Magazines - 60 Seconds with Rick Tetzeli, Managing Editor, Entertainment Weekly

Q. As a veteran of 'Fortune,' what's been the biggest challenge for you since becoming 'EW' m.e. a year ago? A. I didn't really understand how much work goes into an entertainment story. It seems like all fun, but starting with negotiating with publicists and then running through with set-visit stories and trying to come up with something interesting to say when they've been done for 6,000 years is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Q. How have you injected more energy into the magazine? A. Our photography pops a lot more. We've tried to make stories more newsy, more original or more fun, and the layout is an easier, sexier read. Q. 'EW's newsstand sales in this year's first half fell 5.5 percent versus last year. Which covers worked and which haven't? A. We took a risk on covers, because they had become a little too predictable. The March 7 "Buffy Quits" cover did great. The cover I like least is June 6's "Hulk." It was a big movie that had no buzz, but we had decided a long time before to do it. And then it didn't do well. It was a big downer. Q. Any changes coming up in 'EW'? A. We're revamping our [monthly music supplement] Listen to This, adding tech, comics and video games coverage in early November. And we'll probably change our approach to the January Forecast issue, which covers everything you should look out for, to make it more fun. Q. What's been your most surreal m.e. moment? A. Hanging out at Bob Evans' house for a photo shoot, listening to him tell stories about his mistresses and wives, and meanwhile back on his tennis court, [MTV Networks chairman] Tom Freston is getting a lesson from the pro. So, it's like, "Huh, this is what goes on in old-time Hollywood."