Joe Levy BB's new editor

SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE: Billboard has pulled a rabbit out of a hat, snagging Joe Levy as the recently unstable trade’s Editor-in-Chief. The veteran journo, who made a name for himself at Rolling Stone and went on to become editor of Maxim and Blender, had recently been contributing to RS and was reportedly pondering a move into TV. He starts Friday, succeeding the ousted Danyel Smith. Levy told the N.Y. Post that his deep consumer mag experience isn’t a sign that BB is taking a new tack. “We don’t intend to make it any more consumer-facing than it already is,” he said. “I hope I’ll bring more enterprise reporting and do more of the deep looks we’re capable of taking.” Added Editorial Director Bill Werde, Joe’s new boss, “We’re always evolving.” Prometheus Global Media bought BB, The Hollywood Reporter and Adweek for $70 million in late 2009, and things have been shaky ever since. (3/28a)