Meanwhile, the American press is even less interested. Editors at the weeklies feel the Beckhams aren't a big enough story to warrant a cover, and are waiting to see what they'll bring to Hollywood. "With Posh and Becks, the idea is much more exciting than the application. Remember, he is a British soccer star, which is a truly foreign concept to Americans, and she is less relevant as a Spice Girl and has gained relevance through friendships with Tom [Cruise] and Katie [Holmes]," said Janice Min, editor in chief of Us Weekly. "It's going to take some effort on their part to really entrench themselves in the whole celebrity system here." Victoria had signed a deal with NBC to star in a reality show on her move, which would have helped put the couple on America's radar, but rumors are swirling that the show has been put on hold.
In Touch editor in chief Richard Spencer also said it's hard for any sports star to gather a following for readers. "Even when you look at Derek Jeter, he himself doesn't become a star in the pages of the celeb weeklies. The readers aren't watching sports as much as they're watching their movies or TV shows."— Stephanie D. Smith and Nina Jones
NEW HIRES: Though Us Weekly isn't looking for new eyes to chase Posh and Becks, it is staffing up its Los Angeles bureau since former West Coast bureau chief Ken Baker moved over in January to become editorial director of usmagazine.com. Us Weekly swapped in European bureau chief Melanie Bromley to replace Baker, while Jeffrey Epstein has joined the Los Angeles office of the magazine as entertainment editor. Both moves are effective immediately. Bromley joined Us Weekly in 2003 and was the magazine's London correspondent before heading the European bureau. Epstein since 2000 has held various position at Out, where most recently he was West Coast editor, prior to joining Us Weekly. — S.D.S.
WEB WORTHY: The New York Times Co. reported overall sales and advertising sales decreases for the first quarter, compared with the same time a year ago, but its digital business continues to flourish, with sales up 21.6 percent. Janet Robinson, president and chief executive officer, said its digital business accounted for 10 percent of its overall revenue for the quarter — while digital made up 8 percent of the company's revenue last year. The December relaunch of the Times' travel site led to more than a 50 percent increase in traffic for the quarter. During the third quarter of this year, Robinson added that a new suite of video (for its Web properties) and mobile services will be introduced.
In Touch editor in chief Richard Spencer also said it's hard for any sports star to gather a following for readers. "Even when you look at Derek Jeter, he himself doesn't become a star in the pages of the celeb weeklies. The readers aren't watching sports as much as they're watching their movies or TV shows."— Stephanie D. Smith and Nina Jones
NEW HIRES: Though Us Weekly isn't looking for new eyes to chase Posh and Becks, it is staffing up its Los Angeles bureau since former West Coast bureau chief Ken Baker moved over in January to become editorial director of usmagazine.com. Us Weekly swapped in European bureau chief Melanie Bromley to replace Baker, while Jeffrey Epstein has joined the Los Angeles office of the magazine as entertainment editor. Both moves are effective immediately. Bromley joined Us Weekly in 2003 and was the magazine's London correspondent before heading the European bureau. Epstein since 2000 has held various position at Out, where most recently he was West Coast editor, prior to joining Us Weekly. — S.D.S.
WEB WORTHY: The New York Times Co. reported overall sales and advertising sales decreases for the first quarter, compared with the same time a year ago, but its digital business continues to flourish, with sales up 21.6 percent. Janet Robinson, president and chief executive officer, said its digital business accounted for 10 percent of its overall revenue for the quarter — while digital made up 8 percent of the company's revenue last year. The December relaunch of the Times' travel site led to more than a 50 percent increase in traffic for the quarter. During the third quarter of this year, Robinson added that a new suite of video (for its Web properties) and mobile services will be introduced.
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