By Crikey reporter Lucy Morieson

You need to be flexible,
tough and versatile to be a top media executive – just ask Lachlan
Murdoch. So it comes as no surprise to hear that the top honchos at
Pacific Magazines – including CEO Nick Chan and New Idea
publisher Suzanne Monks – are taking dancing lessons to spark up their
corporate image. The plan is all part of a drive to relaunch New Idea, with a tie-in to Channel Seven’s hit TV show, Dancing With The Stars.

Chan and Monks, among others, are going to dance classes in preparation for a special one-off Dancing With The Stars event, which will see them waltzing alongside potential New Idea
advertisers and stakeholders. And in a move that will mirror the show’s
celebrity/professional dancer pairing, the magazine honchos will dance
under the instruction of one of the show’s dance experts.

But
while the top brass are getting their own special training, other staff
at Pacific Mags have been instructed to brush up on their soft shoe
shuffle in their own time. Word is, Monks is delighted to be part of
the dancing razzle dazzle, while other Pacific staff are a little more
bemused by their move to the dance floor.