New WSJ HQ?: The New York Observer is reporting—and we have confirmed—that News Corp (NYSE: NWS). is considering moving the editorial staff of the Wall Street Journal uptown to its own Sixth Avenue HQ. Unlike the Observer, we can’t say such a move is likely—it would take some major logistical changes at News Corp. as well—but it involves leaving some offices at the World Financial Center. This is a gesture that can cut two ways: Yes, it would emphasize News Corp.‘s ownership of the Journal and put staffers in closer proximity with other News Corp. properties, including Fox Business News. But it also could be seen as a decision to abandon the World Trade Center area, unwinding what was a difficult, yet very important, symbolic gesture (internally and externally) to move back after 9/11. Symbols aside, the NYT explains that WSJ staffers like this idea.

Times Of London Editor Will Head New Luxury Mag: Tina Gaudoin is the latest British import joining the Wall Street Journal. She’ll edit the planned luxury magazine scheduled for a Sept. 6 debut.  Gaudoin has been editing News Corp.‘s Times of London new luxury mag—Luxx. This link leads to the e-zine version so yes, which leads me to expect a digital edition of the WSJ version. Here’s how Robert Thomson (NYSE: TOC), Mrudoch’s choice for WSJ publisher, described glossy quarterly Luxx at launch: “Elegant, informative and entertaining Times journalism will create a magazine that remains with the reader beyond the day of purchase.”  Gaudoin will work with the news department, will “develop a core team of magazine journalists” and will report to WSJ DME Mike Miller. But the art design also will be imported: Times’ art director Tomaso Capuano will work with her on the design.

Sports page in play: The expansion of non-business coverage will include some kind of sports page—beyond the business of sports. It’s not unusual for the Journal to run sports columns or features beyond business but this would be more systemic. NYT: “For now, the printing schedule hampers efforts to cover late-breaking news, which suggests that a sports page would contain mostly features, commentary, analysis and investigations.” This reminds of a long-ago family trip to NYC when my father asked for the sports section and I handed him the NYT, which he quickly handed back with an “are you crazy?” look, explaining that he meant a real sports section.That was before the Times beefed up its coverage. The WSJ isn’t like to produce a sports-section substitute but it should be a good read.