Eat The Press

"Tabloid Wars": The Series The New York Post Turned Down

Huffington Post |  Rachel Sklar |  Posted Wednesday July 19, 2006 at 04:15 PM

Bravo's reality series "Tabloid Wars" featuring the New York Daily News airs next Monday, promising a look into "the manic, hurly-burly world of a New York tabloid" — but it's not the New York tabloid the producers originally had in mind.

Eat the Press has learned that the show's producers initially approached the New York Post about being featured in the series, but Post editor-in-chief Col Allan turned them down. Through Post representative Steven Rubenstein , Allan confirmed that he had declined Bravo's offer, saying "We're all about making great newspapers."

"Tabloid Wars" has been getting lots of press for the Daily News (nicknamed the "Daily Snooze" by Posties) in advance of Monday's debut, giving play to staffers like crime reporter Kerry Burke, married gossip columnists George Rush & Joanna Molloy, former editor-in-chief Michael Cooke, and former gossip reporter Hud Morgan, who seems to have emerged as the breakout star of the series.

All this does not seem to faze Allan, however, who comments tartly in the Los Angeles Times: "If I look at the circulation trajectories of both papers, I would call the Daily News series 'Tabloid Surrender.' "