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UPDATE: Lots of insiders have been telling me all week that Eric Mika is out as publisher of The Hollywood Reporter. Or is that just wishful thinking? (Remember, this guy was once described to me as “a prick with all the people skills of a feral pig”.) The word is he’ll be replaced by THR‘s fellow Variety emigre Rose Einstein, and Mica may get shifted by Nielsen to some job in England. Mika’s office would not confirm or deny. By my count, this would be the 5th THR publisher since 2006. Anyway, whoever’s in the job will most likely preside over an online-only trade before too long.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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What is wrong with online-only crap like “Deadline Hollywood”
I hope Rose gets the nod, she is one of the warmest, nicest people in the business, not to mention that she’s earned the position and replacing Mika with her will be a night-and-day difference for everyone at THR.
Who misses Bob Dowling now?
This is great news. Since Dowling’s departure, it has been a ridiculous mess.
Einstein isn’t much better than Mika. Believe me. They need a whole new crew at that place. Let the layoffs start hitting the top people!
It would seem only fitting that Mika get the ax himself just before the holidays. It’s karma for the massive layoffs that he’s overseen during his tenure, including 17 more early this month.
THR needs the old THR crew back.
Rose is kind, warm, genuine, experienced and capable; THR, and Hollywood in general, could do ALOT worse in a leader.
Good riddance. Karma is a bitch, but he’s a douche.
The trade crumbled after Bob Dowling and his crew left. He was the primo in the business. Why would any conglomerate go out and purposely destroy a brand that was on top? Not to mention the employees who were respected and talented. I think most of them are now at VARIETY. Very sad. This town needs two trades. Why do these type of men and women, who are so inept, get big jobs? Just don’t understand.
I’ve had the pleasure of working for Rose Einstein before. Can she be tough… absolutely! Is she a person of integrity who just wants to get the job done… you bet!
It’s unbelievable that Rose Einstein would get promoted to the top spot. She is old news and totally incapable of leading the publication- print and definitely online. Gerry Byrne, what on earth are you doing?? Take notice, look around, your top execs don’t have a clue!!! Get rid of them both, and you might salvage the THR name.
Your kidding….right?
These two are perfect for each other, and they both should be thrown out together. Mica is a pompous, egomaniac who only got to where he did by keeping his lips firmly planted on the right derriere.
Einstein, although certainly smarter, nicer, and more respected does not have a clue of how to manage this business in the 21st century. She’s a terrific soldier, but not capable of being a leader within this changing business model.
Speaking of a leader, or lack of one as the case may be, everything flows from the very top. Gerry Byrne needs to be sent packing for his dismal failure to guide THR in even a barely competent manner. What in the world are the people at Nielsen thinking, can they really be this ignorant.
I love that fact amongst the pablum being posted is no accountability for what Finke wrote… but everyone is willing to comment and vent. Don’t forget Rose had a stellar career at Variety and running the Home Entertainment Group at Reed. She’s a highly regarded executive – and a damn good one – and her leaving Variety ultimately got Koones fired. So there is a form of justice! THR has weathered the publishing storm better than many other publications anywhere. Those of you that are unhappy deserved to work elsewhere. Let Rose and Eric do their thing.
Give us a break, Stephen. THR is a sad shell of a sad shell. The owners took away its lips so it can’t even kiss ass anymore. The web owns breaking news. THR doesn’t have the pages, the intellect or the guts to do features with any measure of depth. So it just runs half-assed versions of the half-assed horse race pieces everyone else does.
ProudPub, I agree with you about Rose, she’s very capable and had a long tenure at Reed, especially with the Home Ent Group, but that was also when the DVD market was exploding, so she kinda rode the wave. But I also agree with GTNworse, Rose is an excellent soldier, but probably not an inspiring leader. (Bob Dowling was excellent and a tough act to follow for anyone….)
Now about Mika and Gerry Byrne, it’s absolutely AMAZING that those two have been able to keep their jobs while THR has spiraled down the drain. It’s a shell of it’s former self and very sad to watch the leadership do very little to fix things. (Especially Mika, he’s SUCH A PUTZ!!) And now Mika blew the budgets visting his GF in Asia and they had to get rid of SENIOR editors with years of experience to balance the books! SHAME ON THEM!! Karma is a bitch, boys!
Just in – Craig Hitchcock just announced he is leaving THR to return to DV – what is wrong with that picture?
Hey Outed…you got it half right….Hitchcock is leaving, but going to the Paley Center (formerly Musuem of Television and Radio) as VP/Exec Director as reported in TV Week today. Now that’s a bizarre choice, Craig bullshitted them good!! (BTW, DV would never let him come back, way too much bad blood…)
Hey Outed – Just In – Get your facts straight. Craig Hitchcock will not be going to DV.
Get it right folks… Hitchcock is not going to DV
I got it right at 1:30 PM, thanks!!
The beginning of the end for THR was when Bob Dowling was shown the door. He came to town with a vision and worked as hard as a person could work to make the paper competitive. In these tough times it would’ve more prudent than ever to have someone like Dowling manning the ship. THR has been on a downswing since 2006 and during that time it has let go of many quality people. It should surprise no one to see the predicament it’s in now.
It appears that this is indeed the end for this management group of clowns and ego maniacs. I worked and lived through this regime and can’t believe Nielsen so highly invested in Mika, Einstein and Byrne. Its obvious they didn’t talk to the powers that be in Hollywood and/or Cahners? Mika hasn’t fooled anyone with his expensive suits and monogram shirts. His pompus manner and arrogance is his curse. So under qualified for this seat; what a sham! Then that three-ring circus of a “re-design” was simply a calamity and a financial disaster for Nielsen! Can they ever recover? This over-paid management “team” who is still living in the 90′s is an offense to the talent and trench workers at THR. They are the ones that live in the 21st century and have tried to keep that pub alive with their talent, relationships, skills and hard work. Unfortunately, they are the casualties and the first to the life rafts are Mika, Einstein and Byrne, not a surprise!
Nielsen is up to their eyeballs paying for Mika’s excessive trips to Asia, what could be there that he’s often on a plane crossing the Pacific? Ski trips to Sundance where no body knows him and vice versa and trips to Europe, the South of France and six star hotels in Dubai. Hmmm, wonder if these expensive first class trips have garnered stellar relations and financial gain for the organization? And, then there’s Rose, who has the management skills of a sales manager at GM. She can’t inspire a fly and manages with a fear factor mentality. It’s any wonder that all the sales talent flew the coup from both DV and THR. She’s far better suited and skilled to run a cell-block at the LA County Jail.
And, Mr. Byrne, the good old days of Bob Evans, Ali McGraw and Peter Guber are long gone Gerry, it’s time that you register this fact!
The industry is evolving and changing everyday and these three can’t seem to accept this notion. It’s a new day and the only way THR will survive this tsunami is to immediately cut the dead weight at the top and bring in a revered maverick with a successful record of industry relationships, experience, intelligence and is connected and understands today’s industry, the players and decision makers, as well as our current economy, the consumer and new media market. Importantly, they need a respected leader who regards and values editorial and sales execs that are the bread and butter of a trade publication second to it’s advertisers!
Lastly, per the comments by ProudPub, this numb-nut doesn’t have the facts. Charlie didn’t get fired because Rose left! Rose was given her DV pink slip because she was living and working in another decade and clearly didn’t get along with the numerous sales staff’s then or the staff at the Video Pubs and before that, the DV sales staff she managed in the 90′s. Charlie rescued her many times, she did well by him! Let’s hope that this current management team will throw you a life raft in this imminent spiral since you’d throw yourself under a bus for them!
Hey, “Been There, Lived It” what Kool-aid are you drinking? Koones was fired not for rescuing Rose so many times as you say, but because he makes Mika look humble. He won the battle but lost the war! It was a power play that back-fired on him. Clearly you are too far down in the food chain to understand that the TOP management at Reed and Nielsen tie these executives hands with revenue demands and lame policies that are absurd. I’m still working and don’t have patience or sympathy for those of you who think you can do it better or know more. Bring in a better plan…
Nope, not drinking anyone’s Kool-aid “Let the Truth Be Known,” just stating facts that I and many others know far too well. Charlie was a smart, intelligent and strategic exec that kept DV in the black for many years under his watch, however, there was only room for one Captain Quigg on the DV ship and Mr. Smith, made sure it was him that would be first to the oxygen machine – not Koones! I’m sure Koones has long moved-on to a bigger and higher mountain to climb.
Mika humble…don’t think so. Humble doesn’t exist in Mika’s DNA. Insecurity on the highest level mixed in with arrogance, no leadership skills and ZERO ability to connect and build relationships – yes, these are the skills of Euro-trash Mika. Eric has been Byrne’s boy for years, and it was Byrne who garnered his son the “Publisher” seat. Come on, we all know this! Question is, who’s kool-aid are you drinking?
If you’re still working at THR, then your hired leaders should have figured out “a better plan” to make this once renowned and very viable trade more than survive. Poor poor executives who have their hands tied with revenue demands and lame policies. What will they do with their handsome six figure contracts when this ship finally sinks? Patience is what we’ve all had these past two years, particularly being a paid subscriber that pays for these big fat golden packages “Let the Truth Be Known!” “Bring in a better plan…well, this industry is still waiting… Isn’t this what Nielsen employed Mika, Byrne and Einstein to accomplish and achieve?
Boy, the days of Dowling and Segal are surely valued and missed!