But Penthouse and Playboy shows notwithstanding, investors are still waiting for a genuine show of fireworks.

CNN: BUSINESS

That countermarket move was the same tactic his father employed years earlier, using Penthouse to pry readers from Playboy.

FORBES: Another Spin For Guccione

Bell, who is also the managing director of Boca Raton-based Marc Bell Capital Partners, says he still believes folding Playboy into FriendFinder, which already owns Penthouse, would have been a smart move.

FORBES: Hef'd Behind: FriendFinder CEO on the Playboy Deal That Wasn't