With Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications as new owner of Orange Coast, OC appears on the verge of getting its first true “city mag,” a publication that adds in-depth profiles and investigative pieces to the lifestyle and society coverage that typifies Orange Coast, Coast and Riviera. Emmis already has a city mag next door,Los Angeles magazine. Publishing division chief Gary Thoe says Emmis is “evaluating” its OC acquisition. “We see more good than bad, but there are things we want to change.” Thoe says Emmis will be patient,former owner Ruth Ko is helping with the transition and her top people,veeps Judi Lesher and Linda Goldstein and Executive Editor Tina Borgatta,remain. Internal as well as external candidates are being considered for the publisher’s job, Thoe says. Publicly owned Emmis has media properties around the country and a recent market cap of about $240 million. It knows Southern California well,its stable of radio stations includes hip hop Power 106-FM in L.A.; chairman and CEO Jeff Smul-yan is a law grad and trustee of USC. What’s the future of Orange Coast’s quirky trademark covers that feature Hollywood celebs? Thoe chuckles: “That’s one of the things we’re evaluating” …
Ko marked her sale of Orange Coast, well, in style,diamond earrings for 24 women staffers, Breitling watches for the three men. Goldstein and Lesher also got Rolexes. And correcting a recent item, Ko’s dream home is not in Temecula, it’s at the La Costa Resort in Carlsbad …
“Sometimes I chuckle, sometimes I cry,” says OC lawyer Donald Segretti, the erstwhile baby-faced dirty trickster of Watergate notoriety. His name has surfaced in several news accounts of Karl Rove’s White House departure. But Segretti says there is no truth to the “Internet rumor” that he mentored a junior Rove during the 1972 Nixon presidential campaign: “If I ever met Karl Rove I do not recall, and I certainly did not ‘tutor’ him.” Segretti served four months in prison in 1974 for his campaign misdeeds, and memories of Watergate have alternately hounded him and made for fascinating recollections. These days, besides specializing in bankruptcy cases, Segretti periodically visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he is a principal in fast-growing Vodacom-Congo, a wireless phone company with three million subscribers …
Speaking of well-traveled OCers, Dean Yoost is back from another stint in Japan with PricewaterhouseCoopers, back to resuming his Shady Canyon retirement with wife Mei and their two German shepherds and back into the local scene. PWC’s former OC managing partner just became a director at Pacific Life; he also sits on the boards of Emulex and Union Bank. Yoost (pronounced Yost) says he may revive his “Doing Business in China” course at UCI …
Embattled OC Treasurer Chriss Street and Nick Berardino, the union leader who wants him out of office, are slated to debate this week on “Inside OC.”
