Fox Nixes Arbitration in TWC Retrans Fight
The Fox/Time Warner carriage dispute will not go to a binding arbitration before the FCC.
TWC chairman and CEO Glenn Britt and News Corp. president Chase Carey each sent letters Wednesday to Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communication, Technology and the Internet.
First, Britt agreed to the arbitration suggested by Kerry in his Dec 22 letter to the two media executives that urged them to find a way to keep Fox on TWC beyond Jan.1. But several hours later, Carey sent his own letter to Kerry, declining to participate in arbitration proceedings.
Despite the verbal salvos, the two sides continue to negotiate in Los Angeles, with TWC’s team led by exec vp and chief programming officer Melinda Witmer and News Corp.’s group headed by Mike Hopkins, president of affiliate sales and marketing for Fox Cable Networks.
However, the companies remain far apart as News Corp. is said to be holding firm to its demand for $1 per subscriber per month fee, while TWC’s counter offers are believed to be under 50 cents.
‘American Idol’: Happy Anniversary, Gina Glocksen
One year ago today “American Idol” season six finalist Gina Glocksen married long-time boyfriend Joe Ruzicka.
With fellow “Idol” finalists Jordin Sparks and Haley Scarnato as bridesmaids, Gina Glocksen married Joe Ruzicka in Chicago on New Year’s Eve 2008. Her wedding invitations were a gift from one of her “Idol” fans.
More notably, Joe proposed to Gina live on-stage in front of thousands of screaming fans during the “American Idol” season six tour stop on Aug. 7, 2007 in the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. Watch below.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Kris Allen has double duty in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve
There are myriad music options in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve, from The Black Eyed Peas at LAX to Christina Aguilera at Tao to Maroon 5 at the Palms to 50 Cent at Pure to Robin Thicke at the Bank to the John Mayer Trio at The Joint. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
American Idol winner and Conway, Arkansas’ hometown hero Kris Allen performs tonight at midnight(!) at the new B.B. King’s Blues Club in The Mirage, taking him into the first few hours of New Year’s Eve, then the 24-year-old hits the stage again for Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live! on Fox, joining Sean Kingston and his American Idol alumnus Allison Iraheta.
Kris spoke with me on the phone a few hours ago after being delayed at McCarran Airport amid the New Year’s Eve onslaught into Las Vegas.
Adam Lambert, Usher, More Stars Share Their New Year’s Resolutions
“American Idol” star Adam Lambert is going to try to keep things in perspective in 2010. “I think my New Year’s resolution is just to stay positive and enjoy the moment.”
Kris Allen’s Mom Sends A Belated Christmas Gift
Christmas came late thanks to the insanity of the MTV mailroom around the holidays. But boy, did Santa come through big time!
Although it was delivered a week ago, today I finally received a magical package from the North Pole. And when I say the North Pole, I really mean Arkansas.
Kris Allen’s adorable, beautiful, witty, hilarious, amazing, irresistible, phenomenal, Nobel Peace Prize-deserving perfect mother sent me my very own PajamaGram after catching a silly subliminal message about jammies in a recent “Kris Allen Outtakes” video. Enclosed with the Christmas-themed pajamas? A card that read, “Because you asked nicely.”
Naughtie Behavior | The Decade in Music
We All Got Reality-Checked If you were mildly telegenic and could do a few trills and glissandos then you, too, could be on American Idol. That said, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood’s platinum records were impressive; Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks and Taylor Hicks not so much. More telling was the success of the also-rans: the Oscar-anointed Jennifer Hudson, the mom-approved Clay Aiken and the glitzy gay provocateur Adam Lambert ‘†all more winning than the winners. And thank goodness for Susan Boyle, who proved you could rack up sales with just a lovely voice and a YouTube following.
A decade of Idol-worthy albums
American Idol has been serious business since it debuted in 2002 — for the music industry and for fans. Favorites are ferociously defended, even if album sales don’t always reflect the devotion.
That’s why this list — the 10 best albums from Idol singers of the past decade — was tricky. I redid it a few times, left out a few initial inclusions (Daughtry, Fantasia) and ignored some commercial giants (namely Carrie Underwood, whose trio of discs boast killer singles but are weighed down with truly awful filler).
I avoided repeating artists, except for one unavoidable instance. You’ll see soon enough. And it seems most of the better stuff was in the latter half of the decade.
Best TV Episodes of 2009
11. “Final Four Perform, ” American Idol (May 5): It certainly wasn’t the best performance night of Season Eight, but it was the most memorable, as both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert showed off the styles that would make them the ultimate finalists, the terrific Allison Iraheta got a rocking swan song, and Danny Gokey provided the season’s viral disaster with an Aerosmith cover from hell.
Prostitution Whores: Movieline’s Year in Reality Television
American Idol
We can agree that the eighth season of Idol was the finest one in years, but many can’t decide who deserved to win. All I know: 1) Kris Allen loves Independence Day, and that is adorable; 2) Adam Lambert loves wearing sidewalk-chalk colors, and that is something; 3) Kris and Adam both love Michelin Man suits, and Anoop Desai thinks that’s hilarious.
New Year’s Eve celebrations to get mild weather
The expected 40, 000 revelers at the First Night Raleigh celebration will get mild weather ‘ and be able to see the acorn drop not once, but twice.
In the newly opened City Plaza on Fayetteville Street, a 1, 200-pound steel and copper acorn will drop twice to mark the new year ‘ once at 7 p.m. for children and again at midnight for adults.
American Idol’s Anoop Desai, along with WRAL’s Kelcey Carlson and Ken Smith, will be LIVE at First Night Raleigh in WRAL’s extended 11 p.m. news.
Belting voices reign supreme in ‘Dreamgirls’
In fact, this is a cast that stands and delivers, but too often at one volume level — loud. An unfortunate exception was an opening-night glitch that left Mercado’s Deena without a microphone in the first performance of the Dreams’ theme song. There also were problems with blinding lights that forced many of us in the front rows to shield our eyes at times.
Mercado soldiered on through the short silence and eventually was able to show off her voice with “Listen, ” her second-act duet with Angela that comes from the movie version and was written as a showcase for Beyonce.
Review: ‘Dreamgirls’ filled with misery
Lead performers Moya Angela, Chaz Lamar Shepherd, Chester Gregory, Syesha Mercado, Adrienne Warren, Trevon Davis and Margaret Hoffman are all spectacularly voiced and passionate. Their emotions come through loud and clear yet, it’s often difficult to discern the specific lyrics. You find yourself wondering how a show can be so loud and yet unintelligible.
FOX CLAIMS 4TH QUARTER VICTORY FOR FIRST TIME IN NETWORK’S HISTORY
Bests CBS by +6% In Adult Demo To Rank No. 1, Gains +14% Year Over Year
Marking a first in the network’s history, FOX has won the Fall season among Adults 18-49. Averaging a 3.3/9, FOX outperformed its nearest competitors by +6% in the adult demo, +35% among Adults 18-34 and +50% among Teens. In addition to dominating the quarter by placing first during seven of the season’s 14 weeks the most Fall weekly wins ever for the network FOX is the only major broadcast network to post a year-over-year gain in the key Adults 18-49 audience this Fall:
American Idol stars dominate Top 10 Theme Park Photos of 2009
Everyone can give a thumbs up or down to any photo in our gallery. As you’ll see below, our American Idol pictures were very popular by visitors to our online gallery. Here are the top 10 photos from 2009 that received the most thumbs up (and least thumbs down). Click on any of the photos to pop open a larger version.
Top 10 theme park videos of 2009
Number 5
David Cook Sings at Walt Disney World’s American Idol – 135, 000+ views
Number 3
American Idol Kris Allen sings ‘Heartless’ at Disney World – 388, 000+ views
ETA:
Top 10 ‘American Idol’ Moments
Paula Abdul already left, and Simon Cowell may be on the outs, too. But no matter what happens to American Idol, the singing competition has left us with plenty of memories we’ll forver cherish. Here are 10 of our favorites to get you ready for the upcoming season, which begins January 12 on FOX.
Kris Allen finds his voice again
As the days continue to be X-ed off on Kris Allen’s King of “American Idol” calendar, the singer/songwriter shows no signs of slowing down. Just last night the talent show victor took the stage at BB Kings House of Blues in Las Vegas for a relatively intimate show … that has already ended up online.
The best bit was his performance of “Red Guitar, ” a song that he actually penned before his time in front of the firing squad, informally known as Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara. Hopefully this is the type of tune we can expect from Kris once the expectations placed upon his debut have faded in the future.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt like Kris lost a bit of his heart since he claimed the “Idol” crown and has been forced to sing the same two songs like a trained monkey. “Red Guitar” calls to mind (ear?) Kris’ most emo performances from the show and reminds me why I was secretly happy when he beat Adam Lambert in the May finale.
Simon Cowell returns to meet The Simpsons
WASHINGTON: Simon Cowell will return to meet one of America’s most loved animated family, The Simpsons.
The American Idol judge, who first appeared on the hit cartoon show in 2004, is set for another cameo role.
The music mogul will lend his voice to a grumpy character who upsets young Maggie Simpson, angering her dad Homer in the show.
“Surprisingly, I was an a**shole and got to behave like an a**shole. That was really out of character, ” Contactmusic quoted Cowell as saying.
“I was very happy to do that. I criticised the daughter and she cries so Homer punches me in the face and I criticise the punch because it wasn’t a very good punch, ” he added.
