Conde Nast Selling Three Trade Titles

Conde Nast is selling three trade titles - Supermarket News, Home Furnishings News and InFurniture - that don’t fit with its mission, writes New York Business. The titles were acquired when S.I. Newshouse bought Fairchild Publications Inc. in 1999 and, while they play a “leading role in the markets they serve, they reflect areas of business to business publishing that are not key to our core mission,” group president Mitch Fox is reported as writing in an internal memo.

JWT Sets up HuffPo Roadblock, Hopes for Viral Outbreak

The erstwhile J. Walter Thompson - now JWT - the oldest advertising agency in the U.S. (it’s celebrating its 142nd anniversary), has purchased all the ad space on the Huffington Post homepage for one week, starting tomorrow, reports the New York Times (via MarketingVox). HuffPo will display nine of JWT’s best TV commercials, with links for visitors to forward the spots via email or instant message. JWT is hoping the roadblock will result in a viral video outbreak, as well as add a veneer of hipness to its establishment image, according to the article.

Upfront Halfway Mark Nears, ABC Beginning to Move

The upfront marketplace is about half over - with 40-50 percent of all inventory sold so far - and experts believe that total dollars for the upfront will fall by 5 percent to about $8.4 million, writes MediaPost. However, ABC is just beginning to do business and remains a wildcard. A strong performance from the network could help the upfront end on a positive note.

L.A. Mayor Calls for More Transportation Advertising

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said it “just boggles the mind” that Metropolitan Transportation Authority board policy has banned advertising from its rail lines, subway stations and some buses, The Los Angeles Times reports. With the agency facing $131-million shortfall, he and other board members have asked the MTA to raise an additional $14 million from advertisements.

Pride Radio Launches in Chicago

Clear Channel Radio Chicago’s WKSC-FM’s HD2 Side Channel will be the new home of Pride Radio, which serves music, entertainment and spoken word content especially for the Gay population. In addition to being broadcast in HD2, Pride Radio will be available on line at www.kisschicago.com.

Interestingly, last summer, Clear Channel Outdoor pulled a billboard ad for Gay.com in Boston a day before the contract was set to expire, following complaints from the Article 8 Alliance. The ad had been on Boston billboards since early April, but five complaint calls to Clear Channel earlier in the week prompted the removal of the ad.

EMI Settles with Spitzer, Pays $3.75 Million Fine

EMI has settled (Terms of Settlement PDF) with the state of New York over alleged radio pay-for-play violations, Billboard Radio Monitor reports. EMI will pay a $3.75 million fine (in the form of a charitable donation to New York State not-for-profit music education and appreciation programs) and agree to reform its radio promotion practices and have agreed to stop making payments and providing expensive gifts to radio stations and their employees in return for airplay.

Yahoo Sued for Buying Trademarked Keywords on Google

Yahoo and three other companies have been sued for trademark infringement, accused of bidding on a trademarked brand as keywords on Google, writes MediaPost (via MarketingVOX). The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Colorado by JP Enterprises, which runs online dating service lovecity.com. The suit alleges that Yahoo and the others of bidding on “lovecity,” “lovecity.com” and “www.lovecity.”

Rather Leaving Early as Next Week

After 43 years at CBS News, Dan Rather is leaving, possibly as soon as next week, MediaLife reports. There had been rumors for months that CBS would not renew his contract, and in a Washington Post article yesterday, in which an unnamed CBS executive said there was no room for Rather in the CBS newsroom. Yesterday, after that story came out, Rather made his decision to leave public.