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Author: Lisotta, ChristopherLafayette, Jon

Hundred-million-dollar breach-of-contract lawsuits are usually no laughing matter, but Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer couldn't help poking fun at his former colleague and new business partner, CBS Corp. President and CEO Leslie Moonves, during last Wednesday's pre-upfront presentation for their new network, The CW. Mr. Meyer broached the subject of CBS's suit against radio shock jock Howard Stern, who left the company's radio division for Sirius Satellite Radio in December. In response to the suit, Mr. Stern has been attacking Mr. Moonves personally, going so far as to call him "a bully" on CBS's own "Late Show With David Letterman" last Monday. "I had a Howard Stern joke … I probably had 10 Howard Stern jokes," Mr. Meyer joked, with a laughing Mr. Moonves standing beside him at the presentation. "It was too easy, so we're going to have a little contest at the end--everyone can put their Howard Stern joke in a little hat at the back, and we'll pick out the best one and go from there." Mr. Moonves didn't seem to mind, maybe because the suit has already benefited CBS. Thanks to Mr. Stern's appearance, "Late Show's" ratings were up last Monday.

Sometimes, selling advertising can be like selling real estate. To close a big deal with Century 21, CNN account executive Ashley Olsen went to a meeting dressed like a real estate agent, complete with jacket and badge. The presentation also included a 4-by-8 blueprint of a house in which different rooms described CNN assets and services that could be used to deliver the Century 21 message. It must have worked: Recently CNN announced a year-long deal making Century 21 the exclusive real estate sponsor of "Open House." While location, location and location are the three most important things in real estate, Century 21 bought billboards on cable, spots in streaming video and banners on the Web. The multiplatform deal also lets Century 21 use selected real estate-related articles from CNNMoney.com on its own Internet and intranet sites.

PHOTO (COLOR): Leslie Moonves, left, and Barry Meyer

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By Christopher Lisotta and Jon Lafayette