Finke on the NYT and Hollywood

Nikki Finke pops back into the LA Weekly with a "website-only exclusive" on Comcast expressing real interest in buying Vivendi Universal, and a long Deadline Hollywood column on New York Times entertainment coverage. She quotes new executive editor Bill Keller at length, notes that Rick Lyman had his goodbye party at La Serenata de Garibaldi in Santa Monica, and reveals that the search for his successor as lead Hollywood reporter is -- according to unnamed sources -- starting over.

Back in April, the shortlist included Los Angeles Times editor-writer Michael Cieply, Los Angeles magazine writer Amy Wallace, Washington Post Style correspondent Sharon Waxman and Wall Street Journal staff reporter Bruce Orwall...According to insiders, the field had narrowed to Waxman and Wallace, with Waxman being given the best odds.

But sources say last week [culture editor Steven] Erlanger stressed that the process was starting all over again and that meant collecting more names, r�sum�s and clips to include in a new dossier for Keller. "I'm sure they're going about the search in just the right way," Keller comments.