PRODUCER GRAZER ENDS UP ON CUTTING-ROOM FLOOR

The revelation that Andrés Martinez, the editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times, who had selected producer Brian Grazer as a "guest editor," was involved in a romantic relationship with a publicist for the PR firm representing Grazer led Thursday to Martinez's resignation. Martinez had selected Grazer to edit a special edition of this Sunday's "Current," an opinion section. Publisher David Hiller canceled the section and issued a statement Thursday night saying that although the newspaper did not believe that Martinez's relationship with publicist Kelly Mullens played a part in the selection of Grazer, the Times had decided to cancel the section "to avoid even the appearance of conflict." Martinez promptly resigned, announcing his decision on a blog on the newspaper's website, saying that Hiller's decision made his continued role at the Times "untenable" and amounted to "a vote of no confidence." He further lashed out at colleagues at the newspaper, who had shone a light on the matter. "In trying to keep up with the blogosphere, and boasting about their ability to go after their own, navel-gazing newsrooms run the risk of becoming parodies of themselves," he commented. (Daily Variety pointed out that "the blogosphere" was "the very forum he was using" to denounce the decision. Martinez also charged that canceling the section had been an overreaction. "There's a perception that Hiller is trying to suck up to Hollywood and advertisers," he wrote. Today's (Friday) New York Times quoted unnamed people close to Grazer as saying that he had been "humiliated by the outcome."

23/03/2007