Heidi MacDonald’s popular blog The Beat ("the news blog of comics culture") is ending its three and one half-year relationship with Publisher’s Weekly, according to a post on the site.  The Beat’s consumer target audience (PW is a b-to-b publication) and PW’s move to a new Web platform and eventual sale were cited as reasons for the move.  MacDonald will establish blog at its own Website.

MacDonald will continue to co-edit PW Comics Week and the graphic novel review section.