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PROGRAMMING
Despite the absence of its namesake, ABC's "Dick Clark's Primetime New
Year's Rockin' Eve 2005," still beat out the competition. The show, in which Regis
Philbin replaced the ailing Clark as host, outdid NBC's "New Year's Eve with
Carson Daly" by 3.4 million viewers. [E! Online]
E! Online

It is one of the BBC's most expensive productions in history but it won't see
the light of day. The BBC has shelved docu-drama "Supervolcano," fearing its
scenes of death and destruction would offend viewers in the wake of the
tsunami disaster. The program, which follows a major volcanic eruption in
Yellowstone National Park, cost approximately 2.8 million pounds ($1.5 million) to make
and was expected to be a highlight of the winter schedule. [The Guardian]
The Guardian

NBC Universal is stepping up to the plate when it comes to tsunami relief.
The company will air a star-heavy telethon on Jan. 15, across all of its network
affiliates and cable stations in an effort to raise money for victims of the
Asian tragedy, which, as of now, has claimed 140,000 lives in the region. [E!
Online]
E! Online

Jerry Springer is sparking debate once again, but this time it's overseas.
London's controversial West End musical, "Jerry Springer-The Opera," is set to
air on the BBC2 on Saturday night. The broadcast is being met by many critics
as it features over 8,000 obscenities, not to mention tap-dancing Ku Klux Klan
members and a scene in which a diaper-wearing Jesus admits he is "a bit gay."
[The London Times]
The London Times

Providing hope that bad taste actually may not run rampant in the U.S.,
viewers rejected Fox's newest tacky reality series, "Who's Your Daddy." Ratings for
the show, which featured a woman identifying her birth father for a grand
prize of $100,000, were lower than expected with the show coming in fourth in its
time slot.
[The New York Post]
The New York Post

BUSINESS
As Paramount Pictures gets a new head honcho, execs at Viacom are anxiously
awaiting some improvements. The change in staff creates a possibility that the
studio's profit contribution to Viacom could grow. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

For months, industry watchers have wondered whether or not NBC Universal will
keep its Trio cable network, known for its lineup of critically acclaimed
shows like "Brilliant But Canceled.'' The future doesn't look too good since the
network lost about half of its subscribers over the weekend as a result of
DirecTV pulling its plug. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

CONTROVERSY
Australia's biggest TV stars are encouraging its three commercial television
networks to take tsunami relief to the next level, urging them to donate their
advertising revenue from the broadcast of Saturday night's upcoming relief
concert. The Sydney Opera House event, which will be held in tandem with a
telethon in Melbourne, has already raised more than $100,000 in ticket sales. [The
Australian]
The Australian

Yesterday was not a good day for Ricardo B. Salinas Pliego, one of the
richest men in Mexico. The chairman of TV Azteca, the second largest
Spanish-language broadcaster, was charged with fraud in a lawsuit that seeks to have him
barred as a director or officer of any company whose shares trade on an American
exchange and hopes to see him hand over the $110 million he made from trading
in the company's stock and debt. [The New York Times]
The New York Times

TECHNOLOGY
Rupert Murdoch has launched a campaign against advertisements. His British
pay-TV company, BSkyB, has patented new technology that will allow viewers to
record programs sans ad breaks. Sky Plus, the satellite broadcaster's current
personal video recorder (PVR), allows users to skip through advertisements. The
difference is that with that technology, even played at 30 times normal
speed, the commercials can still be seen by viewers, with the new technology they
are completely gone. [The Guardian]
The Guardian

FILM
A low-budget Australian horror film is making history as the first Aussie
movie to make a profit before anyone has even seen it. Three weeks before its
world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, "Wolf Creek" has been sold to
Miramax for $5.2 million. [The Melbourne Herald Sun]
The Melbourne Herald Sun

PRESS RELEASE CLIPS
CABLEready will add a little style to the United States, one makeover at a
time. Fast-paced reality series "The Style Method with Kate Rice" will be
unveiled at NATPE.
CABLEready

CHUM has designated today, January 5, CHUM Disaster Relief Day. In an effort
to raise critical funds for tsunami survivors, CHUM is holding a one-day
national media blitz across its 32 radio and 33 television stations.
CHUM

French independent producer Elephant et Cie has licensed its successful
format, "Marathon Interview," for a local version in primetime on TV1, the first
channel of public broadcaster VRT in Belgium.
Sparks Network

NATPE has announced that Stephen J. Davis, president, Granada America and
John Weiser, president, distribution, Sony Pictures Television, have been
nominated to second terms as co-chairpersons of the organization. Their terms will
continue through the NATPE 2006 Conference & Exhibition.
NATPE

Sesame Workshop has named Liz Nealon to the newly-created role of senior vice
president, Creative. Nealon will lead Sesame Workshop's creative engine,
oversee both domestic and international production of "Sesame Street," as well as
creative development for television, home video and themed entertainment.
Sesame Workshop

To coincide with today's premier of reality series/singing competition, "The
Road to Stardom with Missy Elliot," the show, along with Break the Cycle
spokesperson Missy Elliot, will launch an anti-domestic violence public service
announcement (PSA) contest.
UPN

NATPE Message from VideoAge:

New Hotel: New Challenges
New Realities to Face: New Sales Opportunities
NEW NATPE

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