The New York Times Co. has decided not to sell The Boston Globe. The swift decision to take the paper off the market less than a week after bids were due suggests that the offers were too low. Final bids are unknown, but in a preliminary round, two suitors offered about $35 million for the Globe, plus the assumption of pension liabilities. The Times Co. purchased the Globe for $1.1 billion in 1993. Times Co. top execs say they no longer have to sell the paper because the Globe's finances have improved after aggressive cost cutting. Cuts include …

For nearly a decade, USA Today has held the title of the biggest newspaper in the U.S. Not anymore. New info from the Audit Bureau of Circulations will show The Wall Street Journal has average paid circulation of 2.02 million copies over the six months ending in September, up from 2.01 million in the period a year earlier. That will handily topple circulation champion USA Today, which is reporting an average paid circulation of 1.88 million, down from nearly 2.3 million. The decline is due to a cover-price hike and declining occupancy at hotels where the paper is …

Cosmetics giant Coty is launching a global review of media chores on its estimated $285 million ad account, even though it has been conducting a series of agency reviews in various countries since early this year. In the U.S., incumbent OMD, and MPG have been vying for the account. It seems the global review was called just before the client made an official decision on the U.S. account, after going through a full review process. Earlier this year, Coty reviewed its media assignment in the U.K. and retained incumbent OMD. A separate pitch covering France was in the …

Interpublic Group appears to be in advanced talks to combine ad agencies Deutsch and Lowe. Talks have heated up in recent weeks and a decision could be coming soon, say insiders. A merger would give Deutsch global reach and amplify Lowe's offering in the U.S. Globally, Lowe has 70 offices and revenue of about $400 million. Deutsch's two domestic offices, in New York and Marina del Rey, Calif., generate revenue of about $200 million. The possible merger comes after the shops have discussed working together on Deutsch client Kodak. Lowe may help Deutsch distribute ads for Kodak …

Target Stores has begun offering a magazine newsstand on its Web site. The retailer has signed on Zinio, which offers electronic versions of magazines and books from more than 350 publishers. The electronic magazines are designed to look much like the print versions of the titles. On Target's site Zinio will sell magazines as single editions of current and older issues, or as annual subscriptions -- usually at a discount. People can read them in a Web browser version or through an application that Zinio offers for download. Zinio and Target will share the revenue they get from …

Annie Gilbar, editor of the Los Angeles Times' magazine LA, is out, part of a sweeping reorganization at the paper that takes the magazine out of the business department. Under new editor Nancie Clare, who previously served as deputy editor, LA will move back under the editorial department's umbrella. The realignment comes about a year after the paper's Sunday magazine was reincarnated as the monthly LA, a luxurious, highly-stylized title launched amid controversy under the auspices of the business department. The launch showcased an internal power struggle between the editorial and business ranks at the LA Times. …

"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein will host a quasi-infomercial "Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show," set to air Sunday, Nov. 8. Instead of commercial breaks, the show will air for 30 minutes with marketing messages throughout the program for Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system. The promotional comedy show is part of a marketing deal that Fox Entertainment Group has struck with Microsoft. MacFarlane and Borstein are working with Microsoft agencies Universal McCann and Crispin, Porter and Bogusky to write and produce the messages that they'll recite in between the special's …

Epix, the pay TV channel backed by Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount, will launch on Oct. 30. Premiere weekend programming will include "Iron Man," the the two-hour Madonna concert special "Sticky and Sweet: Live From Buenos Aires" and the comedy special "Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley." Among the other pictures on the slate will be "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and "Pink Panther 2." Epix plans to make its entire lineup available on demand and online. The channel has 15,000 movies at its disposal, including MGM, UA and Lionsgate titles released after Jan. 1 of this year. To date, …

Forget buying the ailing BusinessWeek, which has been sitting on the auction block for a while. Now is a rare opportunity to buy the magazine's parent McGraw-Hill at a historically low valuation, when its profit outlook is brightening. Shares of the company fetch 12 times projected 2009 profits of $2.25 a share, and 11 times estimated 2010 earnings of $2.55 a share. The compnay also owns Standard & Poor's, a textbook publisher, four ABC TV stations and some profitable trade publications. McGraw-Hill's third-quarter earnings release, out later this month, could cheer investors if it shows renewed strength at S&P. …

Scripps Networks Interactive management has set its sights firmly on building up, not selling out. But that doesn't mean the company isn't wearing a large takeover bull's-eye. Here are the main reasons why: In the 15 months since the company spun off from E.W. Scripps, it has expanded rapidly, buying up related Web sites and rolling out around the world. Scripps Networks' Food Network and HGTV are picking up viewers as consumers look for leisure activities closer to home. Another factor is that Scripps charges cable system operators significantly lower fees compared to other entertainment networks for carriage …