AETN makes the expected official: the programmer is staying inside when it comes to a successor for Andrea Wong as head of Lifetime. Nancy Dubuc, president of the History brands, adds president and GM of Lifetime effective May 1. Dubuc was considered a strong candidate to replace Wong, whose departure…

It’s not a done deal yet, but after several months of negotiations, Hearst Corp. is close to buying digital marketing firm iCrossing, the WSJ reports, citing unidentified sources. The price is said to be around $357 million with additional payments tied to certain performance targets. A few months ago, Hearst…

National newspaper online ad alliance quadrantONE has hired Datran’s Mario Diez to head up sales as it plans to launch a search for a new CEO, the company told paidContent. Last week, the company lost CEO Andy Ellenthal to semantic ad specialist Peer39. In the newly created post of SVP,…

After working together for years through a trade association, a dozen broadcasters are now forming a financially-backed joint venture to develop a national mobile service, including live and on-demand video, local and national news and entertainment from both TV and print companies. The joint venture is upping the financial stakes…

Andy Ellenthal is leaving as CEO of quadrantONE, the national online newspaper ad alliance, paidContent has learned. Ellenthal, who was traveling, couldn’t be reached for comment and quadrantONE spokesman Drew Kerr would not comment on Ellenthal’s job status. Asked about rumors circulating that the company was in turmoil and was…

Hearst has about 70 apps under its LMK banner in the iTunes App Store right now and it just plans to keep adding more and more. Most of the LMK apps sell for about $1.99, while a handful cost $0.99 per download. The LMK initials stand for “Let Me Know”…

The Financial Times has a sizeable and nicely growing subscription business—so why mess with micropayments? FT.com Managing Director Rob Grimshaw says that half the FT’s print customers are newsstand buyers, and the company needs to offer an similar a la carte option online as well. Grimshaw, in an interview with…

Atex, which provides software systems to media firms, has purchased a majority stake in classifieds site Kaango. Atex is buying the stake from MediaNews and Hearst Corp., which paid $20 million for 80 percent of Kaango in November 2007. Both companies will retain a minority stake in Kaango, which powers…

As expected, Dow Jones (NYSE: NWS) has bought the remaining 50 percent stake in personal finance mag SmartMoney from Hearst. The financial terms weren’t disclosed. In addition to the magazine, Dow Jones will own 100 percent of the related website along with the SmartMoney Custom Solutions unit. In a statement,…

Dow Jones (NYSE: NWS) wants to buy the 50 percent stake it doesn’t currently have in personal finance mag SmartMoney from Hearst, the WSJ reports, citing unidentified sources. No word on what price DJ is offering for the magazine, though a deal could be hammered out by next week. The…

I don’t know anyone who thought it would last—and it didn’t. A few months after the August merger of Lifetime Networks into A&E Television Networks, Andrea Wong is leaving as president and CEO. PaidContent can confirm that she announced the move to her staff via e-mail after the news first…

The typical publishing story these days involves a print mag being shuttered to go web-only. But Meredith (NYSE: MDP) and Hearst are taking a little break from that trend to publish print versions of two of their web properties, Mediaweek reports. These steps come as Condé Nast said last week…

The drive to increase membership for the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement , the research initiative formed by major TV networks, agencies and advertisers, is bearing fruit as the organization has added a number of high-profile companies. At its first meeting of 2010, CIMM also provided more details on the…

Despite all the revenue declines and layoffs across the industry this past year, Steven Swartz (pictured), Hearst Newspapers president, had a lot of cheerful things to say in a memo (via Romenesko) to the company’s staff. Noting that 2009’s difficulties don’t need repeating, Swartz offered a list of positive developments…

While Condé Nast has taken a more measured approach to distributing digitized versions of its magazines through the iTunes App Store, Hearst has already decided to put a new electronic edition of Esquire for sale each month on what is increasingly becoming Apple’s virtual newsstand. Hearst made the announcement on…

Microsoft’s MSN, which has made local content a focus as part of its recent home page redesign, is now adding local video clips to its pages as the result of deals it has reached with NBC Local Media and Hearst Television. Starting in January, MSN will include about 3,000 news…

Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith (NYSE: MDP), News Corp (NYSE: NWS). and Time Inc. are making it formal: the five publishers are equity partners in a new digital publishing venture with grand designs. They want nothing less than to develop open standards for cross-platform e-reader technology, advertising and digital sales—and they’re…

Updated with more about News Corp. The much-discussed magazine consortium will be announced early next week (it looks like Tuesday at this point) with News Corp (NYSE: NWS). joining Conde Nast, Meredith (NYSE: MDP), Hearst and Time Inc., paidContent has confirmed from multiple sources. Each is investing in the new…

Forget First Paper. The incubated startup Hearst is looking to as a digital content savior is now Skiff, LLC, although the better name might be “Swiss Army E-Reader Ink” given all that it’s trying to do. Skiff, led by Gilbert Fuchsberg and headquartered in NYC with offices in Palo Alto,…