I don't know whether Gannett's biggest daily is buying the same number of tables for this year's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which will be emceed by Jay Leno. But we know the furloughs and pay freeze continue, of course.
USAT's guests at the event -- invariably described as "star-studded" -- include Food Network cooking maven Rachael Ray (left) and Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon, the paper disclosed yesterday. That news came the same day an industry group revealed USA Today's circulation had tumbled 13.6%.Related: Hollywood VIPs headed for dinner
My favorite annual question: Who else will be seated at USA Today's coveted tables? Please post your comments, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
If I remember correctly, major advertisers have gotten some of these seats. Is that still true?
ReplyDeleteThis is the tip of the iceberg.
ReplyDeleteHow much $ does each USCP paper spend each year on buying tables at local events? You know, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, liberal-cause-of-the-week, NAACP-related benefits, and the like?
I bet the figure would be staggering, Jim.
I know we could hire .5-2 employees (.5 editors, two reporters), with what we spend.
Jim you are forgetting about the "pre party" and "after party" events that USAT puts together. Those alone run 30k to 50k each!!!
ReplyDeleteThe guest list will be USAT's loyalists:
Susan Lavington
Jeff Webber
John Hillkirk
Thurston Howell III (new sales manager)
From Gannett:
Craig Dubow
Robin Pence
Gracia Martore
Todd Mayman
Roxanne Horning
Tara Connell
As for the celebrities, ever since they threw out Lauren Ashburn, they have all been B actors.
I am sure there will be a socialist or two so that they can appeal to Obama.
Hey your just jealous Jim, because your not going to be THEIR and I am! Me and my good buddy Al "tree house" Neuharth. were not going to be alone, their will also be "Boom-Z-Boom" belly flap, giving lap dances, to anyone who want then. Al, Craig, me and Boom, will then go off, smoke, some Cuba's cigar, that Castro, personally gave Al, during his MC ego trip, and talk about that bridge in Brooklyn I have for sale!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter if it's with Republicans or Democrats ... Hollywood loves to get cozy with Big Government and Big Media. I just found one less overhyped sequel to go to this summer.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't hurt that Jay Leno is now a symbol of having "failed upward."
BTW, that TV hostess is Rachael Ray and she is now most visible in daytime on over-the-air TV.
And it's Food Network. Sucks that corporate made you cut all of your copy editors.
ReplyDeleteI've outsourced copyediting to a central production hub in Cashiers, N.C. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhy the company sends its chief flak, CFO, HR chief and assorted ad people and then invites b-list stars to join them in an anachronistic media event the New York Times bailed out of years ago is stupifyingly out-of-touch.
ReplyDeleteI imagine they invite (pay?) b-list celebrities because the a-listers won't sit with them.
ReplyDelete5:26 am referred to Thurston Howell III -- leaving me stumped. And then I figured out they were referring to this guy.
ReplyDelete