Nikki Finke Slams Door On Departing Sales Exec

Deadline.com's Nikki Finke has greeted word that Lynne Segall is quitting MMC, Deadline's corporate parent, to become publisher of The Hollywood Reporter with a 1,300-word "good riddance." While calling Segall "a tireless ad sales machine with great Hollywood connections," she accused her of ethical offenses that jeopardized the integrity of her website. As soon as she arrived on the scene, Finke wrote, "I felt like I was battling the force of darkness."

More specifically, she said, Segall "tried to stop me from criticizing Jeff Zucker and NBC Universal because he'd ordered his TV and movie operations not to advertise on Deadline. ... I repeatedly told her not to interfere with my editorial control.

I found out later to my shock and dismay that she'd taken it upon herself to assure NBC that she could get me to lay off Zucker if only NBC Universal would start advertising." Asked by Finke's erstwhile rival, TheWrap.com, to respond to Finke's allegations, Segall said, "Do you think I can tell Nikki Finke what to write? She's not gonna listen to Lynne Segall."