Peter Chernin: What's He Building in There?

In your wet Wednesday media column: Peter Chernin assembling a secret empire, John Carney gets a new job, pay TV is far from dying, Jon Meacham meets Steven Rattner, and Vanity Fair joins the electronic age.

• Ever since Peter Chernin left his position as Rupert's #2 at News Corp, media types have wondered: What next, Peter Chernin, for you? Well, Chernin is reportedly in the process of assembling his very own "vast media empire." From scratch! If he accomplishes that he'll join the likes of Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch himself. What are you building in there, Peter Chernin?
• Financial wonderblogger John Carney, who was abruptly canned by Business Insider not long ago, has a new gig at CNBC, which reportedly includes on-air time. Onwards and upwards! And former Gawker wonderintern Neel Shah now appears in a taxi cab ad. Onwards and upwards!
• The number of Americans paying for television rose three percent last year, to 100 million. So take your hippie granola ideas of watching everything for free on the internet and shove it right up your ass.
• Newsweek editor Jon Meacham was spotted eating lunch with media banker extraordinaire Steven Rattner. If Steve Rattner does not buy Newsweek now, well, that's just one more thing to blame him for.
• Vanity Fair has new iPhone app. If you buy it you support Vanity Fair and iPhones all at once.