The Times' Brian Stelter notes today that thanks to television networks placing shows on the internet, more people are watching video on the web for longer periods of time, leading to an explosion of original content created outside of Hollywood.

When a kid pisses on a tree in Manhattan, who hears it? The New York Times, of course! And they're out to take the little bastard to task.

• The New York Blade, one of the two big gay and lesbian newspapers in New York City, has suspended publication and laid off most of its staff. [NYT]
• How many books can you possibly read about Bernie Madoff? Who knows, but there at least four books about him scheduled to hit stores this fall. [Crains]
• David Rohde, the New York Times reporter who was kidnapped in Afghanistan with his translator in November and released a couple of weeks ago, returned to the Times newsroom to a standing ovation yesterday. [NYT]
• James Frey's young adult novel has been sold to HarperCollins. [NYT]
• Wonkette editor Ken Layne has sold a book to HarperCollins, too. [NYO]
• The battle between CNBC's Dennis Kneale and bloggers goes on. [Dealbreaker]

Caricature-coiffed Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter co-owns two restaurants where Manhattan's most insufferable douchebags go to get their "look at me" on. Each day these establishments field "thousands" of table requests and Graydon alone decides where the arses will park.

The New York Times' David Rohde, who spent seven months as a hostage to a Taliban warlord in Afghanistan, has just returned to the paper's newsroom.

Meghan McCain demands the "really hot" Hillary Duff to play her in the movie about her life, Lindsay Lohan is paid big bucks to party, Farrah is laid to rest, Michael Jackson's photographer speaks and Courtney Love suffers from malnutrition.

Lisa Falcone is the bubbly, money-flinging wife of billionaire hedge funder Philip Falcone—who owns 20% of the New York Times. Lisa enjoys the simple things, like her $50 million mansion's basement apartment. She's a role model for young billionheiresses!

In your sad Monday media column: the New York Times will limp along a little longer, Iran locks up journalists while they're engrossed in Twitter, Tim Rutten is predictable, and the television industry loses a couple billion, no biggie.

• Despite unkindly reviews from most critics, the Transformers sequel racked up $112 million at the box office over the weekend, bringing its five-day gross to more than $200 million. [THR]
• Don't worry too much about the New York Times going under. AdAge reports the paper should be in business until at least 2011. [AdAge]
• Viacom is not going to buy MySpace from News Corp., alas. [Reuters]
• NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker is so concerned about the situation at the company's film division, he's sending his CFO to LA to crack skulls. [NYP]
• More bad news for the TV biz: According to a new report, the industry faces a $2 billion ad slump over the next four years. [FT]
• Not only did the New York Times keep news of reporter David Rohde's kidnapping a secret, the paper kept it off of Wikipedia, too. [NYT]
• MSNBC's is hoping broadcasting in HD boosts ratings. [B&C]
• Kate Gosselin's next book has been postponed; you can guess why. [NYP]
• VH1 has two new hip-hop-themed reality shows in the works. [THR]

Jimmy Wales had an image problem. After bending his online encyclopedia's rules for a lover and, allegedly, for a benefactor, the Wikipedia co-founder faced rebuke and embarrassment. Then the New York Times made him a hero.

Maureen Dowd fired up her patented pop-culture-meets-political-sideshow engine again yesterday to explore the resonances between The Holiday, the 2006 Cameron Diaz movie that Dowd thinks Mark Sanford recommended via e-mail to his Argentinian paramour, and Sanford's life. Wrong Holiday, MoDo.

For all of you people who are always complaining about how the "good" news rarely gets reported, here's a little ray of sunshine courtesy of the New York Times—-Some straight men are actually accepting of the gays! Amazing!

Wait, this can't be right.

• Both NBC and ABC plan to pre-empt regular programming this evening to air specials devoted to coverage of the Jackson story. E!, MTV, and CNN (among others) have specials airing over the next few days, too. [NYT, THR]
• Time is publishing a special Jackson "commemorative edition" on Monday. For its part, Rolling Stone has a "bookazine" in the works. [NYT, NYT]
• How newspapers around the world covered the Jackson news. [Guardian]
• And how the Jackson story kind of broke the Internet. [ABC News]

NYT: Contrary to expectations, black man does not kill baby bird.

We've received many emails tonight from readers taking issue with an Alessandra Stanley piece in the Times on Farrah Fawcett. Maybe it's the lede—"She really tried. And for a sex symbol that alone can be like an accomplishment."

Last year women spent almost $50 million on worthless products that failed to get rid of cellulite. Stop the madness! Must the New York Times plaster an entire Styles page with a naked bottom to get you to listen? Yes.

New York Times Co. chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and CEO Janet Robinson sent out a self-congratulatory memo this morning. Among their accomplishments: the New York Times still exists, despite Michael Hirschorn's prediction that it might not. Hirschorn tells us: "Speaking as 'one writer,' I'm genuinely happy to be proven wrong." Also, employees have lost a lot of their pay and benefits and they're raising newsstand and subscription prices. Go team! (via Nieman Lab and the Awl)

In your ever-gray Wednesday media column: Les Moonves can barely afford a dozen new million-dollar condos, The Daily Beast folds on freelance contracts, layoffs at MTV and TruTV, and the New York Times Co. is sick of your rumormongering.

• New York Times Co. CEO Janet Robinson "isn't happy with the media." She'd also like to make it clear that the company is not currently up for sale, so please put your dollar bills back in your wallet, thank you very much. [MW]
• Ten movies will compete for Best Picture at the Oscars now, not 5. [THR]
• Sad: Dick Cheney landed a $2 million deal to publish his memoir. [NYT]
• Also sad: MSNBC, the illustrious home of blowhard Keith Olbermann, seems to think its tired prison docs are more important than covering Iran. [LAT]
• Director David Fincher is in talks to make a movie about Facebook. [Reuters]
• The always classy In Touch spent $75,000 to purchase photos of Kate Gosselin spanking her kids in public for its cover last week. [WWD, NYP]