Media notes: LA Times hires from TV Guide for New York

• The LA Times has added Stephen Battaglio, business editor of TV Guide, for the Company Town team based in New York. Here's Wednesday's memo:

To: The Staff

From: John Corrigan, Assistant Managing Editor

Stephen Battaglio, a veteran journalist and author, has joined our Company Town team as a reporter covering the TV and media business out of New York.

Stephen comes to us from TV Guide, where he was the business editor. He’s also held staff positions at the New York Daily News, Inside.com and the Hollywood Reporter, where he was the New York bureau chief.

During his stint at TV Guide, Stephen developed and oversaw the publication’s annual survey of TV star salaries. The survey was quoted by news media organizations worldwide and was a perennial best-selling issue of the magazine.

Stephen is a terrific addition to our Company Town team. He has a track record of breaking news and in developing smart trend and enterprise pieces. He’ll bolster our coverage of the TV news and sports business, and his presence in New York will be an asset in covering the increasing amount of production taking place there.

Stephen has written three books related to television, and he has appeared as a media expert on broadcasts including “NBC Nightly News,” CBS’ “Sunday Morning,” NPR’s “Morning Edition,” the “Today” show and “Good Morning America.”

You may also have been one of the 1 billion viewers who saw his name in a comedy bit during the 2013 Oscars telecast. His byline appeared under a story from the future that read: “Seth MacFarlane, Worst Oscar Host Ever.”

Stephen reports to Company Town editor Joe Bel Bruno. Please join me in welcoming Stephen and following him on Twitter at @SteveBattaglio.

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• Saturday's Off-Ramp on KPCC will include a conversation with artist Don Bachardy.
• Fox 11 promoted assignment manager Ruben Villaescusa to assistant news director.
• The Writers Guild of America, West named veteran television writer-producer Jeff Melvoin, co-founder of the guild's Showrunner Training Program, as the recipient of its 2015 Morgan Cox Award in recognition of his longtime guild service.
• The LA Times also launched Los Angeles Times HS Insider, "a new platform for Southern California high school students to tell their own stories about the high school experience."