Los Angeles - Citing the economic downturn, trade publication publisher Reed Business has laid off some 30 employees from its Daily Variety, 411, Video Business and Trade Show Week.

Los Angeles - Variety today published a 2-page spread (pages 10-11) in its Video Business magazine congratulating Digital Media Wire’s “25 Executives to Watch in Digital Entertainment."

The honorees were selected by the editorial team at Digital Media Wire to recognize emerging leaders in the digital media and entertainment industry.

The 2009 honorees are:

Los Angeles - Improv comedy troupe the Groundlings has signed a one-year deal with Sony Pictures Television to create 50 digital shorts for the Web and mobile platforms, Variety reports. The Los Angeles-based group has fostered such comedians as Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, Julia Sweeney and Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens.

London - Publisher Reed Elsevier (NYSE: RUK) has announced plans to sell off its Reed Business Information (RBI) unit, whose holdings include Variety, New Scientist, Publishers Weekly and Broadcasting & Cable. "RBI is a well-managed high quality business as evidenced by the success of its online growth and the control of costs. Its advertising revenue model and the inherent cyclicality fit less well however with the subscription-based information and workflow solutions focus of Reed Elsevier's strategy," said Reed Elsevier CEO Sir Crispin Davis.

Los Angeles - Hollywood trade publication Variety on Tuesday announced the launch of The Biz, a social networking site for entertainment professionals and enthusiasts in the U.S. The site was created in partnership with Jobster, and aims to offer interested parties a place to "network, pitch products, exchange ideas, and search for jobs among peers and industry experts."

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft's MSN said on Wednesday that it will now host entertainment industry news and opinion content from Variety.com. In addition to daily entertainment news, MSN will now feature columns and blogs from Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart, as well as journalists Anne Thompson and Cynthia Littleton.

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Conspiracy Entertainment Holdings Inc., a developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment software in North America and Western Europe, announced today the appointment of Marco Husges in a newly created position of Executive Vice President effective as of July 2007. Mr. Husges has served in leadership roles in the global video game development and publishing industries since the early 1990s.

http://www.conspiracygames.com

Los Angeles - Entertainment industry news publication Variety announced on Wednesday that it has made all of the content on Variety.com available for free and without registration.

Tokyo - In the first case of its kind, a Japanese court has found the developer of a peer-to-peer service called Winny guilty of abetting copyright infringement, and ordered him to pay nearly $13,000 in fines, Variety reported.