry. The print and business-to-business advertising sectors--which are already hurting -- are initially expected to be roiled by Lehman's demise, Merrill's sale and AIG's woes. "The firms that have been specifically most impacted have not been our largest advertisers, but this has created a general malaise that has affected the entire financial category, and frankly, the economy …

Nearly a year after being taken over by News Corp, The Wall Street Journal is undergoing a major redesign, including adding back doors where you can access paid content without paying. The new site has more free general and lifestyle news, but is standing firm with its paid business content. But the paper is making everything free (at least for the time being) if accessed through other sites, such as its new Blackberry application and links on social networks. The number of WSJ readers on social networks is significant: 39% on Facebook and 48% on sibling MySpace. …

In a celeb-obsessed world, the cellphone is fast emerging as the perfect tool for keeping abreast of gossip. Several gossip magazines and Web sites are turning out mobile versions, and their runaway audience numbers are reshaping existing media properties. TMZ, which launched a mobile site in April 2007, had 1.1 million visitors to its site in July, per Nielsen Mobile. People magazine is dumping the subscription fee for its mobile site in November, hoping that easy-to-use mobile content will drive similar traffic to its web offering. Both People and E! say that cellphone audiences evolving. They are no …

Faith & Values Media is changing its name to Odyssey Networks and plans to produce more faith-based programming that is commercially viable. Faith & Values is a consortium of religious groups that for years has been a program supplier for, and investor in, Hallmark Channel. Currently, the media group programs a two-hour Sunday block on Hallmark Channel and last year produced a made-for-TV movie, The Note, for Hallmark. "It showed we can actually do commercial TV movies," says Bob Thomson, Odyssey COO. The religious consortium has already expanded its business to produce "mission-oriented" non-fiction programming with international …

MTV's "Total Request Live" will leave the air after 10 years. Dave Sirulnick, executive producer of the show, says it will conclude in November, but insists it isn't ending for good. "TRL" debuted in September 1998 and became the center of the teen pop music scene with Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync and other acts. Over the years it has become a destination for musicians, movie stars and celebrities promoting their new music, movies and other projects.