In a report (PDF file) released this week, the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General called on alcohol marketers to cut back on outdoor ads, end college-newspaper advertisings, and eliminate alcohol-sponsored events at colleges, Advertising Age reports. Beer Institute President Jeff Becker says brewers "wholeheartedly agree" with the recommendations, noting the industry already requires ads to be placed in media where 70 percent of the audience is 21 or older.

Continue ReadingSurgeon General Urges Alcohol Ad Cutbacks

Robert Chavez's 90-day suspension from his post as president of the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "will become a permanent termination" at the next meeting of the chamber's board, the Scene reports. Chavez was suspended just two weeks ago, following a Scene article detailing his "nefarious business activities and poor chamber leadership." The Nashville alt-weekly also reports that Chavez has lost his attorney, Delain L. Deatherage, who had represented him since at least November.

Continue ReadingUpdate: Subject of Nashville Scene Investigation to be Fired

The Detroit alt-weekly's annual music festival, which begins tonight, "is the area's biggest annual celebration of local music," featuring "more than 250 bands over four nights at 20 venues," the Detroit Free Press reports. During the past decade, the festival has featured Detroit acts like Eminem and the White Stripes before they became international stars.

Continue ReadingMetro Times’ Blowout Celebrates 10th Year

The Stranger reports that Dave Segal, who has been with the Seattle alt-weekly since 2004, was hired yesterday as music editor of OC Weekly. Segal replaces Chris Ziegler, who left the Village Voice Media paper last month. The Southland alt-weekly also hired freelance film reviewer Luke Y. Thompson as a staff writer, according to Thompson's own blog. And OC Weekly's former feature editor and "Commie Girl" columnist Rebecca Schoenkopf writes that the paper recently lost managing editor Ellen Griley and staff writer Dave Wielenga. She broke the news in the comments section of the Boston Phoenix's recent story on VVM.

Continue ReadingOC Weekly Continues to Remake Masthead