CHANGES AT THE LA TIMES SUNDAY MAG

By Tom Teicholz on June 10, 2008 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reports appeared today that the LA Times Sunday Magazine is no more (again). Or Rather than the current regime has all been fired and that the magazine has been turned over to the business side who will devise their own version of the magazine, free from the control of the editorial side, and engage writers as they see fit -- Annie Gilbar, who some of you may recall from LA Style days, but who more recently has been hosting a show on the Home Shopping network -- not that there;s anything wrong with that.....
    I suppose this is the way of the world as extreme capitalism overtakes every institution and industry. Yes, the bean counters are in control. But is this any different than at the movie studios? Who runs the studios these days? In many cases it si executives who made their bones not in the creative ranks but rising from the marketing department -- Disney's Oren Aviv, Universal's Marc Schmuger come to mind. At Sony, their have both Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton, at the studio's helm
    There is obvious concern that the editorial product will suffer as a result. It well may -- depeneding on what kind of magazine you are expecting. The Sunday Times may be less, say New York Review Books, and more Angeleno.
    But in order not to be tossed out with other advertising supplements the Magazine will still need to have a voice, and there is no better distinguishing factor than excellence. At the end of the day, if you hire good writers, and pay them well, --- I would like to say that will guarantee success but it doesn't (BUT I AM ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF WRITERS BEING WELL PAID).