Bloomberg has reached out to several large global ad agencies to develop a its biggest marketing campaign ever. Bloomberg says it is seeking help with "corporate identity and design, advertising, media, digital, events and demand generation" for its portfolio of brands. Bloomberg wants a New York-based shop with capabilities in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The search comes five months after Bloomberg hired Maureen McGuire, a marketing vet of Sears Holdings and IBM, as its first CMO. BusinessWeek isn't mentioned in the Bloomberg RFI, but the agency search is taking place as Bloomberg closes its purchase of …

O, The Oprah Magazine is in the midst of a sweeping redesign that will be unveiled on the 10th anniversary issue next May. The redesign comes as the magazine, a joint venture between Winfrey's Harpo Print LLP and Hearst, comes off one of the rockiest years since its launch in 2000. The Hearst-led redesign will be extensive, covering every page of the magazine, according to a source. It's a gamble for Hearst. Modernizing the title could alienate the magazine's nearly 2.4 million paid circulation base or Winfrey herself. The title is Hearst's second-most profitable magazine, but it …

Clear Channel Outdoor has hired Debbie Reichig, a veteran TV sales strategy and marketing executive. She has has been named senior vice president, business development and marketing. Reichig was most recently senior vice president of market development at NBC Universal. She has also worked at Court TV, iVillage and Comedy Central. She will handle client development and marketing and she will report to Rocky Sisson, executive vice president sales and marketing.

Layoffs have begun at BusinessWeek, as many longtime staffers have been told they won't be moving on with the magazine or with the wire service when it is acquired by Bloomberg LP. Hardest hit appear to be areas where Bloomberg and BusinessWeek's coverage overlap, such as columnists, graphics and copy editing. Among those leaving are media columnist Jon Fine, senior writers Stephen Baker and Steve Hamm, "Technology & You" columnist Steve Wildstrom, personal finance editor Lauren Young and engagement editor Shirley Brady. Also leaving are Seattle bureau chief Jay Greene, San Francisco bureau chief Rob Hof and associate …

In just the span of a short few years, "Jon Stewart has gone from optional to indispensable," writes NBC news anchor Brian Williams. Most important is the system of checks and balances that Stewart and "The Daily Show" have created. Williams explains it this way: "On occasion, when we've been on the cusp of doing something completely inane on "NBC Nightly News," I will gently suggest to my colleagues that we simply courier the tape over to Jon's office, to spare "The Daily Show" interns the time and trouble of logging our broadcast that night. That usually gets …

The New York Times is launching its latest local edition in Chicago today (Nov. 20) using former top-level Chicago Tribune journalists in conjunction with the Chicago News Cooperative. The Chicago area report will appear on Fridays and Sundays inside the NYT. It focuses on local news, policy, sports and culture. The Chicago News Cooperative was co-founded on Oct. 22 by former Los Angeles Times Editor Jim O'Shea, who also served as managing editor of the Chicago Tribune. Other journalists involved in the Chicago News Cooperative include former Chicago Tribune staffers Jessica Reaves and Bill Parker. James Warren, a former …

Because of its target audience of young children, the Disney Channel cable network restricts sponsor messages to the occasional "brought to you by" billboard for tentpole programs, such as "High School Musical." But the Web is a different story. This week Disney Online will debut its first branded-entertainment program, "The Possibility Shop," a web video series at Disney.com exclusively sponsored by Clorox. The series was customized in part to promote Clorox brands, including Clorox disinfecting wipes, toilet-bowl cleaners and a laundry pre-treater, but the episodes will not feature any use of the products themselves. Instead, each episode will …

Proof that Apple has a tablet device in the works: Condé Nast says it will have a digital version of Wired magazine ready for the rumored gadget by the middle of next year and will eventually create similar versions for all of its 18 titles -- even though Apple won't talk about the device. Condé says its tablet magazines will feature the same content found in the print versions, including original ads, with the ability to view pages in their original form or in formats designed specifically for the device. Also, the digital version will import multimedia content, …

NBC will host the 62nd prime-time Emmy Awards to Sunday, August 29, 2010, the network said Wednesday. That means the peacock network steers clear of any conflict with the "Sunday Night Football" franchise. The move to summer also cuts down on competition from rival shows. Usually, the TV awards show runs at the end of September, just before the fall season. In 2006, the show ran in late August and NBC says it was among the highest rated of the last four years.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is preparing an amendment to the Senate Commerce Committee version of the satellite reauthorization bill that would mandate local TV station service to all 210 markets by satellite carriers EchoStar and DirecTV. It differs from the House version, which says EchoStar has to deliver local signals in remaining markets if it wants back in the distant-signal business. The McCaskill amendment, would charge the FCC with checking up on the progress of local into local in six months after passage, and every six months until the FCC has determined that all satellite carriers comply. The Senate …