PROGRAMMING
ABC is expected to announce that next season will be the last for its
long-running cop drama, "NYPD Blue." [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

After last week's Super Bowl breast-baring incident, MTV has decided to only
air some its raciest video clips during the late-night hours. [Los Angeles
Times]
Los Angeles Times

TECHNOLOGY
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is gearing up to write a set
of rules to govern Internet phone service. [New York Times]
New York Times

BANS
China has decided to ease its ban on foreign investment in television
programming, as part of reforms intended to reinvigorate the country's
state-controlled media. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

UNIONS
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists (AFTRA) are considering adding a year to their current labor
contracts to avoid potential work slowdowns. [Los Angeles Times]
Los Angeles Times

PIRACY
Disney has decided to use Microsoft software to protect its films from piracy
when it makes them available for paid downloads later this year. [BBC News]
BBC NEWS

AWARDS
After a clerical mistake that almost left "The Office" star Ricky Gervais out
of the running for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award, BAFTA
officials have taken the unusual step of adding his name to the list late in
the game. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

Nobody's breasts were bared, but CBS's Grammy Awards telecast was still a hit
with viewers, who watched Beyonce Knowles walk away with five trophies, while
OutKast won Album of the Year for "Speakerboxx/The Love Below." [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

FILM
The Directors Guild of America gave top honors to Peter Jackson's "The Lord
of the Rings: The Return of the King," making him almost a shoe-in for the
Academy Award. [Chicago Tribune]
Chicago Tribune

Tourists are still flocking to New Zealand to see the place where all three
"Lord of the Rings" movies were filmed more than two years ago. [New York Times]
New York Times

The futuristic main set in "Barbershop 2: Back in Business," the number one
movie in the U.S. this weekend with $25.1 million, was designed by Chicago,
Illinois-based Veeco Manufacturing. [Chicago Tribune]
Chicago Tribune

Veteran director William Friedkin recently signed on to helm a new movie at
Paramount Pictures, where his wife, Sherry Lansing, is the chairwoman. [New
York Times]
New York Times

At MIP-TV, March 31 will be VIDEOAGE's Latin American Programming Day. The
whole March 31 Daily, including the photo page, will be devoted to Latin
American companies, programming stories and market news. www.videoage.org

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