Phildadelphia- Porno News Network’s Don Benn is calling it “quits”! The daily news site’s Editor-in-Chief/Publisher is set to retire at the end of October and in doing so pulling the plug on an eight-year adult industry adventure that he describes as “six of the best years of my life”. “Two of them” he says “weren’t that hot”!
The Philadelphia based Benn (who claims to have rented his very first x-rated video “in Beta format” almost thirty years ago from a college aged store clerk named Paul Fishbein) “accidentally stumbled” into the adult entertainment industry in 1998 when, as he explains…”I was attending a real estate seminar at the Atlantic City Convention Center, the East Coast Video Show was being held at the other end of the building, and one thing just kinda’ lead to another”.
Through a process which Benn described as “hard work and a lot of bullshit – but mostly bullshit” Benn has spent the past eight years establishing himself as an adult industry jack-of-all-trades as he….produced and hosted (along with Angela Summers and later Nikki Steele) an x-rated television show; appeared in non-sex roles in a number of adult features, produced and co-hosted (again with Angela Summers) the Consumers Choice Awards Show (where he and Ron Jeremy presented a “Lifetime Achievement” award to that former video store clerk who had rented Benn his first tape in the late 1970’s); wrote a novel entitled “The SeXfiles – The Almost True Story of My Years in Porn”; served as editor for Adult Stars Magazine and Gay Adult Stars Magazine (until he went cock-eyed); was appointed adult industry liaison for then-start-up company XonDemand; and for the past four years served as owner and Editor-in-Chief for Porno News Network.
Two years ago, Benn underwent surgery for “complications” resulting from a traumatic brain injury sustained years in an auto accident. Unfortunately, the operation replaced one set of “complications” with a whole new set of “complications” which, over the past 18 months have caused Benn to “reevaluate, reexamine, and reorganize (his) personal and professional priorities” and in doing so was no longer able to include involvement with Porno News Network in his daily schedule.
“I couldn’t have asked for or dreamed-up a more perfect, more exciting, and (certainly) more pleasurable second career” said Benn. “This industry gave me the opportunity to travel the world, put more than just a few bucks in my pocket, exposed me to friendships that will last a lifetime/infections that cleared-up in 7-10 days, and has provided me with memories, stories, and video tape that will one day make me the most popular guy in whatever old age home my family puts me in” he added. When asked if he had ever slept with any of the hundreds of porn stars whom he interviewed and worked with he replied….”not a wink….not a wink” and then winked!
Starting on November 1, 2006, Porno News Network will be helmed by veteran adult industry journalist John Paone. Paone has written for Adult Video News, High Society, Hustler Erotic Video Guide, and is a respected adult video and film critic. The new Editor-in-Chief has promised to keep all the good parts that PNN is known for (ease of navigation, humor, and a fan-friendly feel) while adding new features, increasing readership (which has admittedly slipped in the past year) and having a damn good time doing so!
Benn will still maintain PNN ownership and while admittedly plans to be an absentee-landlord (which ironically, is the profession which got him into the business in the first place) is expected to contribute news items and op-ed columns on a semi-regular basis. Benn will continue to helm PNN through the end of October at which time all email addressed to [email protected] will be received by Paone! Press agents and public relation pros are urged to take note of this change.