The advertising broker and technology firm Pontiflex says in a recently released report that marketers will pay publishers an average price of $2.27 for each reader that fills out a form with their name, email address and other bits of personal information. "That hefty price suggests publishers should consider abandoning cheap ads sold for guaranteed prices and should instead try to use space on their web pages to convince readers to turn over their personal information," Forbes' Evan Hessel writes.

Continue ReadingReport: Marketers Will Pay More for Reader Data Than for Advertising

After calling President Barack Obama a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred for white people," Beck has lost dozens of advertisers on his Fox News TV show as a result of an ad boycott organized by the advocacy group Color of Change. Now he's attacking the group's founder, White House green jobs czar Van Jones, by calling him an "avowed communist." Beck's charge stems from a 2005 East Bay Express cover story on Jones, but staff writer Robert Gammon notes that Beck conveniently "ignores the rest of the Express profile on Jones' career and how he became a facilitator and conciliator who fought for the environment." MORE: Think Progress has responses from the White House and Color of Change.

Continue ReadingGlenn Beck Uses Alt-Weekly to Attack White House Green Jobs Czar

Wayne Garcia, the man behind the "Political Whore" column and blog, announced yesterday that he has accepted an appointment as the Freedom Forum Visiting Professional at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. He will teach investigative journalism and editing. Garcia says he's already started working on campus while he finishes up a few projects at Creative Loafing.

Continue ReadingCreative Loafing Political Editor Leaves for University Position

The two largest American theater chains have begun in recent months to reduce or eliminate movie time listings in newspapers, directing consumers to their websites or third-party sites instead. A representative from the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) says that by removing these paid ads, the theater chains are taking away something important to readers. "For a reader, some things that are ads are actually considered news," NAA vice president of advertising Mort Goldstrom says. "Ads for concerts and things at clubs, for restaurants and movies -- that's a reason people read."

Continue ReadingMovie Theater Chains Cut Print Show Times, Point Folks to Web

At today's equity auction, federal bankruptcy judge Caryl E. Delano gave control of Creative Loafing, Inc. to the company's largest creditor, Atalaya Capital Management. Atalaya's all-cash bid of $5 million won out over Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason's bid of $2.32 million in cash and other securities. The deal is expected to close within 10 days. We've got a roundup of all the news here.

Continue ReadingCreditor Gains Control of Creative Loafing

Creative Loafing (Atlanta)'s Thomas Wheatley is in Tampa covering the proceedings. He reports that CL CEO Ben Eason's opening bid was $2.3 million, including $825,000 cash and the rest in "in-kind contributions." Atalaya Capital Management countered by bidding $5 million in cash.

Continue ReadingAuction for Creative Loafing Gets Underway