Capital Buzz: Harman considers a bid for Newsweek

Sidney Harman, chairman emeritus of Harman International, the audio high fidelity company he founded in Washington in 1953, is mulling a bid for Newsweek magazine, which The Washington Post Co. recently put up for sale.

The entrepreneur said he doesn't know what the magazine is worth, but he is one of four parties that have expressed interest in obtaining more financial data from Allen & Co., which is managing the sale for The Post.

"I recognize the profound problems associated with Newsweek, Time and the weekly news magazine [business model], but Newsweek does have some very, very appealing aspects," said Harman, who resides with his wife, Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), in both Cleveland Park in Northwest Washington and in Venice, Calif. "I like its long history. It's part of the national culture. It's certainly part of the Washington culture. It has been a substantive, thoughtful, sober publication."

He added that "if there were a way to save it and revive it, one would be doing the country a service. It also publishes weekly the work of what I regard as a gloriously competent group of writers. That's something worth preserving. The question is: Is it preservable?"

Harman was deputy commerce secretary under President Jimmy Carter, authored two books on the workplace, and now is one of four holders of the prestigious presidential chair at the University of Southern California, where he also serves as the inaugural Isaiah W. Hellman professor of polymathy.

A PLASTIC SURGEON'S D.C. MOVE

The Buzz has learned that celebrity plastic surgeon Ayman Hakki -- he has worked on Washington Redskins Hall of Famers, former Miss Americas and the wives of Washington Wizards players -- plans to open a 1,200-square-foot express location of his plastic surgery clinic at 2141 Wisconsin Ave. NW, in upper Georgetown near the recently reopened "Social Safeway."

Hakki has talked about moving to the District for months, but his new Luxxery Express location will officially open July 1.

"If a woman is going to the Whole Foods on my right or the Social Safeway on my left, then they are going to be near me and I am going to make myself accessible to them," said Hakki, who once had an office near the corner of M and Thomas Jefferson streets NW. "They can walk in during their lunch hour, after highlighting their hair in Georgetown or after grabbing groceries."

Hakki said the world has changed from the old days. Four years ago, 80 percent of his customers came through referrals from other customers. Last year, 78 percent heard about his services from the Internet and the rest from customer referrals.

And customers demand half-hour, walk-in visits for injections that get rid of perpetual frowns or erase the line between the nose and mouth -- services that were mostly unheard of a decade ago.