Item: Byko Gets His Way

Philly's longtime gossip scribe gets a new gig.

by Deborah Bolling

He wanted out, so he waited it out. And now it seems as if the Daily News’ Stu Bykofsky, better known to his legions of loyal readers as Byko, will finally get the break he’s been hankering for: a respectable end to his long and distinguished career as a gossip columnist.

If the newsroom sources at the DN can be trusted, word is that by month's end, the 16-year-old Byko! column that has diligently -- and humorously -- chronicled the antics of Philly's social trendsetters will be replaced by a local gossip column written by Dan Gross, Bykofsky's protégé. Since mid-June, Gross has shared a byline with Byko, but it appears that the younger man can finally fill the older man's shoes.

As for Bykofsky, he'll introduce a brand-new column to the pages of the DN, perhaps calling it Bykofsky at Large. Slated to run two or three days a week, the veteran journalist will no longer write a rambling piece packed with assorted items and tidbits, but instead focus on a single subject -- and one that is definitely not based on gossip.

"I have desired for some time to leave the gossip beat and move on to another beat where I can prove myself as a writer," Bykofsky says. "I don't really care for celebrities. That was my job -- not my life.

"My wish, however, is to remain in the features section rather than go to the city section. That means I can cover everything from politics to restaurants."

In addition to Bykofsky's transfer, a few other changes are also planned for the tabloid's features department.

Jenice Armstrong, who has honed a reputation on celebrity interviews and profiles as well as in-depth coverage of pop culture and high-powered social events, will continue to write features, but she'll also start penning her own column at least twice a week.

In addition, all people-oriented columns, including Tattle, which has been written by Howard Gensler for the past six months, will be packaged together on pages that face each other. The new format will allow readers to find the entire gamut of the city's juicy goings-on in one section of the paper.

Described as still being only a "rough layout sketched on a piece of notepaper," the changes are slated to appear at the end of January, but newsroom sources have expressed a tinge of skepticism.

"[Editor] Zack [Stalberg] has said that it's likely to happen by the end of the month," says a well-placed inside source, "but this being the Daily News, I wouldn't put money on it. It could be by early February, as well."

The Byko! column, which was first published in April 1987, is the most recent of Bykofsky's responsibilities during his 32-year career with the daily. For two and a half years, he was a general assignment reporter, a duty that he says he remembers fondly. He recalls that during that time he wrote about a wider range of subjects, under less stringent deadlines.

For ages, though, he has been grousing about wanting off the gossip track. When Gross first started helping out with the column in 2000, Bykofsky admits he started planning his own escape.

Bykofsky may now finally -- and officially -- be passing his torch to Gross. And, even though Gross can't confirm the rumor, if he were to be named Bykofsky's replacement, he indicates he's more than ready.

"If it were to be me, I can say that I have been well-trained and well-mentored by Stu," he says guardedly. "I could do [the column] on my own -- if it were to be me."

When asked -- if it were to be him -- what name he'd like to see at the top of the column, Gross is somewhat less reticent.

"I think that Dano, Grosso or anything with a diminutive and/or an exclamation point would be pretty ridiculous," he says. "Anything other than something that immediately calls Byko! to mind would work. But I would like to think that they might just use my regular name -- if it were to be me."

Calls to Stalberg for comment went unreturned, but this rumor seems solid. The newsroom source says that Stalberg's plans for restructuring point to his confidence in his staff.

"Dan has proven he can do the job," the source says. "Jenice is a wonderful writer and reporter and this new column plays to her strengths."

It goes without saying that nearly everyone at the paper knows that Bykofsky has been anxious to prove his chops in another venue.

"I'm getting out of it just short of my 17th anniversary," Bykofsky says. "I am very happy with my new assignment and I have what I think are several good ideas for my first new column. The new year is off to a wonderful start."