PROGRAMMING
Arabic satellite channel MBC has suspended its version of the reality TV
format "Big Brother" after a group of 1,000 people protested in Bahrain. [BBC News]
BBC NEWS

"Al Hawa Sawa" ("On Air Together"), an Arab dating show that drew criticism
for parading women before potential viewing suitors 24/7, ended this week, when
the last contestant announced she didn't wish to marry and locked herself in
a bedroom until she was flown back to her native Algeria. [Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

With ABC's Wednesday night premiere of "Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital," the
author may have finally written his own life-threatening accident out of his
system. [USA Today]
USA Today

Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi signed a development deal with NBC Enterprises
that could mean a potential syndicated series for the flashy fashionista.
[Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

SPORTS
Viewers might be more into sports if the players wore mics and audiences
could hear every expletive, grunt and whoop of joy. [Toronto Star]
Toronto Star

TECHNOLOGY
IBM is working to blend Instant Messaging (IM) technology with e-mail in a
new program called NotesBuddy. [ZDNet]
ZDNet

RADIO
BBC radio soap opera "The Archers" will broadcast its first gay kiss this
week between characters Adam Macy and Ian Craig. [Daily Mirror]
Daily Mirror

BUSINESS
If Michael Eisner should be forced to leave Disney, the debate over who gets
his job will rage on. [Los Angeles Times]
Los Angeles Times

PIRATING
According to Aleksey Orlov, head of Russia's Interior Ministry Administration
Against Economic Crimes, piracy of audio-and videotapes in Russia was down
some 15-20 percent in 2003 from the previous year. [Pravda]
Pravda

AWARDS
There weren't any big surprises at last night's 76th Annual Academy Awards.
In fact, the winners were so predictable, it made the telecast quite dull.
[Yahoo! News]
Yahoo! News

Beautiful women, like Charlize Theron, who get made up to look like they're
ugly, are shoo-ins for Oscars. [Salon.com]
Salon.com

ROAD TO L.A. SCREENINGS
In your letter you told me to read 'Peter Bart [of Variety magazine] and I
will better understand relationships.' That's all you said. When the article
came out, you told me he had sent it on to you beforehand for 'corrections and
tone and editing.' That is not how we should run this company. We are the media.
LA Times Letters, February 26

To all L.A. Screenings participants. If you're a buyer and want to be listed
among the 1,000+ top-level TV executives attending the L.A. Screenings, please
send us your name, your organization, country, hotel while in L.A. and date
of arrival/departure. In addition to being listed (without the hotel info),
you'll receive our complimentary exclusive Video Age L.A. Screenings Guides in
your hotel room. If you're a distributor and want to be listed in the Guides, on
the boards in the key hotels and in the daily update flyers, please send us
your date of arrival, name of the hotel and suite number. If you're exhibiting
in the Park Hyatt, the official L.A. Screenings Hotel, the information will be
given to us automatically.
VideoAge L.A. Screenings

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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