Las Vegas Review-Journal To Expand Focus On Celebrity, Entertainment News

Pioneering entertainment journalist Robin Leach brings his iconic brand, global following to the state's largest daily newspaper

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Las Vegas Review-Journal

Jun 24, 2016, 06:24 ET

LAS VEGAS, June 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Craig Moon, publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (R-J), the city and state's largest daily newspaper, announces today the addition of pioneering entertainment journalist Robin Leach to the newspaper's staff.

Robin Leach, pioneering entertainment journalist who gained worldwide prominence with a 14-year run on ABC's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" has joined the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal to grow and expand the newspaper's focus on celebrity and entertainment news. A 17-year resident of Las Vegas who is well entrenched in the city's robust celebrity scene, Leach brings to the newspaper his iconic brand and global following.

Leach, who gained global prominence with a 14-year run on ABC's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," and launched both Entertainment Tonight and the Television Food Network will be joined by entertainment editor and writer Don Chareunsy to produce expanded celebrity, lifestyle and luxury content for the R-J's Niche division, which currently includes, among others, two key outlets: Luxury Las Vegas, a monthly lifestyle magazine, and Best of Las Vegas, the paper's popular annual special section and event to which local businesses, venues, celebrities and influencers aspire to be included.

According to Moon, there is prolific and significant celebrity and lifestyle content generated every day that often goes underreported, particularly in Las Vegas, the Entertainment Capital of the World.

"Expanding our focus on celebrity and entertainment news is a natural for us given our location, and we are excited to work with Robin to leverage his powerful brand, which has endured for decades and has gained even greater prominence today thanks to heightened public interest in celebrity and entertainment headlines," said Moon.

"Through these highly strategic hires and this expanded investment, we will significantly boost entertainment and celebrity content both in print and online, grow readership and develop new platforms, including a possible TV station, a new daily website and even a citywide shopping guide that encompasses the Las Vegas Strip's 11 million-plus square feet of retail. As we expand into a multimedia news organization, we recognize the possibilities in Las Vegas are endless for celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news," added R-J's vice president of advertising and sales, Kimberly Parker.

Luxury Las Vegas Editor Leslie Frisbee is promoted to oversee the R-J's Niche division as its director of content strategy while continuing her duties as editor of Luxury. Frisbee, an 18-year veteran of magazine publishing, digital and new media, brings to this new position significant experience, including a stint in Chicago as vice president of content for Onsite Network, a sports and entertainment television and Internet convergence network.

Both Leach and Chareunsy are well entrenched in the Las Vegas celebrity scene. Chareunsy was editor at Vegas DeLuxe and the Las Vegas Sun the last eight years. A career news and entertainment journalist for more than two decades, he covered the beat for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, Calif., The Orange County Register, Hollywood.com, Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune before moving to Las Vegas in 2008.

Leach, who began his journalism career decades ago in his native England, first made a name for himself in print, writing for Britain's Daily Mail and The Daily News in New York City. He helped in the launch of People magazine, writing the first 11 cover stories, then going on to become show business editor for Rupert Murdoch's The Star.

He transitioned to TV as the first showbiz reporter for CNN, shot the pilot of "Entertainment Tonight" and was its global roving senior correspondent for three years before starting his signature show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."

Leach launched the Food Network in 1993 and moved to Las Vegas in 1999 to work with celebrity chefs at The Venetian Las Vegas. His coverage of the arts and entertainment scene in Las Vegas began with the Las Vegas section of America Online, and he has featured his own successful website, Vegas DeLuxe, for the last eight years covering countless entertainment and celebrity stories in Las Vegas.

"At a time when newspapers across the country are working toward ways to gain additional readership, I admire and respect the new R-J leadership for committing resources to grow its content offerings," said Leach. "Introducing the new entertainment-driven products and opening up television coverage of Las Vegas is both exciting and challenging. Las Vegas is all about what's new, different and unique, and that's a message the R-J, as a multimedia organization, will convey to its readers and visitors from around the world. Now Las Vegas will be positioned to give the world a fresh spin of what happens through these advanced platforms."

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160623/383045

SOURCE Las Vegas Review-Journal