Cathie Black

Here's Hearst's latest project: Food Network Magazine.

Now is not the time to launch any magazine, unless of course it's in luxury, or in the other category that's been doing swift business in this ugly year: Food.

Recently, Hearst has struggled with launches. From The New York Post's Keith Kelly:

[Hearst] has shut down Quick & Simple, Weekend and Shop Etc., and a joint venture to do Lifetime magazine in conjunction with the television network also flopped. Now, Hearst President Cathie Black hopes to stop the skid with the latest entry into the food category, which has been sizzling hot despite the industry turmoil.

Maile Carpenter, who was working at Everday with Rachel Ray, is the magazine's editor. The premiere issue, with a picture of a pumpkin pie on the cover, hits newsstands on October 14th and Hearst will roll out six issues next year.

Forbes and Parade chatter-hound James Brady reports today on his annual leg-humping trip to Hearst boss Cathie Black's Christmas party. There was "TV's gorgeous Deborah Norville," "the tall, striking Atoosa Rubenstein," "Ken Auletta...that wonderful writer," "Kate White, blond and lovely"...

And then there was this other guy:

David Hershey, editor of Esquire, informed me he has now been in that job for ten years. Since I had once myself been a Hearst Magazines editor and publisher who lasted only 17 months before being canned, I expressed my admiration for David's longevity and for his revitalization of the grand old book.

David must have been glad to hear that--whichever David it may have been, or however he might spell it.

Office assignments went out yesterday to the more than 2,000 employees of Hearst magazines, with Cosmopolitan getting the highest floor for any individual title, reports the New York Post.

(It's sort of like that moment in the summer when you get the best homeroom assignment, except with Central Park views).

Since two mechanical floors are situated on the top, the 44th floor is devoted to lavish conference rooms, and the 43rd will house Hearst Magazine President Cathie Black. And then, come the top-tier publications.

Cosmopolitan, the most profitable magazine in the empire, has the highest floor for an individual magazine, the 38th. Oprah Winfrey, whose O magazine is the second most profitable in the company behind Cosmo, will be on the 36th.

The Norman Foster- designed tower has been getting plenty of press lately. Last weekend, the 46-story building graced the cover of the New York Times "Arts and Leisure" section, in a piece on green buildings. Move-in starts on May 4th.

But, most importantly, what about the Hearst cafeteria?

Café 57, a full service cafeteria that insiders say plans to offer sushi five days a week - compared to archrival Condé Nast which only has sushi twice a week in its Frank Gehry-designed employee cafeteria in Times Square.

Ouch. That hurts almost as much as the new Condé Nast cafeteria policy.  read more »

- Michael Calderone

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From behind her desk, Atoosa Rubenstein took a deep breath and knitted her brow, a signal that the 2  read more »