Gigaom's Ryan Lawler talks to the folks behind Deluxis Entertainment, which "wants to be just like the major cable networks, except for one thing: It wants to deliver all of those shows online first." The company is now checking out scripts and hopes to begin production soon on scripted, TV-quality shows that will be available online by subscription for screening on any device the viewer wants. "In light of the recent success of Netfix and its plans to license original programming backed by David Fincher and starring Kevin Spacey, maybe quality TV shows exclusively for the web isn't such a …

The New York Daily News came out first in Scarborough Research's ranking of metro papers' digital-print reach, followed by the L.A. Times and the New York Times respectively. The list of 20 papers was ranked by local readership only, thus ruling out the extensive national audience of both the New York Times and sixth-ranked Washington Post -- and keeping both the Wall Street Journal and USA Today entirely off the list, according to Poynter's Rick Edmonds.

How can Glenn Beck, whose contract with the Fox News Channel will expire in December, expand his brand independently? The New York Times' Brian Stelter analyzes Beck's options -- from developing his own cable channel, a choice which sources says he's exploring -- to expanding his Web presence. Or there could be a hybrid of the two approaches. "Were Mr. Beck to set off on his own, it would be a landmark moment for the media industry, reflecting a shift in the balance of power between media institutions and the personal brands of people they employ," writes Stelter .

In its final step to integrate its 2009 acquisition, BusinessWeek, into the company -- and also differentiate its consumer news operation as separate from its core terminal product -- Bloomberg L.P. just created the Bloomberg Media Group. Paul Bascobert, president of Bloomberg BusinessWeek, will be head of business operations for the group, "looking for opportunities to sell advertising across the different properties," according to Crain's New York Business.

The Washington Post's Jason Horowitz provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Media Matters' boot camp, which trains liberal pundits to stand up to right-wing opponents on-air. One key lesson for the pundits: "to ooze likability and reasonableness, and make their opponents seem otherwise." The need for such training is underscored by one of the sessions Horowitz covers, in which "Drew Westen, the Democratic message guru and author of The Political Brain'.... showed examples of the right's genius for branding (from 'government takeover' to 'death taxes') and the left's relative ineptitude."

USA Today is expanding its coverage of topics that will appeal to advertisers as well as readers, such as travel, sports and financial advice. The paper is actively trying to recreate itself as "a newsier and more impactful newspaper," according to Publisher Dave Hunke.

As befits a big-time movie star, Elizabeth Taylor gets a major obit  in the New York Times, one that quotes everyone from Richard Burton to Joan Rivers (who both say disparaging things about the aging Taylor's tendency to fat), and includes a great anecdote about Mickey Rooney's trying to teach her how to cry on-camera. It's actually a mini-biography, credited mainly to Mel Gussow -- who actually died in 2005.

Apparently a company that calls itself J.W. Grieves or JWG Media is sending fake ad invoices/insertion orders to real Elle Decor advertisers, asking for payment for ads in "E Decor."Elle Decor Vice President and Brand Publisher Barbara Friedmann sent letters to the pub's advertisers informing them of the scam, according to Fishbowl NY.

As part of an initiative to make "local connections," New York City-area public television company WNET will produce "Metro Focus," a half-hour local news show, according to Neal Shapiro, WNET's president and chief executive. The show will begin airing on the Web around Memorial Day, with a mobile application to come, and eventually on the company's WNET Channel 13 and WLIW Channel 21, possibly "as soon as the fall," writes the New York Times' Elizabeth Jensen.

"Wireless phone companies are among the heaviest advertisers in the country," begins a Wall Street Journal piece spelling out just how depressing news of the AT&T/T-Mobile deal is for media entities dependent on advertising. According to figures quoted from Kantar Media, "telecom companies spent $8.75 billion on U.S. advertising in 2010" -- and AT&T is already talking about cutting duplicate expenses like advertising.