Chief Marketer Staff

• Fingerhut Deal Finalized

  The deal is done. Ted Deikel became the boss of Fingerhut Cos. again on Wednesday as he and partner Tom Petters finalized a deal to buy the Minnetonka, MN-based catalog company from Federated Department Stores Inc. This is the third time Deikel has owned Fingerhut.

• Martha Stewart Earnings Up, DM Revenue Down

  Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.’s income rose, but direct marketing revenue fell in the second quarter. The company reported net income of $6.74

• Experian, Zairmail to Offer Services for Small- to Mid-Sized Firms

  Experian has struck an alliance between BizInsight, its suite of business-to-business marketing products (http://www.experianbizinsight.com) and Zairmail.

• H&R Block Taps DraftWorldwide for Software DM

  H&R Block has picked DraftWorldwide to create direct and electronic marketing for its tax preparation and financial services software.

• Live from NCDM: Wells Fargo Banks on Customer Analysis

  It takes more than good service to keep retail bank customers from leaving.

• Japan to Privatize Post Office

  The Japanese Diet has enacted a set of bills to turn the Postal Services Agency into a state-run corporation and allow private firms to enter the mail

• USPS Ends Controversial Bonus Program For Executives

  Postmaster General John Potter has abolished a controversial bonus program for about 80,000 U.S. Postal Service executives, supervisors and managers.

• Live from NCDM: Yahoo Teases Two Targeting Products

  Yahoo, the Web portal and marketing company, is rolling out two new offerings. One will allow marketers to identify consumers with high propensity to

• DM Firm Hiring Slows: Survey

  Falling stock prices, corporate scandals and sagging consumer confidence are causing some direct marketers to rethink their hiring plans, according to

• DIRECT Listline

  Federated Stores Retail Credit Card Buyers Enhanced Lake Group Media Inc. has won the management of this 2.6-name list of May hotline buyers sourced from