PROGRAMMING
Ashlee Simpson, sister of singing siren and reality show star Jessica
Simpson, is following in her big sister's footsteps with a reality show of her own.
"The Ashlee Simpson Show," which will debut on MTV on June 16, will follow the
teen queen as she signs with a record label. [MTV.com]
MTV.com

In keeping with its strategy to air new shows throughout the summer months,
Fox is premiering a new drama this Tuesday night. "The Jury," which takes
viewers into the jury room to see just how they decide their verdicts, stars Shalom
Harlowe, Barry Levinson and Anna Friel. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

British actress Alex Kingston, who has played Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the NBC
drama "ER" for seven years, was recently axed due to producers' desires to
focus more on the lives of the younger characters. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

"V.I.P.," a Haitian soap opera about a womanizing bank manager and a
gold-digger, is providing a much-needed dose of escapism for Haitians after a year of
revolt and floods. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

NBC has decided to add "Skunked TV," a new hidden camera series, to its
Saturday morning Discovery Kids line-up. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

CABLE
HBO's hit mob series "The Sopranos" aired its fifth season finale last night
with mafia boss Tony Soprano reluctantly killing his ne'er-do-well cousin, but
still managed some comedic moments. [New York Times]
The New York Times

RosBusiness Consulting (RBC), Russia's answer to Bloomberg television, says
investors need not be wary of investing because it intends to stay away from
taking any sort of political stance. [Moscow Times]
Moscow Times

NEW JOBS
CBS chief Leslie Moonves and MTV Networks chairman Tom Freston have been
chosen to run Viacom as co-presidents and co-chief operating officers after the
recent ousting of Mel Karmazin. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

HOSPITALIZED
Frank Gardner, a BBC correspondent, was in critical, but stable condition in
a Saudi hospital after Islamic militants shot him and killed his cameraman.
[International Herald Tribune]
International Herald Tribune

TELEVISION SETS
In an effort to lure in more high-profile and tech-savvy guests, many posh
hotels are now putting flat-planel television sets into rooms. Los Angeles' Four
Seasons and Caesars Pocono Resorts in Pennsylvania are among those hotels
who've placed the 35-inch flat panel TVs into guests' rooms. [USA Today]
USA Today

AWARDS SHOWS
The Tony Awards, which honor the best and brightest that Broadway has to
offer, gave its highest rewards to "Avenue Q," a show that features foul-mouthed
singing puppets. [New York Times]
The New York Times

FILM
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third film from J.K.
Rowling's mega-successful book series about young witches and wizards, took in $92.6
million over the weekend, making it the third-best three-day opening ever,
behind only "Spider-Man" and "Shrek 2." [MTV.com]
MTV.com

More than a decade after buying art-house studio Miramax, Disney chief
Michael D. Eisner, is considering selling it back to founders Harvey and Bob
Weinstein. [International Herald Tribune]
International Herald Tribune

Jennifer Lopez brought speculation of a Bennifer reunion to a close this
weekend when she wed old flame (and new divorcee) Marc Anthony in a secret
ceremony in Beverly Hills. [MTV.com]
MTV.com

FESTIVALS
Don't miss the Monte Carlo TV Festival's "Focus on Latin America" session on
July 1.
TVFestival.com

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