Chicago - Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) chairman and CEO Christie Hefner, daughter of founder Hugh Hefner, announced on Monday that she will step down from both positions. Hefner will remain as CEO until Jan. 31, and will remain on the board until a new CEO joins the company. "Playboy Enterprises Inc. has literally and figuratively been my life and career for more than 30 years," Hefner said. "Last month marked my 20th anniversary as CEO; just as this country is embracing change in the form of new leadership, I have decided that now is the time to make changes in my own life as well."

Los Angeles - Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) has announced plans for a restructuring that aims to reduce costs by $12 million annually, which will include the shuttering of its DVD business in favor of Web video, consolidation of office space, and the elimination of about 80 positions, PaidContent reported.

New York - Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) male-focused Spike TV cable network this week announced plans to launch a number of new original Web series as part of the re-launch of its website on Friday. The site features a new full episode player with comment, sharing and embedding capabilities for a number of Spike TV shows, and will offer original Web series including "The Crew," "James Rolfe -- Cinemassacre," "The MMA Girls" and a series that will be co-produced with Playboy.com.

New York - Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA) on Wednesday announced a number of new digital initiatives, including a new YouTube channel that will host video submissions for prospective new models, and the creation of a Playboy Audience Network of video sites through which it will distribute content. Along with YouTube, Break, Veoh, Howcast and Metacafe will host video highlights such as the "Playboy Radio Minute," with content from its show on Sirius; and a video blog featuring one of the star's of E!'s "The Girl Next Door." The company said it also partnered with Mixercast to develop ad-supported content and contest widgets.

Agoura Hills, Calif. - THQ Wireless (NASD: THQI) announced on Monday that it has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Playboy Enterprises (NYSE: PLA), to exclusively develop and publish Playboy-branded mobile games. The first of the non-nude mobile games featuring bikini-clad models, "Playboy Games: Pool Party," is scheduled for release this summer.

Chicago - Playboy Enterprises announced on Tuesday the launch of its presence in the online virtual world "Second Life," consisting of a rabbit-head shaped island designed by Sentient Services. Playboy Island in "Second Life" will house a virtual Playboy retail store, and play host to a variety of events, like performances from in-world music artists.

LATV, a bilingual music and entertainment network distributed via digital multicast, announced today the appointment of Bill Jenkins as Vice President of Advertising Sales. Jenkins will roll out the network's nationwide sales program as well as oversee the local sales at LATV Los Angeles affiliate KJLA.
www.latv.com
www.myspace.com/latv

Chicago - Playboy Enterprises announced on Friday that it has partnered with Bondi Digital Publishing to create a DVD box set containing all of the magazine's issues from its 53-year history. The DVDs will contain all of the original photographs, articles, cartoons and ads, and will be searchable on a computer. Released by decade, the first two sets comprising the 1950s and 1960s are set to ship in October. Each decade's box set will retail for $100 and include a 200-page companion book.  

EchoStar Communications, operator of the DISH Network satellite TV service, announced on Monday that it has named Carl Vogel as President, and Bernard L. Han as Chief Financial Officer. Vogel was EchoStar's president from 1994 to 1997, and has also served as president and CEO of Charter Communications. Han was most recently vice president and chief financial officer of Northwest Airlines.