E Entertainment television

When a book publisher wants to reward an editor's ability to bring in the bestseller bacon -- or sweeten a job offer -- the solution is often a new imprint, ideally one with their name on it. Which explains nothing about why Hachette just gave one to comedy show host Chelsea Handler.

In early 2004, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) stunned Wall Street and Hollywood by launching an unsolicited bid for one of the titans of American entertainment -- the Walt Disney Co. (DIS). Though that effort failed, the Philadelphia-based company's thirst for content has not been quenched, which is why...