PROGRAMMING
After a fierce bidding war, CBS won the rights to "Rock Star," the new series
from reigning reality royalty, Mark Burnett. The show will chronicle the
finding of a new frontman for INXS, who lost its lead singer to suicide in 1997.
[E! Online]
E! Online

Elisabeth Rohm, who playd Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn on
NBC's "Law & Order," will leave the series next year, during the show's 15th
season. [E! Online]
E! Online

NBC's "Last Comic Standing" is no stranger to drama. Seven of the top 10
finalists in the comedy competition were chosen by judges, but after the final
three were chosen by producers, judges Brett Butler and Drew Carey have publicly
denounced the series. [E! Online]
E! Online

ADVERTISING
Internet ads are getting a lot more personal, with marketers beginning to
send customized ads to surfers of sites like About.com, Lycos and nytimes.com.
Ads will address consumers by name, mention past purchases and urge them to
return to the site. [International Herald Tribune]
International Herald Tribune

PIRATING
At a European copyright conference in Dublin last week, industry insiders
worried about the challenges of protecting copyrighted materials online. But
Apple seemed unperturbed, announcing that new versions of its iTunes service in
Britain, France and Germany sold more than 800,000 songs in their first week.
[International Herald Tribune]
International Herald Tribune

FILM
Michael Moore's controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11" debuted in the number one
spot this weekend, the first-ever documentary to achieve such a feat, earning an
estimated $21.8 million. [MTV.com]
MTV.com

Nicole Kidman lashed out at the media for accusing the actress of suffering
from an eating disorder. She says that she is naturally slender. [Times of
India]
The Times of India

Oscar buzz is surrounding Jeff Bridges for his role in "The Door in the
Floor," an adaptation of John Irving's 1998 novel, "A Widow for One Year." [New
York Times]
The New York Times

British actor Alfred Molina, star of stage and screen, didn't need to be
coaxed into playing the villain in the new "Spider-Man" movie. He just needed to
be asked. [New York Daily News]
New York Daily News

Pop tart and erstwhile movie star Britney Spears is engaged to her dancer
boyfriend, Kevin Federline, her publicist confirmed. It will be her second trip
down the aisle, his first. [MTV.com]
MTV.com

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

NATPE's "TV Producers Boot Camp," which will test your strength as a
showrunner and arm you with the knowledge you need to move up in the ranks, will be
held July 29-30 at the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood, California.
NATPE.org

In preparation for MIPCOM, we at VideoAge are taking a short break. "Paper
Clips" will be on hiatus for a few weeks. But we will be back July 26 with more
news.

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