Bylines   

Network News:Former NBC "Today" news anchor John Palmerreplaces John Hartas anchor of "World Monitor." Hart has not been available for comment but told the Boston Globe before his resignation that he wanted to "go off by the pond and try to write a book, grow a beard, buy a dog, maybe teach newswriting and ethics once a week." Meanwhile, the Discovery Channel, where "Monitor" debuted in 1988, drops the newscast to concentrate on "in-depth and multi-part" documentaries, according to Discovery CEO John Hendricks. The show now appears with Palmer on the eight-month-old Monitor Channel, but its potential audience drops from 55 million viewers to 3.5 million...Cuba opens its doors to the first Western TV agency in 30 years by allowing Visnews to open a Havana bureau staffed by correspondent Alfredo Tedeschi. Visnews' 35 worldwide bureaus are jointly owned by NBC, Reuters and the BBC...At ABC, Justin Friedlandbecomes senior producer of "World News This Morning." He had been a producer for special projects.

Elyse Weiner, formerly a producer for "World News Tonight," takes over as broadcast producer of ABC's new overnight newscast... Andrea Arceneauxmoves from reporter to anchor at CNN International; Charles Hoffbecomes chief of the Jerusalem bureau and Lisa Echolshis deputy. Both had been at Newsbeam, CNN's satellite service...NBC signs Jeff Diamond, formerly a producer at ABC's "20/20," as executive producer of a show that debuts in March with host Jane Pauley. USA Today notes wryly that "by last count this is NBC's 19th attempt" at a magazine-style program. Meanwhile, NBC names Weekend News Manager Dianne Festaas Moscow bureau chief, New York Bureau Chief Karolyn Lordas national news manager and London Bureau Chief Karen Curryas the network's first executive producer for a.m. news programs.
 

Welcome Home: Terry Anderson, chief AP correspondent in the Middle East before being kidnapped in Beirut, returned home after nearly seven years in captivity. Immediately after his release, the 44-year-old Anderson became one of the first Americans ever to say, "You can't imagine how glad I am to see you," to a roomful of reporters.
 

News Holes:After 112 years, the Dallas Times Herald closes its doors. About 900 employees lose their jobs in a $55 million buyout by the larger Dallas Morning News. The two newspapers had competed for 106 years...FineLine, the newsletter on journalism ethics, publishes its last issue. Started in 1989, the title "never approached breaking even," says Publisher Barry Bingham...The New York Daily News files for bankruptcy; in London, its Robert Maxwell-owned parent firm does the same...Editor Joseph Farahof the Sacramento Union chooses to resign rather than dismiss four staffers in budget cuts. President Gerald Killiansays Farah told him, "If you have to lay people off, start with me."...CBS News dismisses about 20 editorial staffers at its D.C. bureau in budget cuts...Frustrated by a dwindling budget, San Francisco Examiner

Executive Editor Larry Kramerresigns. "The economic tightening has taken its toll on me," says Kramer, who lost 20 percent of his staff during his five-year tenure. "I haven't been able to do anything new." He's replaced by Phil Bronstein, formerly M.E. for news...The left-leaning weekly In These Times continues to have money woes; it's fallen $100,000 behind in paying contributors. "Writers are the only people you can screw without the paper shutting down," Editor James Weinsteintold the Chicago Reader. "So regardless of our intentions, that's what happens."
 

Local TV Feeds: Reporter Mark Sauterquit Seattle's KIRO after President Ken Hatchpostponed a story critical of the University of Washington football team until after a big game. Sauter's report, scheduled to run days before the Huskies' season finale, revealed that several players had failed to answer arrest warrants for traffic infractions and an assault. Some KIRO staffers wore black armbands to protest what Sauter has called "simple cronyism." Hatch says he held the piece because it was "inappropriate," but a heated staff meeting, some minor editing, a Huskie victory and Sauter's departure apparently made it suitable to air... Reporter Ed Messett, formerly at Albuquerque's KOB, joins KTSP in Phoenix; Dale Schornackleaves KTSP to anchor at KDFW in Dallas...Milwaukee's WTMJ names Carole Meekinsof WEWS in Cleveland as an evening anchor and Catherine Dalyof WPLG in Miami as managing editor.
 

Newspapers:Reporter Ray Hananiasues the Chicago Sun-Times, charging that he was forced to resign because he was dating the city treasurer. He wants $2 million. Hanania also charges that his integrity as a journalist was impugned by Editor Dennis Britton. The reporter says he voluntarily gave up his city hall beat a year ago to avoid any conflict of interest in a political feud between the treasurer and Mayor Richard Daleyand was "shocked" when asked to resign. The Sun-Times calls the lawsuit "frivolous and absolutely without merit"... Melinda Welsh, founding editor of the three-year-old Sacramento News & Review, leaves the weekly to become editor of a new alternative news syndicate. Associate Editor A. Lin Neumannsucceeds her... Kent Ward, a reporter and editor at the Bangor Daily News for nearly 30 years, retires. He continues his popular weekly column, in which he gently tweaks such targets as gum chewers and "stupid Massachusetts drivers" ... Andrew Schneiderjoins Scripps Howard News Service to oversee investigations. A two-time Pulitzer winner, he leaves the Pittsburgh Press... Stephen Buttry, formerly at the Kansas City Star, becomes editor of the Minot Daily News in North Dakota...The Chicago Tribune shuffles its staff to improve arts coverage under Associate M.E. John Twohey. Six editors now report to Twohey on books, pop music, the performing arts, radio and TV, and general features; Twohey also plans to hire a West Coast freelancer and assign two new beat reporters. The paper drops the position of entertainment editor, which has been empty for 18 months... Robert Pittman, editorials editor at the St. Petersburg Times, retires after 28 years with the paper. Washington Bureau Chief Phil Gaileysucceeds him...

Richard Harwoodretires after 25 years with the Washington Post and more than four decades in newspapers. At the Post he's been a reporter, national editor, deputy M.E. and, since 1988, ombudsman. He originally wanted to be an electrician but decided journalism "sounded like a good life" and found work at papers in Nashville and Louisville. Harwood now writes a Post op-ed column and teaches.
 

Magazines:Veteran celebrity writer RudyMaxaleaves Washingtonian to gather easy fodder at Spy's new D.C. bureau. Maxa insists his departure from Washingtonian was friendly, although the magazine recently settled a libel action over a profile Maxa had co-written of Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke. Maxa says "it's certainly comforting" to know his new employer has never been sued... Neal Travis, formerly editor of defunct California magazine, joins the syndicated"Hard Copy" as an associate executive producer... Rosemary Ellisjoins Working Woman as executive editor. Formerly articles editor at Self, she succeeds Lee Lusardi, now at McCall's... Ruth La Ferla, formerly a fashion reporter at the New York Times Magazine, becomes executive editor of Elle. She replaces Joyce Carusoand Features Editor Randall Koral, both of whom leave the magazine...Senior Writer Stephen Friedreturns to Philadelphia magazine after taking two years off to write a book. The magazine also hires Loren Feldman, formerly at American Lawyer, as senior editor and Paul Keeganof Boston Business as senior writer... Nancy Woodhull, formerly supervisory editor for six Time Inc. magazines, founds a consulting firm to help companies improve relationships between men and women at work and in the marketplace. For her first client, former employer Time Publishing Ventures, she'll work on strategies to reach more female readers.
 

Religion Pages: Kim Sue Lia Perkesleaves her beat at the Arizona Republic to cover politics for the paper. In her final column, she notes that "people won't be able to have God speak to me about them, and it won't be necessary to send any more death threats." Her hard-hitting coverage prompted some readers to address her as "Satan"; one priest wrote to say he was tired of her "Catholic bashing." "Isn't it time Arizona's largest newspaper hired a Catholic religion writer?" he asked. Perkes's reply: "They did, Father. See you in church."...The Denver Catholic Register names Charlene Scottas the first female editor in its 91-year history...The Religious News Service hires Pamela

Schaefferas news editor. Formerly at the St. Louis Post Dispatch, she succeeds Tom Roberts, who remains to write... Skip Johnson, who quit the Charleston Post and Courier, says he's joined "that growing fraternity of religion writers who have either resigned in disgust or been fired." During his two years as religion editor he says his space was cut dramatically and he was given a growing list of taboo topics, including New Age, Christian Science, the Gulf War, the Nation of Islam and abortion. "While religion gains in importance throughout the world, most newspapers seem less interested in covering the story," says Johnson, now a freelancer. Executive Editor Larry Tarletonsays he wasn't happy with Johnson's section — "he wanted to write sermons" — and has shifted religion to a news beat.
 

Radio News: Richard Beebereturns to KRLA-AM in Los Angeles, as morning anchor. Most recently at L.A.'s Money Radio Network, Beebe's first stint at KRLA in the 1960s was as a member of "Credibility Gap," a satire team that presented its own version of the day's events...National Public Radio names Rosemary Shinohara, formerly an editor at the Anchorage Daily News, as senior editor of "All Things Considered." Ken Rudin, a former ABC reporter and the owner of 70,000 pieces of campaign memorabilia collected over 25 years, becomes NPR's political editor.
 

In Memoriam: Robert Zintl Jr., 44, died of a sudden heart attack in his Rome office, where he was bureau chief for Time... Hanson Baldwin, 88, former military editor at the New York Times and winner of a 1942 Pulitzer Prize for his war coverage, died of heart ailments... Ronald Boyd, 41, art critic for the Dallas Times Herald, died of complications related to AIDS.