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DISNEY'S PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST COMMANDS THE HIGH SEAS IN ITS FIRST DAY OF RELEASE

#1 Movie of the Year Becomes the #1 DVD of the Holiday Season and on Track to Become the #1 Live-Action DVD Seller of All Time, Selling Nearly 5 Million Units in its First Day of Release

Walt Disney Pictures' (NYSE:DIS) action-packed worldwide film sensation Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest became the #1 DVD of the holiday season, selling nearly 5 million units on DVD in North America in its first day of release it was announced today by Bob Chapek, president of Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment.

This fete now poises Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment to finish the 2006 year owning three of the top three DVD releases of the year with Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, CARS and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Adding to these phenomenal accomplishments, the nearly 5 million DVD units sold of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in its first day of sales puts it on track to become the #1 selling "live-action" DVD title of all time.

"We could not be more thrilled with the incredible success of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," commented Chapek. "This franchise is a genuine treasure for us and we are ecstatic that the momentum generated at theatrical has continued with the DVD release. Consumers have an insatiable appetite for all things Pirates Of The Caribbean."

"Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is officially on track to become the #1 selling DVD of the Year. This, coupled with the recent extraordinary successes of Cars and the Platinum release of The Little Mermaid, continues to illustrate the enduring appeal of Disney branded movies in the DVD industry. It is our commitment to fans of Disney movies to do everything possible to keep their favorite DVDs in stock throughout the holiday season," he continued.

Starring Johnny Depp as that mischievous, heroic rogue Captain Jack Sparrow, this epic adventure directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer has taken audiences by storm. The film's theatrical opening weekend was the biggest in U.S. box-office history, and the high-seas Hollywood tidal wave continues with a worldwide box-office gross of over a billion dollars to date, making it Disney's most successful movie of all time.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was released as both a deluxe 2-disc Special Edition DVD set and as a single-disc DVD. The single-disc DVD features screenwriter audio commentary and the hilarious, never-before-seen "Bloopers of the Caribbean." The Special Edition features limited availability holographic packaging and includes all single disc features, plus a treasure-chest of bonus booty: a behind-the-scenes documentary; a Captain Jack featurette; a sword-fighting featurette; "Creating The Kraken" on the film's stunning sea beast; "Fly On The Set" - an on location view of filming; a featurette on the legend of Davy Jones; bonus program on the newly "re-Imagineered" Pirates of the Caribbean resort attraction; star-studded, red-carpet Hollywood premiere footage; producer Jerry Bruckheimer's personal on-set photo diary, and more. Much of the bonus material is exclusive to this DVD release.

About Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment

Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista DVD, Blu-ray Disc and electronic distribution product. Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment is a division of Disney Enterprises, Inc.

ADDING MULTIMEDIA In TV Guide Magazine's December 11 Issue (on Newsstands December 7)/ TV Guide Magazine Offers Exclusive Look at Special Elvis-Themed Holiday Episode of Las Vegas

Josh Duhamel and Molly Sims Grace Four Collectible Covers Each Cover Affixed With Distinctly Designed Multi-Media CD-ROM CD-ROM Features Previously Unreleased Version of Elvis Christmas Song "It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You"

NEW YORK --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 6, 2006 It has been decades since Elvis sang his last song in Sin City, but in an upcoming episode of the NBC hit Las Vegas the King is front and center on The Strip and TV Guide magazine's December 11 issue has all the scoop. This special issue of the magazine will highlight four covers graced by Las Vegas stars Molly Sims and Josh Duhamel, each affixed with a distinctly designed collectible Elvis CD-ROM.

The episode of Las Vegas, entitled "White Christmas," features an Elvis soundtrack with six classic songs from SONY BMG's new 23-track release Elvis Christmas (in stores now), a definitive career-spanning collection of holiday songs from Elvis Presley. According to the show's creator, it is thanks entirely to the music that he was permitted to move forward with a holiday show at all. "I've always wanted to do a Christmas show, but I was never allowed to because they can only repeat the show during the holidays," creator Gary Scott Thompson tells TV Guide. Adding the Elvis soundtrack changed all that, he says.

With contributions from Elvis Presley Enterprises and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the enhanced CD-ROM--with four different cover designs, each depicting a different image of Elvis from various stages in his life and career-- will feature a number of multi-media elements including a previously unreleased version of the Elvis holiday song, "It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You" (courtesy of Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group); an Elvis photo gallery; a peek at Elvis' "Blue Christmas" video; an Elvis Christmas e-card; and behind the scenes footage from the taping of the Las Vegas Elvis-themed episode.

In this special holiday episode of Las Vegas, premiering December 15 at 9:00PM ET/PT, the halls of the Montecito are decked with "The Elvis Collection" -- a fictitious traveling exhibit straight from Graceland. Presley video footage plays on the giant projection screens that surround the casino's sports book; his studded jumpsuits are on display by the poker tables; and his '56 white Cadillac convertible is parked near the roulette wheels. (Elvis' actual belongings rarely leave Memphis, so all items in the collection are replicas). It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, but it seems nothing is going right. Casino honcho Ed Deline (James Caan) is miserably stuck in a Kris Kringle costume during a 100 degree heat wave; Delinda's (Sims) first Christmas with Danny (Duhamel) is sidetracked by a theft, and Mary (Nikki Cox) is caught off guard by some disturbing news about her haunting past. Vanessa Marcil and James Lesure also star in the episode, and Cheryl Ladd guest stars.

TV Guide's December 11 issue goes on sale Thursday, December 7. The collectible CD-ROMs will be available on newsstand editions of the magazine only.

About TV Guide

TV Guide magazine is a division of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ: GMST) a leading media, entertainment and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes technologies, products and services targeted at the television guidance and entertainment needs of consumers worldwide. The Company's businesses include: television media and publishing properties; interactive program guide services and products; and technology and intellectual property licensing. Additional information about the Company can be found at http://www.gemstartvguide.com.

About Elvis Presley Enterprises

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit http://www.Elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ National Market(R) under the ticker symbol "CKXE." Also visit http://www.ckx.com.

About Sony BMG Music Entertainment

SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is a global recorded music joint venture with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars, as well as a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT is 50% owned by Bertelsmann A.G. and 50% owned by Sony Corporation of America 

Dec. 6 "Heeere's Johnny," Ed McMahon's nightly introduction of Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show for over 30 years, is ranked the number one most memorable TV catchphrase in The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases which premieres over five consecutive nights starting on Monday, December 11th at 10 P.M. ET/PT. The week-long special looks at memorable sayings from cartoons, television series, commercials and news programs over the past 60 years like Donald Trump's (The Apprentice) "You're fired" that landed at the number 3 spot to Billy Crystal's (Saturday Night Live) "You look mahvelous!" at the number 43 slot to Walter Cronkite's "And that's the way it is" at number 21. Building on the success of 2005's The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments, The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases gives viewers a look inside the origins of some of pop culture's most remembered and repeated catchphrases. The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases is produced by Gay Rosenthal Productions (Behind the Music and Little People, Big World).

TV Land's The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases features original talent interviews and archival clips of those who made them famous as well as those who have been deeply influenced by the catchphrases. From Neil Armstrong's unforgettable "One small step ... " to Fred Flintstone's cartoon catchphrase "Yabba dabba do" to The Price is Right's Johnny Olson's call to "Come on down," TV Land's The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases will take viewers from 100 to 1 in this lively week-long countdown show.

"We have found that television is such a huge part of Baby Boomers' DNA that it makes sense that so much of America's pop culture jargon has come from TV," stated Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. "We are sure that The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases will strike a chord with the TV Generation and will illustrate the influence the medium has had on pop culture."

The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases by the numbers:

* 1 moment from the 1940's; 10 moments from 1950's; 20 moments from the

1960's; 26 moments from the 1970's; 15 moments from the 1980's; 19

moments from the 1990's; and 9 moments from 2000 and on.

* 28 comedy moments top the list by genre with one-liners including

"Dynomite" from Good Times and "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" from

South Park.

* 10 commercials grace the list including "I can't believe I ate that

whole thing" from Alka Seltzer and Energizer Batteries "It keeps going

and going and going ... "

* 21 variety show phrases include "Jane, you ignorant slut" from Saturday

Night Live and "Here it is, your moment of Zen" from The Daily Show.

The list of The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases in numerical order:

100 Nip it! (Barney Fife, The Andy Griffith Show)

99 Yeah, that's the ticket. (Jon Lovitz, Saturday Night Live)

98 I'm Larry, this is my brother Darryl ... (Larry, Newhart)

97 God'll get you for that. (Maude, Maude)

96 I love it when a plan comes together. (Hannibal, The A-Team)

95 This is the city ... (Sgt. Joe Friday, Dragnet)

94 Time to make the donuts. (Dunkin' Donuts)

93 Resistance is futile. (Picard as Borg, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

92 Oh, my nose! (Marcia Brady, The Brady Bunch)

91 Suit up! (Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother)

90 Mom always liked you best. (Tommy Smothers, The Smothers Brothers

Comedy Hour)

89 Here it is, your moment of Zen. (Jon Stewart, The Daily Show)

88 I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV. (Vicks Formula 44)

87 Hey now! (Hank Kingsley, The Larry Sanders Show)

86 That's hot. (Paris Hilton, The Simple Life)

85 Just one more thing ... (Columbo, Columbo)

84 The truth is out there. (Fox Mulder, The X-Files)

83 Welcome to the O.C., bitch. (Luke, The O.C.)

82 You eeeediot! (Ren, Ren & Stimpy)

81 Now cut that out! (Jack Benny, The Jack Benny Program)

80 The tribe has spoken. (Jeff Probst, Survivor)

79 Holy crap! (Frank Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond)

78 Bam! (Emeril Lagasse, Emeril Live)

77 I'm Rick James, bitch! (Dave Chappelle as Rick James, Chappelle's

Show)

76 Denny Crane. (Denny Crane, Boston Legal)

75 I know nothing! (Sgt. Schultz, Hogan's Heroes)

74 Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! (Jan Brady, The Brady Bunch)

73 Good night, John Boy. (The Waltons)

72 Let's be careful out there. (Sgt. Esterhaus, Hill Street Blues)

71 Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy. (Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle)

70 Schwing! (Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne and Garth, Saturday

Night Live)

69 Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon? (Grey Poupon)

68 Tell me what you don't like about yourself. (Dr. McNamara & Dr. Troy,

Nip/Tuck)

67 Up your nose with a rubber hose. (Vinnie Barbarino, Welcome Back,

Kotter)

66 Heh heh ... (Beavis & Butthead, Beavis and Butthead)

65 Making whoopie! (Bob Eubanks, The Newlywed Game)

64 Who loves you, baby? (Kojak, Kojak)

63 Gee, Mrs. Cleaver ... (Eddie Haskell, Leave it to Beaver)

62 I can't believe I ate that whole thing. (Alka Seltzer)

61 Say good night, Gracie. (George Burns, The Burns & Allen Show)

60 We've got a really big show! (Ed Sullivan, The Ed Sullivan Show)

59 Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids! (Trix Cereal)

58 Elizabeth, I'm coming! (Fred Sanford, Sanford and Son)

57 Do you believe in miracles? (Al Michaels, 1980 Winter Olympics)

56 Don't make me angry ... (David Banner, The Incredible Hulk)

55 Hey, hey, hey! (Dwayne Nelson, What's Happening!!)

54 Have you no sense of decency? (Joseph Welch to Sen. McCarthy)

53 Holy ______, Batman! (Robin, Batman)

52 What you see is what you get! (Geraldine, The Flip Wilson Show)

51 Never assume ... (Felix Unger, The Odd Couple)

50 Tastes great! Less filling! (Miller Lite Beer)

49 You rang? (Lurch, The Addams Family)

48 Danger, Will Robinson! (Robot, Lost in Space)

47 How you doin'? (Joey Tribbiani, Friends)

46 Is that your final answer? (Regis Philbin, Who Wants to be a

Millionaire)

45 Read my lips: No new taxes! (George H.W. Bush)

44 Two thumbs up! (Siskel & Ebert / Ebert & Roeper)

43 You look mahvelous! (Billy Crystal as Fernando, Saturday Night Live)

42 I want my MTV! (MTV)

41 Good night, and good luck. (Edward R. Murrow, See It Now)

40 Stifle! (Archie Bunker, All in the Family)

39 Would you believe? (Maxwell Smart, Get Smart)

38 Sock it to me. (Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In)

37 ... if it weren't for you meddling kids! (Various villains, Scooby

Doo, Where Are You?)

36 Well, isn't that special? (Dana Carvey as The Church Lady, Saturday

Night Live)

35 Oh my God! They killed Kenny! (Stan and Kyle, South Park)

34 You've got spunk ... (Mr. Grant, Mary Tyler Moore)

33 Homey don't play that! (Homey the Clown, In Living Color)

32 No soup for you! (Soup Nazi, Seinfeld)

31 It keeps going and going and going ... (Energizer Batteries)

30 It takes a licking ... (Timex)

29 Norm! (Cheers)

28 How sweet it is! (Jackie Gleason, The Jackie Gleason Show)

27 The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. (Jim McKay, ABC's Wide

World of Sports)

26 Smile, you're on Candid Camera! (Candid Camera)

25 Whassup? (Budweiser)

24 De plane! De plane! (Tattoo, Fantasy Island)

23 Jane, you ignorant slut. (Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd, Saturday Night

Live)

22 Live long and prosper. (Spock, Star Trek)

21 And that's the way it is. (Walter Cronkite, CBS Evening News)

20 Come on down! (Johnny Olson, et al, The Price is Right)

19 Let's get ready to rumble! (Michael Buffer, Various sporting events)

18 Good grief. (Charlie Brown, Peanuts Specials)

17 Hey, hey, hey! (Fat Albert, Fat Albert)

16 Yada, yada, yada ... (Seinfeld)

15 Book 'em, Danno. (Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O)

14 Space, the final frontier ... (Capt. Kirk, Star Trek)

13 We are two wild and crazy guys! (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd,

Saturday Night Live)

12 Dynomite! (J.J., Good Times)

11 Aaay! (Fonzie, Happy Days)

10 I'm not a crook. (Richard Nixon)

9 Yabba dabba do! (Fred Flintstone, The Flintstones)

8 Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis? (Arnold Drummond, Diff'rent Strokes)

7 Where's the beef? (Wendy's)

6 D'oh! (Homer Simpson, The Simpsons)

5 Ask not what your country can do for you ... (John F. Kennedy)

4 Baby, you're the greatest. (Ralph Kramden, The Honeymooners)

3 You're fired! (Donald Trump, The Apprentice)

2 One small step for man ... (Neil Armstrong)

1 Here's Johnny! (Ed McMahon, The Tonight Show)

The list is also available at http://www.tvland.com/

The following are episode highlights for The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases (all times ET/PT):

Monday, December 11, 10 P.M., Phrases 100-81, (TV-PG)

In the first of this five-part special to countdown to the #1 catchphrase in TV history, Brady Bunch cast members Barry Williams and Christopher Knight recall Marcia Brady's unforgettable line "Oh my nose!," and The Simple Life Executive Producer, Jonathan Murray, shares the origins of Paris Hilton's sizzling catchphrase "That's hot."

Tuesday, December 12, 10 P.M., Phrases 80-61, (TV-PG)

In the second episode, Bob Eubanks reminisces about his classic "Making whoopie!" line from The Newlywed Game, and Ken Osmond fills us in on the origins of Eddie Haskell's deceptively polite "Gee, Mrs. Cleaver" from Leave it to Beaver.

Wednesday, December 13, 10 P.M., Phrases 60-41, (TV-PG)

The third episode features TV's ultimate dynamic duo Adam West and Burt Ward discuss the origins of their classically cheesy exclamations from Batman, and Regis Philbin offers insights on his world-famous "Is that your final answer?" from Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Thursday, December 14, 10 P.M., Phrases 40-21, (TV-PG)

In the fourth episode, Trey Parker and Matt Stone fill us in on a little known secret about the South Park catchphrase "Oh my God, they killed Kenny - you bastards!" and Walter Cronkite weighs in on the creation of his classic CBS Evening News signoff, "And that's the way it is."

Friday, December 15, 10 P.M., Phrases 20-1, (TV-PG)

In the fifth and final episode, William Shatner reminisces about the unforgettable Star Trek opening narration, "Space, the final frontier ... " and Donald Trump explains the origins of his trademark exclamation "You're fired!" from The Apprentice.

The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases is a Gay Rosenthal Production produced exclusively for TV Land. Executive Producers are Gay Rosenthal and Paul Barrosse from Gay Rosenthal Productions and Sal Maniaci, Senior Vice President, TV Land, Development and Original Production. Nicholas Caprio of Gay Rosenthal Productions is Co-Executive Producer.

About TV Land

Now seen in over 88 million U.S. homes, TV Land is a division of MTV Networks. TV Land's program mix features popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns, Retromercials and a TV-referential interstitial environment, all programmed with a specific audience in mind -- the first generation of Americans to grow up watching television and features all-time Classic hits like All in the Family, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bonanza.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) , owns and operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, mtvU, VHI, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, MTV INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 12 digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

About Viacom

Viacom is a leading global entertainment content company, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics. Engaging its audiences through television, motion pictures and digital platforms, Viacom reaches its audiences wherever they consume content. Viacom's leading brands include the multiplatform properties of MTV Networks, including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land, Logo and more than 130 networks around the world, as well as digital assets such as Neopets, Xfire and Atom Entertainment; BET Networks; Paramount Pictures; Paramount Home Entertainment; DreamWorks; and Famous Music

Dec. 6 It's coming on Christmas ... and 3-time Grammy and 8-time Juno Award-winning multi-platinum Arista recording artist Sarah McLachlan receives a timely and welcome gift as WINTERSONG, her first holiday season album is certified gold by the RIAA for U.S. sales in excess of 500,000 units. WINTERSONG (issued October 17th) is Sarah's 11th career chart album in Billboard -- where it is the #1 best-seller on the Top Holiday Albums chart marks her 15th release to be certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the RIAA. WINTERSONG also enters the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart this week at #7 selling 116,025 units, the first holiday album to crack the Top 10 since 2004, and the second highest ranking for a holiday album since 2001. In addition, WINTERSONG sold more copies this week than any other holiday album sold in any week last year.

Recorded at home in a relaxed Canadian setting, WINTERSONG combines traditional and standard Christmas tunes with several contemporary classics that are close to Sarah's heart, including her original new title tune composition, "WINTERSONG." The album opens with her version of John Lennon's timeless "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," featuring her Music Outreach Children's Choir of Vancouver (emulating the original 1971 version by John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band, recorded with the Harlem Community Choir).

Other WINTERSONG highlights include Sarah's version of Joni Mitchell's 1971 "River" ("It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees ... "), and homage to Gordon Lightfoot's 1975 "Song For A Winter's Night." From the American standard songbook, Sarah chose "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Have Your­self A Merry Little Christmas," and the 1965 Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon's "Christmas Time Is Here." The program is rounded out with the traditional "What Child Is This (Greensleeves)," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Silent Night," the classically flavored "In the Bleak Mid Winter," and a medley of "The First Noel/ Mary Mary."

Last week, Sarah made a special appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she sang "Ordinary Miracle," her closing track on the Charlotte's Web motion picture soundtrack album by Danny Elfman, arriving in stores December 5th on Sony Classical. (The Paramount Picture starring Dakota Fanning opens December 20th.) On November 29th (the day after Oprah), Sarah was on hand for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, broadcast nationally.

A busy schedule of New York TV appearances was then set, including ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien on Friday, December 1st; ABC's Good Morning America Weekend (2nd); ABC's Live with Regis & Kelly (4th); wrapping up with the CBS Early Show and syndicated Martha Stewart Living (5th). Sarah will be the musical guest on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday night, December 15th.

Since joining Arista nearly two decades ago, every one of Sarah McLachlan's original studio and live albums have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the RIAA, starting with Touch (1988) and Solace (1991), both gold sellers. Her 1994 breakthrough, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (triple-platinum) was followed by the digitally enhanced multimedia version of The Freedom Sessions (1995, gold). Sarah's landmark fifth album, the 8x-platinum Surfacing (1997), contained two Grammy Award-winning tracks, as "Building a Mystery" won for Best Female Pop Vocal, and "Last Dance" was voted Best Pop Instrumental. 1999's triple-platinum Mirrorball, and its platinum long-form video counterpart, were both culled from that year's Lilith Fair tour, and spun off Sarah's third Grammy-winning performance, as "I Will Remember You" won for Best Female Pop Vocal. The double-platinum Afterglow followed in 2003, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, while its opening track, "Fallen" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal. WINTERSONG was Sarah's first new studio recording since Afterglow.

Source: Arista Records

Sale And Rental Of Movies Over The Internet Will Grow Dramatically Over The Coming Years And Could Reach Nearly 60 Million (59.4 Million) Units By 2010 - Movies-Over-The-Web: Hollywood's New Box Office

DUBusiness Wire)-- Dec. 6, 2006 Research and Markets has announced the addition of IP Media Monitor Quarterly Action Report Movies-Over-The-Web: Hollywood's New Box Office to their offering.

This exclusive analysis looks at the state of film distribution over the web and delivers some early-days data on the size and potential growth in this new entertainment offering.

According to our model, the market for movies on the web will generate $37.25 million in 2006 in the U.S. This level is only .15% of the domestic home video rental and sell-through market for 2005. The total number of full-length motion picture units sold (either via rental or download-to-own) over the Internet could total 9.5 million, barely 1% when compared to the 1.34 billion DVDs and videocassettes sold in 2005. Placed in context, the $37.25 million in web-based movie distribution revenue is less than the 2005 domestic box office revenue for independent film hit "Napoleon Dynamite," which generated $44.5 million in ticket sales that year.

The sale and rental of movies over the Internet will grow dramatically over the coming years and could reach nearly 60 million (59.4 million) units by 2010, with revenues skyrocketing to over a half billion dollars ($534 million). However, even with this growth, Internet movie sales and rentals will still represent a tiny portion of the motion picture industry's revenues. The $534 million in 2010 represents only 2% of the home video rental and sales revenue generated by the motion picture business in 2005. The 59.4 million units still represents only 4% of the total home video units sold in 2005.

The report concludes that the single biggest factor holding back Internet movie sales is Hollywood's reluctance to allow films to be sold over the web so that they can ultimately be viewed on TVs. Although technologies exist today that allow for the transfer of web-distributed films to traditional TV sets, these technologies are too complex for most consumers. Other technologies that allow for a smoother transition of movies to TV sets are still too new and have yet to gain traction in the marketplace.

In addition to our groundbreaking analysis, Movies-over-the-Web: Hollywood's New Box Office delivers profiles of the top web-based Internet movie sites, including:

- CinemaNow

- Movielink

- Guba

- AOL

- Vongo

- Amazon Unbox

- Apples iTunes

- iFilm

- Google

- MovieFlix

- BitTorrent

...and more

Content Outline:

I. Introduction and Overview

II. Apple's iTunes

III. Amazon Unbox

IV. AOL Video

V. CinemaNow and Movie Link

VI. Guba

VII. Vongo

VIII. Movie Flix

IX. Fox/Direc2Drive/MySpace

X. Google Video

XI. BitTorrent

XII. Other Sites

A. Clickstar

B. MSN Movies

XIII. Potential Growth and Financial Projections of Internet-Delivered Films

About the Authors

List of Tables

Table 1 - Internet-Based Movie Distribution Sites

Table 2 - Internet-Based Movie Sales and Revenue Projections, 2006 to 2010

Companies Mentioned:

Apple's iTunes

Amazon Unbox

AOL Video

CinemaNow and Movie Link

Guba

Vongo

Movie Flix

Fox/Direc2Drive/MySpace

Google Video

BitTorrent

Clickstar

MSN Movies

 BabyCenter, LLC, ("BabyCenter") the leading online resource for new and expectant parents, has unveiled its annual BabyCenter(R) Top 10 Baby Names List for 2006. Aiden continued its reign as the most popular boy's name for the second year in a row, while Emma ranked as the number one favorite girl's name for the third year in a row. New in 2006 -- BabyCenter(R) has identified international trends for top 10 baby names across the United States and Germany, Chile, the United Kingdom and Australia.

BabyCenter(R) has the largest private database of baby names available in the United States with approximately 374,522 names compiled from members that gave birth January through October 2006. BabyCenter(R) reaches 65% of all new and expecting moms online in a year. Combined, the BabyCenter and ParentCenter(R) audience is larger than any online destination for new and expectant parents.

The BabyCenter(R) Top 10 Baby Names List has become an annual favorite for new and expectant parents. The list combines names with the same pronunciation, yet different spellings, to give a more accurate view of popularity -- a key differentiation from other lists available. Additionally, BabyCenter(R) releases its top names list six months before annual lists are released from U.S. federal agencies and other third party organizations, which gives parents the earliest read possible on name popularity.

"Choosing a name for your child is an exciting activity that's met with a range of emotions. For some couples there's much to consider, including family names, personal favorites, and how it sounds. For others, it's spontaneous, decided once the baby arrives," said Linda Murray, Editor-in- Chief, BabyCenter. "We're delighted to give couples a wealth of resources that are both fun and insightful to assist them with this important decision."

For parents embarking on the baby name journey, BabyCenter(R) also provides fun and informative resources (www.babycenter.com/babyname), including articles, popular names, relevant bulletin boards, and the BabyCenter(R) Baby Name Finder, which includes a database of names and their meanings.

Creative Spelling Remains a Popular Trend

Creative and unique spelling of baby names continues to be the most popular trend in 2006. Parents found 86 ways to spell the top 10 boys' names, and 163 ways to spell the top 10 girls' names.

Unique twists on traditional spelling variations include: the letter "y" used in place of almost any other vowel; silent letters such as "h"; the use of apostrophes; inter word capital letters; changing vowels (from "ee" to "eigh") and consonants ("k" instead of "c", "f" instead of "ph"). Creative spelling of this year's top boys name reveals Aiden spelled with an "e", Aiyden, and Aedyn. In previous years it was Aidan with an "a".

BabyCenter(R) Top 10 Baby Names for Girls in 2006 (2005)

1. Emma (Emma)

2. Madison (Emily)

3. Ava (Madison)

4. Emily (Kaitlyn)

5. Isabella (Sophia)

6. Kaitlyn (Isabella)

7. Sophia (Olivia)

8. Olivia (Hannah)

9. Abigail (Makayla)

10. Hailey (Ava)

New Names, Rising Stars, and Returns - Girls

Chloe (#18), Aubrey (#70), Nevaeh (#89, heaven spelled backwards), Maggie (#92), and Juliana (#98) were new to the top 100, while Lily (up 12 to #14), Claire (up 23 to #57) Camryn (up 30 to #64), and Charlotte (up 22 to #75) were rising stars. Mackenzie had the most spelling variations for girls with 45. Addison was the rising star this year, jumping 57 spots to secure its place as #26 on the top 100 list for girls.

BabyCenter(R) Top 10 Baby Names for Boys in 2006 (2005)

1. Aiden (Aidan)

2. Jacob (Jacob)

3. Ethan (Ethan)

4. Ryan (Nicholas)

5. Matthew (Matthew)

6. Jack (Ryan)

7. Noah (Tyler)

8. Nicholas (Jack)

9. Joshua (Joshua)

10. Logan (Andrew)

New Names, Rising Stars, and Returns - Boys

Brody (#89), Miles (#97), and Peyton (#99) were new to the top 100, while Logan (up 9 to #10), Noah (up 9 to #7) and Brayden (up 15 to #22) were rising stars. Caden has the most spelling variations for boys with 32 different spellings, while Landon was the fastest riser, up 19 spots to #32.

Top 10 Names Span the Globe

This year BabyCenter(R) has also identified international trends among the top 10 baby names lists for countries that make this data available to the public (Australia, Austria, Chile, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Philippines, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, and Spain).

As of May 2006, Olivia, Sophie(a), Emma, and Emily show strength as a top 10 girl's name in countries, including Australia, England, Wales, and New Zealand. While Jack, Matthew, and Ryan show strength as a top 10 boys name in countries, including Australia, Ireland, and Scotland.

Sophie(a) and Jack showed the highest repetition on international top 10 lists. Sophie(a) is a top 10 favorite in Austria, Chile, Germany, Ireland, and Scotland, and Jack is a top 10 favorite in England, Wales, and New Zealand.

To view the BabyCenter(R) Top 10 Baby Names List for 2006: http://www.babycenter.com/general/babynaming/pregnancy/1506830.html .

About BabyCenter(R)

BabyCenter, LLC, operates www.babycenter.com, the most popular online resource for new and expectant parents. The BabyCenter(R) website attracts over 4 million visitors each month, as measured by comScore Media Metrix. BabyCenter(R) has helped nurture more than 100 million parents since its launch in 1997, and has been honored with numerous awards, including the 2006 People's Choice Webby Award for Best Family/Parenting Web site.

Source: BabyCenter, LLC

- New Structure to Focus on Serving More Sophisticated Demands of Audiences, Advertisers and Publishers Worldwide

Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced a reorganization of its structure and management to align its operations with its key customer segments -- audiences, advertisers and publishers -- and more effectively leverage Yahoo!'s significant strengths to capture future opportunities for growth.

"We're moving aggressively to deliver the most possible value to our key customers - audiences, advertisers and publishers - and seize the major new opportunities we see ahead for the Internet," said Terry Semel, Yahoo! chairman and chief executive officer. "The Internet is continuing to grow and evolve at a rapid pace, and we're reshaping Yahoo! to be a leader in this transformation, just as we did successfully five years ago. Our strategy capitalizes on big emerging trends and leverages our core strengths in search, media, communities and communications. We believe having a more customer-focused organization, supported by robust technology, will speed the development of leading-edge experiences for our most valuable audience segments. In turn, we plan to drive growth and profitability by leveraging our deep audience insights to create a full-fledged advertising network, with a marketplace that meets supply and demand both on Yahoo!'s valuable owned-and-operated network and across the entire Internet."

Yahoo!'s strategy is to create unique user experiences and consumer insights by leveraging its unmatched global user participation, connections and data. The new structure is designed to drive this strategy by aligning the organization with four key objectives:

- Expand customer-centric culture and capabilities - Yahoo! will develop

rich experiences for each audience segment and deliver solutions to

meet the needs of all advertisers and publishers worldwide. Yahoo! Will

organize its services around audience segments and advertising

customers, rather than around products.

- Create leading social media environments - Yahoo! will leverage its

strong positions in community, communications, search, as well as media

content across its global network to create leading social media

environments, which will encourage every user on the Yahoo! network to

participate in the consumption and publishing of information, and

knowledge through tagging, reviewing, sharing of images and audio, and

other social media activities.

- Lead in next-generation advertising platforms - Yahoo! will extend its

industry-leading breadth of offerings to give the most diverse array of

advertisers, from large brand marketers to local merchants, every

opportunity to connect with audiences on and off Yahoo!.

- Drive organizational effectiveness and scale - Yahoo! will recruit and

retain the best industry talent and focus its resources on high-impact,

network-wide platforms to help capture the most significant long-term

growth opportunities.

Three Operating Groups

Under the new structure, Yahoo! will have two customer-focused groups, each led by a senior, experienced operating executive, and a strengthened technology function headed by the chief technology officer. All three executives will report directly to Terry Semel. These groups are:

- Audience Group - This group will be focused on building the largest and

most valuable audiences and relationships on and off the Yahoo!

network, creating more unique, tailored and engaging experiences for

Yahoo!'s valuable users. The group will leverage the success the

company has had to date, as the largest global Internet destination, to

further enhance its existing products in search, media, communities and

communications; build social media environment across Yahoo!; open more

opportunities for users to take advantage of Yahoo! tools and services

off network and through mobile and digital devices; and pursue growth

opportunities in emerging international markets. Yahoo! has launched a

search for an experienced executive to serve as head of this group.

- Advertiser & Publisher Group - This group will lead the transformation

of how advertisers connect with their target customers across the

Internet, with the goal of driving more value for more advertisers and

publishers than any other company. This group will be created by

combining Yahoo!'s broad array of marketing solutions, its industry

leading sales teams, and its thousands of high quality distribution

partners, to create a full-fledged global advertising network on and

off Yahoo!. This is designed to benefit both advertisers and publishers

and significantly enhance the company's monetization capabilities, by

leveraging the size and scale of Yahoo!'s advertising network.

Specifically, this group will provide customer-oriented solutions

across all major segments, including large advertisers and agencies,

small- and medium-sized businesses, local advertisers, resellers

and publishers, as well as develop advertising platforms and

marketplaces for the future. It will be headed by Susan Decker, who has

served as chief financial officer since 2000. Decker has also been an

important contributor to the company's business strategy, has set and

managed all aspects of financial and administrative direction, and has

recently overseen the Yahoo! Marketplaces business unit, which she will

continue to oversee as part of the Advertiser & Publisher Group.

- Technology Group -- Yahoo!'s industry-leading technology group, headed

by Chief Technology Officer Farzad Nazem, will continue to support the

entire organization. In addition to closer engineering integration

within product teams, Yahoo! will concentrate key engineering talent

and shift investment towards the development of high-impact, scalable,

global platforms and infrastructures to help capture the most

significant long-term growth opportunities. For example, the group will

be chartered with leveraging Yahoo!'s platform investments in community

to create the technology platforms for new social media environments.

In addition, it will have a mandate to speed the development of

innovative, next generation advertising platforms beyond Project Panama

to support the expansion of Yahoo!'s global advertising network. Yahoo!

also remains committed to developers and its specific focus on advanced

product development.

New Structure Will Increase Accountability, Speed Decision-Making

Semel said, "We're putting the right people in the right places to execute our focused growth strategy. Yahoo! has an extraordinarily skilled and experienced group of senior executives, and we're adding outside senior talent to this already strong team. Our new structure gives us the opportunity to draw more fully on Yahoo!'s deep bench of talent, both at the new group level and down through the organization, while also increasing accountability, reducing bottlenecks and speeding decision-making. We'll also continue to drive sustained innovation by recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent in our industry."

Yahoo!'s senior management team, actively led by Semel and with the continued participation of Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang, will work closely together on a daily basis to ensure that the company is aggressively moving its strategy forward, driving long-term growth and fulfilling Yahoo!'s core mission to connect people to their passions, their communities, and the world's knowledge.

The company has a search under way for a new chief financial officer to succeed Decker, who will be assisting in this search. Decker will continue to serve as CFO in the interim. The new CFO and other corporate functions, including corporate development, legal affairs, human resources and corporate communications will report to Semel.

Dan Rosensweig, chief operating officer, has decided to leave Yahoo!, at the end of March, to ensure a smooth transition.

"Since joining Yahoo! almost five years ago, Dan has been a driving force behind Yahoo!'s phenomenal audience and advertising growth, helping shape the development and creation of some of the most adopted and innovative services on the Web today. At the same time, he has helped build some of our most valued partner and client relationships, resulting in our strong advertising success during the last five years," said Semel. "Dan has been closely involved in our efforts to realign Yahoo!'s business for the next phase of growth, and has built a world class team under him. Dan was one of my first executive hires at Yahoo! and I am very appreciative of the friendship, leadership, vision and passion that he has brought to Yahoo!. We will all miss Dan and thank him for all he has done."

The changes in leadership assignments are effective January 1, 2007. The company expects to complete its reorganization by the end of Q1 2007.

Building on Yahoo!'s Positive Momentum

Yahoo! is moving aggressively to secure leading positions where it sees the largest opportunities for growth on the Internet. Over the past month, among other steps, Yahoo! has:

- Announced a strategic partnership with the publishers of more than 150

U.S. daily newspapers to deliver search, graphical and classified

aAdvertising to consumers in their own communities;

- Received encouraging feedback on the roll-out of its new search

advertising platform, known as Project Panama;

- Announced a partnership with Vodafone that will use innovative

technology to create a new mobile phone advertising business;

- Released the beta version of its graphical advertising platform for the

mobile Web in the United States, complementing the search advertising

platform for the mobile Web released earlier in the year;

- Announced plans to acquire Bix.com, a social media contest site; and

- Continued to have tremendous success with the international expansion

of Yahoo! Answers.

"We already have leading positions in many areas across the Internet, from community, to communications, to media content," Semel noted. "With our new organization and a focused growth strategy that leverages our core strengths, we're well positioned to extend our leadership in the years ahead."

About Susan Decker

Before joining Yahoo! in June 2000 as CFO, Susan Decker was with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) for 14 years, where she served most recently as the global director of equity research, a US$300 million operation. Earlier, she was an equity research analyst on more than 30 media, publishing and advertising companies. She was recognized by Institutional Investor magazine as a top-rated analyst for 10 consecutive years. She currently serves on the boards of directors of Intel, Costco Wholesale and The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and was previously a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC) and the board of directors of Pixar Animation Studios, until its sale to Disney. Ms. Decker holds a B.S. from Tufts University and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

About Farzad Nazem

Farzad Nazem joined Yahoo! in early 1996 as senior vice president of engineering and surfing and was named chief technology officer of Yahoo! in early 1998, responsible for overseeing all areas of engineering, including site operations and product development. He is credited with overseeing the development and expansion of Yahoo!'s technical platform. Mr. Nazem has more than 25 years of experience in executive and technical positions. Before coming to Yahoo!, he was vice president of Oracle Corporation's Media and Web Server Division and held various technical positions for SYDIS, Inc. and Rolm Corporation. He holds a B.S. degree in Computer Science from California Polytechnic State University.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo!'s mission is to connect people to their passions, their communities, and the world's knowledge. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties concerning Yahoo!'s announced reorganization (including without limitation the statements contained in the quotations from management in this press release), as well as Yahoo!'s strategic and operational plans. Actual events or results may differ materially from those described in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, our ability to (1) create unique, tailored and engaging user experiences; (2) successfully develop leading social media environments; (3) provide solutions, platforms and marketplaces providing greater value to advertisers and publishers and creating increased monetization opportunities; (4) successfully develop and implement new platforms and infrastructures; and (5) to retain and recruit key talent. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included under the captions, "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in Yahoo!'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006, which are on file with the SEC and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Yahoo! and the Yahoo! logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Source: Yahoo UK

On January 11, 2007, USA Network's fifth season premiere of the top-rated country music series NASHVILLE STAR debuts a duet with Sonic, the nation's largest drive-in restaurant chain, for a multi- media co-branded marketing partnership, it was announced today by Chris McCumber, senior vice president, marketing and brand strategy. NASHVILLE STAR is hosted by music superstar Jewel and co-hosted by Cowboy Troy.

The expansive partnership with Sonic includes the first-ever entitled sponsorship of NASHVILLE STAR, plus extensive promotional, on-air, in-store and online co-branded content. Highlights include:

* ON-AIR - As the entitled sponsor, Sonic will be included in all USA

Network promos. The brand's affiliation is extended via the following:

1. For the first time ever, USA Network has created a scripted sponsor-

integrated vignette featuring co-host Cowboy Troy and NASHVILLE STAR

judge Anastasia Brown. It was filmed at a Sonic location in

Clarksville, TN and teases the old adage that "something bad has to

happen to you to write a country music song." The :40/:30 spot is

scheduled to air on USA Network beginning December 1 and will

continue in rotation for the duration of the series.

* IN-STORE - Sonic is conducting a NASHVILLE STAR themed sweepstakes in

each of its 3,200 drive-ins beginning January 11 and concluding February

16, with winner announcement following the finale. Support includes

NASHVILLE STAR branded bags and cups. Sweepstakes prizes include five

Chevy Silverados and a year's supply of Sonic food and drink.

* ONLINE - Sonic will also receive a customized presenting sponsorship of

NASHVILLE STAR microsite including rich media banners, video pre-rolls

and exclusive ownership of the contestant bios, behind the scenes

content area and the "What Rocks in Vegas, Rolls in Vegas" NASHVILLE

STAR sweepstakes. Additionally, both usanetwork.com and

sonicdrivein.com will link to one another.

"Sonic is a perfect fit for a franchise such as NASHVILLE STAR and we are thrilled to have them on board for this co-branded marketing partnership. Sonic's reach will help extend the NASHVILLE STAR brand to over a million people each day," said McCumber.

"The combination of Sonic and NASHVILLE STAR creates a powerful and truly organic marketing partnership for both brands," said Kevin McAuliffe, vice president, NBCU Cable Branded Entertainment Group. "The target audience and marketing objectives aligned perfectly which allowed Sonic to capitalize on the full life cycle of NASHVILLE STAR. Both brands used local auditions, live show sponsorship with integrations and ultimately the follow-on tour to reach consumers/viewers."

"Sonic is pleased to exclusively present NASHVILLE STAR for the fifth season of the popular show," says Todd Townsend, vice president and chief marketing officer of Sonic Industries. "The energetic and family-fun appeal of the show makes it a natural fit for Sonic."

NASHVILLE STAR on usanetwork.com

Nashvillestar.usanetwork.com will again be the official site for the fifth season premiere of NASHVILLE STAR for voting, video streaming, and contestant information, with increased video rich content. The online effort will include new and expanded features, including first ever SMS (basic text messages); WAP sites including episode guides, polls, and a photo gallery plus a mobile store offering downloadable wallpapers, greetings and ring tones. The website will also include the first-ever live online chats during the show with Nashville-based comedian Wix Wichmann; a "fan of the week" section allowing users to upload their pictures describing why they are the biggest NASHVILLE STAR fan; a gallery of contestant's performance fashions with commentary and weekly fashion tips by CHARACTER FANTASY host Jeannie Mai and an all-new NASHVILLE STAR interactive music video. Other content includes episode guides; host, judge, contestant and guest performer information.

SONIC, America's Drive-In (NASDAQ/GS: SONC), originally started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, called Top hat Drive-In, and then changed its name to Sonic in 1959. The first drive-in to adopt the Sonic name is still serving customers in Stillwater, Okla. Sonic has approximately 3,200 drive-ins coast to coast and in Mexico, where more than a million customers eat every day. More than a million customers eat at Sonic every day; and with more drink combinations than any other quick-service restaurant -- 168,894 to be exact -- Sonic is Your Ultimate Drink Stop. For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit Sonic at www.sonicdrivein.com.

NASHVILLE STAR is created by Reveille and executive produced by Ben Silverman ("The Biggest Loser," "The Office") and H.T. Owens ("The Restaurant," "30 Days"). Jeff Boggs will executive produce in association with Reveille. Todd Lubin ("30 Days," "Black.White") serves as co-executive producer. The show is produced by Jon Small ("Garth Brooks Live From Central Park," "Billy Joel Live at Yankee Stadium") and his production company, Picture Vision, alongside co-executive producer Mark Koops ("The Restaurant," "Blow Out").

Reveille is a leading independent production and distribution company focused on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights through scripted and alternative television formats. Launched in March of 2002 by Ben Silverman, the company produces innovative entertainment programming across all television genres such as the Emmy Award-winning "The Office" (NBC), which has also received two Television Critics Association Awards; "The Biggest Loser" (NBC); "Ugly Betty" (ABC); "House of Boateng" (Sundance Channel); "30 Days" (FX); "Blow Out" (Bravo); "Bound For Glory" (ESPN); "Nashville Star" (USA); "Date My Mom" (MTV); and "The Restaurant" (NBC). Reveille is also the world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for leading advertisers while developing alternative financing paradigms. In addition, Reveille's growing library of programming is distributed to more than 150 countries worldwide through Reveille International. The company maintains offices in Los Angeles and New York.

For photos of NASHVILLE STAR, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.

USA Network is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. The #1 basic cable network across the board in 3Q06, USA Network is seen in 90 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.

USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

Source: USA Network

 ViewNow, a leading IPTV and video-on-demand (VOD) content aggregator, announced it will release Buena Vista/Walt Disney Pictures' $423-million grossing "Pirates of the Caribbean -- Dead Man's Chest" to the VOD market on January 4, just 30 days after the DVD release. A VOD film is typically released 45 days after the DVD release; the early release of this year's largest grossing film demonstrates the growing importance of VOD distribution to major motion picture studios.

In another industry first, ViewNow will make "Pirates of the Caribbean -- Dead Man's Chest" available for a 72-hour viewing period. This allows the consumers to view the film as many times as they choose over a 3-day period with full VOD functionality.

The move comes as studios recognize the growing importance of the video-on-demand market. In a typical release, a VOD film is released 45 days after the DVD release. The earlier 15-day VOD release of "Pirates of the Caribbean -- Dead Man's Chest" shows the growing power of video-on-demand. This early release is particularly significant because the film made over $400 million dollars at the box office and is the largest grossing film this year.

"New VOD rollouts by our affiliates are bringing thousands of new viewers into the video-on-demand market, and these viewers want the utmost quality and selection in programming," said Steve Roberts, CEO of ViewNow. "ViewNow is pleased to be able to help our affiliates offer industry-first release dates on major motion pictures."

ViewNow is a leading VOD content aggregator, with distribution rights from major motion picture studios as well as many independent studios. ViewNow licenses, encodes and distributes content from Buena Vista/Disney, DreamWorks, Lions Gate Films, NBC/Universal, New Line Cinema, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, and many other independent studios in MPEG 2, MPEG 4 (H.264) and VC1 formats.

ViewNow's unique ViewTrak solution is a trusted system that provides all of the viewing, accountability and standard measurement metrics cited by affiliates and studios as the critical information they need to successfully manage their businesses. ViewTrak reporting gives carriers a wide array of data on customer VOD viewing habits, including what, where and when a program was watched with all relevant data reported in real time 24X7.

About ViewNow

ViewNow, a Kasenna company, is a video on demand programming, management, and marketing services company serving telco and cable TV markets nationwide. ViewNow has long-term, full output agreements with major motion picture studios and other programming providers. ViewNow offers a turnkey solution for delivering VOD programming inclusive of programming acquisition, encoding, programming management, and transport via satellite to its affiliates. ViewNow affiliated companies have access the most extensive library of marketing support materials for VOD, customer acquisition, and VOD functionality. Using its proprietary software suite, ViewTrak, ViewNow offers its affiliates the capability to track programming activations on a real-time basis. For more information, visit www.viewnow.tv .

Source: ViewNow

Ron Howard will receive the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Board of Governors Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. Howard will be feted during the 21st Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration here on February 18, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

"Ron Howard is a dedicated filmmaker who is creating an extraordinary legacy of artful and memorable films," says Russ Alsobrook, ASC, chairman of the organization's Awards Committee. "He has earned the admiration of our members for his collaborative spirit and commitment to the art of visual storytelling."

Howard has compiled more than 100 television and cinema credits as an actor, writer, director and producer. He earned an Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind and also co-produced that film which claimed Best Motion Picture honors in the 2002 Academy Awards competition. Howard has also earned Emmy Awards for producing the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon and the comedy series Arrested Development. In 2003, Howard was awarded a National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts in addition to many other industry accolades.

A short list of his memorable credits include American Graffiti, Happy Days, Night Shift, Splash, Cocoon, Willow, Parenthood, Backdraft, Apollo 13, Far and Away, The Paper, Ransom, Edtv, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Missing, Cinderella Man and The Da Vinci Code.

Howard joins a list of venerable previous recipients, including Gregory Peck, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Jodie Foster, Robert Wise, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, Warren Beatty, Sally Field, and Sydney Pollack, among others.

The ASC was organized in January 1919. The organization is dedicated to advancing the evolving art and craft of telling stories with moving images. There are some 280 members from many nations today, and 170 associate members from allied sectors of the industry.

For information about the 21st Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards, call 323-969-4333 or visit www.theasc.com.

Source: American Society of Cinematographers

Artist: Chris Brown

Male Artist: Chris Brown

Female Artist: Rihanna

Artist-Duo/Group: Nickelback

New Artist: Chris Brown

Female Billboard 200 Album Artist: Carrie Underwood

Hot 100 Artists-Duo/Group: Nickelback

Hot 100 Song: Mary J. Blige, Be Without You

Female Hot 100 Artist: Rihanna

Pop 100 Artist: Rihanna

R&B/Hip-Hop Artist: Mary J. Blige

R&B/Hip-Hop Album: Mary J. Blige, The Breakthrough

R&B/Hip-Hop Song: Mary J. Blige, Be Without You

R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Artist: Mary J. Blige

R&B Album Artist: Mary J. Blige

R&B/Hip-Hop Song Airplay: Mary J. Blige, Be Without You

Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist: Mary J. Blige

Videoclip: Mary J. Blige, Be Without You

Rap Artist: T.I.

Rap Album: T.I., King

Rap Album Artist: T.I.

Rap Songs Artist: T.I.

Videoclips Artist: T.I.

Album: Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts

Country Album: Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts

Female Country Artist: Carrie Underwood

Male Country Artist: Kenny Chesney

New Country Artist: Carrie Underwood

Country Songs Artist: Kenny Chesney

Rock Single: Three Days Grace, Animal I Have Become

Rock Album: Nickelback, All the Right Reasons

Pop Single: Nelly Furtado, Promiscuous (featuring Timbaland)

Digital Album: The Fray, How to Save a Life

Digital Songs Artist: The Fray

Digital Album Artist: The Fray

Soundtrack Album: High School Musical

AIS and Ozura Launch Miss Thailand 2006 in CoreGame, AIS’ Mobile Gaming Community

December 2006 - AIS, Thailand’s largest mobile phone operator along with Ozura Mobile, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nextnation Communication and a global leading publisher and developer of mobile entertainment, has joined forces to bring the Miss Thailand 2006 Beauty Queen game series to mobile handsets across Thailand.

“We are extremely excited to introduce this product to our subscribers, which is the first of its kind. Due to close relations with the owners of the Beauty Queen franchise, Ozura was more than happy to customize their Beauty Queen series to feature Miss Thailand 2006, Miss Lalana Kongtoranin,” said Mr. Somchai Lertsutiwong, Vice-President Wireless Service Business of Advanced Info Service (Public) Co., Ltd. or AIS.

“The outcome of our previous Beauty Queen series in Malaysia had surpassed our expectations, receiving numerous acclaims from critics and gamers alike and we’re expecting similar if not better results from the Miss Thailand game.  With the support of AIS and the continuously growing embrace for mobile lifestyles in Thailand , we predict a strong response to the Miss Thailand 2006 mobile game series” said Victor Jong, Vice President of Ozura Mobile.

The games were launched today by Kongtoranin at the AIS Game Festival which was held at Siam Paragon shopping centre. Developed specially for mobile phones, the appropriately named game features Kongtoranin going about her daily life in a 3 game series titled Exercise, On Stage and Charity. 

The games will be available exclusively on CoreGame (coregame.ais.co.th), AIS’ very own mobile gaming community and are the featured tournament games.  Users will be able to download the game upon joining CoreGame to compete in the tournaments which will last approximately 2 months.  The winners will be identified at the end of the tournament and will win points which can be redeemed for prizes at CoreGame’s virtual gift shop. 

CoreGame runs on FunlogiX™, Ozura’s proprietary mobile gaming community platform and features a comprehensive suite of mobile gaming services including tournament and multiplayer games, clubs and in-game chat.  Launched as a pilot service 2 months ago and now made available to all AIS subscribers, CoreGame is the first mobile gaming community in Thailand .  AIS is Thailand ’s first mobile operator to launch a mobile gaming community and is the fourth operator in the region to launch on FunlogiX™, after operators in Malaysia and Indonesia .

“CoreGame members will be able to play multiplayer games not only with Thais, but with Malaysians and Indonesians and soon, with other nationalities in countries all over the world including China and the Unites States . The content in the community is dynamic and will be updated on a constant basis with new features to be added soon thus giving AIS subscribers non-stop fun and entertainment,” added Jong.

About Ozura Mobile
Ozura Mobile is a leading international developer and publisher for mobile games and game developer engine to carriers, aggregators, mobile phone manufacturers and service providers. The company creates games for mobile phones based on J2ME, BREW or Symbian platform. Ozura’s games are available all over the world through its distribution network of thousands of partners spanning across 130 countries. It is expected that the growth of mobile phones supporting these platforms will exceed one billion units worldwide in 2008. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.ozura.com.

About AIS
AIS first started as a mobile phone provider but has since paved its way to the world of wireless communications. The Company's technological and business potential has been developed to the point that AIS now holds first place in the wireless communications business. Today, AIS remains as Thailand ’s leading mobile phone operator.

About Nextnation Communication
Nextnation Communication‚ a mobile application service provider‚ enables businesses and individuals to access‚ connect‚ and transact across today's complex global mobile networks. Its core product MINDCEP™ Platform is a mobile multimedia communication platform‚ facilitating and enabling mobile data transmission worldwide using WAP‚ MMS‚ SMS and Java technologies. MINDCEP™ is connected to some of the largest premium messaging networks in the world in order to offer a broad range of services from content distribution to mobile m-commerce and place the company at the forefront of this rapidly growing messaging market. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.nextnationnet.com.

In Election for White House Among Media Celebrities: O'Reilly Beats Olbermann, Oprah Defeats Dobbs, Imus Stuffs Stern & Hannity Foils Franken, SurveyUSA Finds

Dec. 5 / In an election for President of the United States today, Don Imus defeats Howard Stern, Bill O'Reilly defeats Keith Olbermann, Oprah Winfrey defeats Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity defeats Al Franken, according to hundreds of statewide public opinion polls newly released by SurveyUSA.

The celebrity Head-to-Head pairings are the fun component of an otherwise serious and comprehensive look at the 2008 presidential election. SurveyUSA interviewed 200,000 voters over 6 months.

Among the celebrities:

* Imus, running as a Republican, carries 49 states, and defeats Stern in

an Electoral landslide, 504 Electoral Votes to 34.

* Oprah, running as a Democrat, defeats Dobbs, running as a Republican,

366 Electoral Votes to 172. Oprah carries 29 states plus the District

of Columbia. Dobbs carries 21 states.

* O'Reilly, running as a Republican, defeats Olbermann running as a

Democrat, 302 Electoral votes to 218. O'Reilly carries 34 states,

Olbermann carries 16. But: 18 of those states are within the survey's

margin of sampling error. Remove those and O'Reilly and Olbermann are

in a shoot-out for the Oval Office that could be decided by hanging

chads.

* Hannity, running as a Republican, edges Franken, running as a Democrat,

293 Electoral Votes to 245. Hannity carries 32 states. Franken carries

18 states and the District of Columbia.

3,000 separate sets of poll results are newly posted to SurveyUSA's website: http://www.surveyusa.com/.

Among the legitimate contenders for the White House, SurveyUSA has Electoral Vote counts for 60 of the most obvious match-ups, including state-by-state data for:

* Wesley Clark

* Tom Tancredo

* Sam Brownback

* Rudy Giuliani

* Newt Gingrich

* Mitt Romney

* Mike Huckabee

* John McCain

* John Kerry

* John Edwards

* Joe Biden

* Hillary Clinton

* Evan Bayh

* Condoleezza Rice

* Chuck Hagel

* Bill Richardson

* Barack Obama

* Al Sharpton

* Al Gore

200,000 individual respondent records are available for download at http://www.surveyusa.com/.

About SurveyUSA: SurveyUSA(R) is the nation's largest independent opinion pollster, conducting research under long-term exclusive contract for TV stations owned by ABC, CBS, NBC, the New York Times, Gannett, Belo, Meredith, McGraw-Hill, Media General, Clear Channel and Scripps-Howard. SurveyUSA is a registered trademark. SurveyUSA is Proud to be America's Pollster(R).

Source: SurveyUSA

 

BLOCKBUSTER Gives Early Holiday Gift of BLOCKBUSTER Total Access(TM) to Netflix Subscribers

From Dec. 5 Through Dec. 21 Netflix Renters Can Sample the Benefits of BLOCKBUSTER Total Access(TM) By Exchanging Their Online Rental Envelope Flaps for Free In-Store Movie Rentals From BLOCKBUSTER

 Dec. 5 Just in time for the holidays, Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI) (NYSE:BBI.B) is giving Netflix subscribers the opportunity to experience the best of BLOCKBUSTER Total Access(TM), the new program that gives online movie renters the option of returning their DVDs in the mail or exchanging them at a participating BLOCKBUSTER(R) store for free in-store movie rentals. From Dec. 5 through Dec. 21 current Netflix members can exchange the tear-off address flaps of their Netflix rental envelopes and receive on-the-spot free movie rentals from Blockbuster for every flap they bring in to any of the more than 5,000 participating BLOCKBUSTER stores.

"This holiday season, BLOCKBUSTER Total Access is giving Netflix customers the gift of immediate movie gratification," said John Antioco, Blockbuster Chairman and CEO. "We want these movie fans to experience getting the movies they want without the wait so they never have to be without a movie, just like BLOCKBUSTER Total Access subscribers."

Netflix subscribers who wish to participate in the program can tear off the address flaps they normally discard when mailing back their DVDs and turn them in at any participating Blockbuster store to receive a free in-store movie rental. They can continue to bring in their envelope flaps and exchange them for free in-store rentals for the duration of the promotion. Netflix customers do not need to subscribe to Blockbuster's online program to participate. To utilize the free store rentals, Netflix customers do need to have a Blockbuster store membership, which they can sign up for on the spot. Store membership is free.

"Many movie rental decisions are made within a few hours of the actual viewing experience, and BLOCKBUSTER Total Access is the only online rental service that can respond to spontaneous rental needs through a retail network as broad as the 5,000 participating BLOCKBUSTER stores nationwide," said Antioco. "We think avid movie fans, including those currently using another online service, will appreciate the flexibility our online rental program provides."

The name on the Netflix tear-off flaps must match the name on the holder's Blockbuster membership account. In-store movie rentals are subject to store rental terms, including due dates, and must be returned to the store from which they were rented.

Netflix subscribers, as well as movie lovers who do not currently subscribe to an online rental service, can experience the full benefits of BLOCKBUSTER Total Access by signing up for a free two-week trial, available for a limited time at http://www.blockbuster.com/ or in participating BLOCKBUSTER stores. Existing subscribers to Blockbuster's online rental service were automatically upgraded to BLOCKBUSTER Total Access at no extra charge when the program was launched Nov. 1, 2006.

BLOCKBUSTER Total Access is a movie rental program that gives online customers the option of returning their DVDs through the mail or exchanging them at more than 5,000 participating BLOCKBUSTER stores for free in-store movie rentals. When subscribers return their online rentals to a participating store, the store check-in process automatically initiates the process of shipping of the next available movie(s) in the subscriber's rental queue, whether they take advantage of the in-store exchange or not. The program, available only from Blockbuster, gives Total Access subscribers immediate access to a free rental in-store while also speeding up the arrival of the next online rental in their queue.

With more than 60,000 titles to choose from online, Blockbuster delivers DVDs right to subscribers' mailboxes in pre-paid postage return envelopes. There are no due dates or late fees with movies rented from Blockbuster's online rental service, and subscription plans start as low as $5.99 a month, with the $17.99 three-out unlimited movie plan being the most popular.

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI) (NYSE:BBI.B) is a leading global provider of in- home movie and game entertainment, with approximately 8,500 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at http://www.blockbuster.com/ .

 

 

UNIVERSAL PICTURES, MORGAN CREEK PRODUCTIONS AND TRIBECA PRODUCTIONS PRESENT THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 'THE GOOD SHEPHERD' TO BENEFIT THE TRIBECA FILM INSTITUTE AT ZIEGFELD THEATRE IN MANHATTAN MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2006

WHAT: The world premiere of the espionage thriller "THE GOOD SHEPHERD"

WHO: "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" director/producer Robert De Niro; cast members

Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Tammy Blanchard, Billy Crudup,

Keir Dullea, Eddie Redmayne and John Turturro; writer Eric Roth;

producer Jane Rosenthal.

Plus many additional celebrity guests.

WHERE: Ziegfeld Theatre

141 West 54th Street

New York City, NY

WHEN: Monday, December 11, 2006

6:00 PM Celebrity Arrivals

7:00 PM Screening Begins

"THE GOOD SHEPHERD" arrives in theaters nationwide on Friday, December 22,

2006.

 

 

 

 

 

EHX FALL 2006 DELIVERS STAR-STUDDED EXPERIENCE IN LONG BEACH
Nearly 9,000 industry professionals attend to take in exhibits and training, network
 with industry leaders and move forward with key trends in custom electronics

 December 5, 2006 —EH Publishing proudly announces that the 7th annual Electronic House Expo Fall attracted a record-breaking 8,930 custom electronics industry professionals, November 14-17 in Long Beach, CA. EHX again delivered critical business strategies, product information and industry training to a solid mix of custom electronics integrators, electricians, value added resellers, IT professionals, retailers, homebuilders, manufacturers, distributors and service providers.

The Show
The EHX Fall exhibit floor showcased 312 exhibiting companies featuring the latest in home theater, multi-room audio, media centers, home networking, home automation, lighting control, security and advanced electrical products.  The EHX exhibit floor filled 170,000 gross square feet of space, a 15% increase vs. 2005.

Exceptional Innovation (EI), Platinum Sponsor, teamed with HP to give attendees a premium digital entertainment and automation experience through its series of room vignettes featuring Life|ware and subsystems – audio, lighting, security, cameras, AV and more – in action. EI showcased numerous new pieces of hardware including Life|point high definition touch panels, Life|controller home automation servers, and Life|storage and Life|vision media servers.

Ingram Micro, Gold Sponsor, showcased converged electronics and digital signage solutions and provided training on new products for the home and business market.

Intel, also a Gold Sponsor, highlighted its new Intel® Viiv™ technology platform for entertainment PCs, media centers and other media devices via a Best of Demo Alley Award-winning audio/video demonstration featuring AIX Records content.

Russound, Diamond Sponsor, celebrated its 40th anniversary by featuring their expanding line of multi-room audio products.

Synnex, also a Diamond Sponsor, announced the arrival of its new product and program offerings for the digital home market.

Other highlights of the exhibition floor included the Microsoft Windows Vista Media Center Lounge and EHX Media Center Pavilion, NASBA’s Digital Convergence Pavilion, the CAA Electronic Security Pavilion, the EHX Home Health Tech Pavilion and hundred of exhibitors.

Keynotes & Feature Presentations
CE Pro editor-in-chief, Jason Knott, moderated the Opening Keynote, featuring leading integration companies serving celebrity clients.  David Frangioni of Miami-based Audio One, David Pidgeon of Dallas-based Starpower and Robert Eitel of Los Angeles-based Robert's Home AV gave entertaining, discreet anecdotes about high profile clients, while sharing the unique and delicate approach needed to satisfy this group of clients.

The EHX Wake-Up Call Breakfast, sponsored by Intel and moderated by Sean Wargo, Director of Industry Analysis, CEA, provided a look at the future of audio, video and gaming content and cutting edge technology platforms that are changing dealer product offerings and influencing their business models.

Directors from the CEA TechHome Association led a Roundtable Luncheon brainstorming session, developing strategies and tactics to help dealers overcome builder objections to adopting technology products.

Boot Camps, Seminars, Co-located Training & The Summit
Over 400 industry professionals paid to attend the EHX Training Program, offering in-depth boot camps and seminars in a multi-track conference program.  Most popular courses included the Media Center Boot Camp, moderated by CE Pro editor at large, Julie Jacobson, CEA TechHome’s Basic Training, a new Home Networking Boot Camp provided by Bedrock Learning, and an IP-based media distribution seminar.

THX co-located its home theater certification training with EHX Fall for this first time this year, drawing 30 pros interested in providing the high-end product and services associated with the THX certification program.

CEPro Business Valuation Summit
The CE Pro Business Valuation Summit, sponsored by Lutron Electronics, debuted this year, offering industry leaders an intensive, half-day educational and networking event.  Created by CEPro, this Summit provided business valuation tactics for top custom electronics dealers.  Attendees walked away knowing how to structure and operate their companies to achieve high valuations, enabling them to secure financing and engage in company mergers, acquisitions and sales. An expanded Summit will return to EHX Fall in 2007.

Awards
The fifth annual Multi-Room Audio/Video (MRAV) Awards were announced at EHX Fall, with twenty two cutting edge products earning awards for innovative improvements in performance, ease of use, ease of installation and pure value. This year’s Best Overall MRAV product went to ReQuest Inc. for their iQ Intelligent Multiroom System.

CE Pro also announced winners of its CE Pro Marketing Awards at EHX during a ceremony at the EH Publishing booth on the show floor and its 2007 High Impact Products, a recognition earned via nominations and polling of CE Pro’s 50,000+ readers.

Fun Stuff
EHX Unplugged, the largest custom electronics industry party in the West, attracted thousands of attendees. NuVo Technologies sponsored the live music provided by Jack Mack and the Heart Attack, one of LA’s premier party bands. The Long Beach Hyatt was rocking!

Show floor receptions and parties were sponsored by NASBA at the Digital Convergence Lounge and the California Alarm Association at their Electronic Security Pavilion.

A number of exhibitors hosted off-site parties, including On-Q and their famous martini party at The Madison, a funky reggae party hosted by Leviton, and private dealer cruises on a yacht from the Long Beach marina courtesy of Volutone.

EHX Spring 2007 will take place March 6-10 in Orlando, FL with EHX Fall 2007 taking place November 6-9 in Long Beach. For more information on exhibiting, contact EHX Sales Director, Susan Celli at scelli@ehpub.com or at 800-375-8015. For more information on attending EHX, please visit www.ehxweb.com or call 800-315-1581.

More than 11,000 industry professionals are expected at EHX Spring 2007, with more than 350 companies showcasing the hottest products in the custom electronics industry – including home theater, multi-room audio, media centers, home networking, home automation, lighting control, structured wiring, security and advanced electrical products.

For more information on EHX Spring 2007, visit www.ehxweb.com. 

About EH Events
EH Events develops and produces world-class expositions and conferences for the technology and construction industries. The EH Events portfolio includes: Electronic House Expos (EHX) Spring & Fall, the TecHome Builder Conference and Expo (TBX), Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), Consumer HealthTech Summit and Digital Convergence Summit, co-produced with Technology Event Partners. EHX Fall was named the fastest growing show in America by Tradeshow Week magazine in 2003, and both EHX Spring and Fall were named among the fastest 50 growing tradeshows by Tradeshow Week magazine in 2004-2006.
.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships.  CEA represents more than 2,100 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, digital imaging, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $125 billion in annual sales.  CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES – Defining Tomorrow’s Technology.  All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
    •   EHX Spring 2007
         March 6 – 10, 2007
         Orlando, FL
    •   PARA Management Conference
         Co-located with EHX Spring 2007
         March 7 – 10, 2007
         Orlando, FL
    •   Digital Convergence Summit 2007
         May 20-23, 2007
         Costa Mesa, CA
    •   TBX 2007
         June 20 – 22, 2007
         Atlanta, GA
    •   Consumer HealthTech Summit
         September 24 – 26, 2007
         San Francisco, CA
    •   WFX 2007
         October 24 - 26, 2007
         Atlanta, GA
    •   EHX Fall 2007
         November 6 – 9, 2007
         Long Beach, CA

 

 

Save the Cheerleader Save the World: Hayden Panettiere From the Hollywood Christmas Parade

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heroes Hayden Panettiere on the Red Carpet - Naughty!

Hayden Panettiere of Heroes, dressed in red with holiday spirit, strolled down the red carpet with a spring in her step and a twinkle in her eye during the red carpet of the Hollywood Christmas Parade’s 75^th Anniversary. 

Hayden plays Claire Bennett on NBC’s Heroes. 

MBN:  Should I say save the cheerleader save the world? 

HP:  There you go.

MBN:  You’ve heard that so many times.  How does it feel to be the central character, the focal point of one of the season’s biggest shows?

HP:  It’s amazing.  It’s a blessing.  Everyone has such an equal role and everybody plays such an important part.  I love what I ‘m doing and who I’m working with and where I am.  It’s just good times, good times.  I’m really proud of everything about it.

MBN:  Should I ask if you were naughty or nice this year?

HP:  Naughty.  Always naughty.

MBN:  Why? 

HP:  Why?  I keep those little things…

MBN:  Can we have a glimpse of some of the naughty things you’ve done this year?

HP:  I can’t even pick out just one….I don’t know….something naughty that I do.  I don’t’ know.  I don’t know  anything specific.

MBN:  You’re a prankster aren’t you?

HP:  A prankster?  I love to tease.

And with that she went to see Santa Claus and was a tease on the red carpet.  Did you see that smile of hers?

The season finale of Heroes was on NBC tonight.  The show will continue January 22, 2007 on NBC.

 

Netflix and Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation Celebrate the Holiday Season With Special Edition Red Envelopes Unveiled by Orlando Bloom

Holiday-Themed Artwork Will Be Showcased on Netflix Signature Red Envelopes in Support of Film Preservation

-- Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) , the world's largest online movie rental service, and Martin Scorsese's non-profit organization, The Film Foundation, unveiled today special holiday editions of the Netflix trademark red envelope featuring original artwork by some of Hollywood's most prominent filmmakers and actors, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron, Peter Jackson, Orlando Bloom, and Mr. Scorsese himself. The unveiling took place at the Directors Guild of America and was hosted by Orlando Bloom.

The special envelopes containing Netflix subscribers' DVD rentals will begin mailing today. As part of the partnership, Netflix has made a donation in support of The Film Foundation's efforts in film preservation and film education.

"The red mailer, which is one of the most visible expressions of our brand, was a natural way to showcase our partnership with The Film Foundation and express our holiday spirit," said Leslie Kilgore, chief marketing officer for Netflix. "It's gratifying for us to support the important work of The Film Foundation, which, like Netflix, is committed to preserving the heritage of film and helping it find new audiences."

"The Film Foundation's partnership with Netflix is an innovative way to create public awareness about the importance of film preservation. The mailers will communicate our message to a large national audience," said Jennifer Ahn, managing director of The Film Foundation. She added: "We're very pleased that Orlando Bloom, a good friend of the foundation, could join us as we celebrate the holiday season with this special program."

The artists contributed much of their individual personalities and their feelings about the holiday season in bringing their artwork to life. Mr. Scorsese worked with his young daughter Francesca to create a snowflake-themed mailer, while Ms. Theron provided two pieces, one of a whimsical snowman and another of wrapped holiday presents. Mr. DiCaprio created a sturdy tree whose branches are decorated with a multi-cultural array of symbols and icons, while Mr. Jackson painted a classically-themed canvas centered on a holiday pheasant and two pugs in stocking caps. Mr. Bloom's canvas portrays two hands offering hearts in the spirit of the season.

Each work of art bears the artist's signature and can be accessed online at http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5372 .

About Netflix

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the world's largest online movie rental service, providing more than five million subscribers access to over 70,000 DVD titles. The company offers a variety of subscription plans, starting at $5.99 a month. There are no due dates, no late fees and no shipping fees. DVDs are delivered for free by the USPS from regional shipping centers located throughout the United States. Netflix can reach more than 90 percent of its subscribers with generally one business-day delivery. Netflix offers personalized movie recommendations to its members and has more than one billion movie ratings. Netflix also allows members to share and recommend movies to one another through its Friends(SM) feature. For more information, visit www.netflix.com.

About The Film Foundation

The Film Foundation is the most prominent non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation. It was established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese and a distinguished group of fellow filmmakers. The foundation works to protect our cinematic heritage by providing substantial annual funding to film archives for the preservation and restoration of a broad range of films. It also creates educational programs and public events that promote awareness of the need for preservation. At the cornerstone of these efforts is The Story of Movies project. This interdisciplinary curriculum teaches young people about the cultural, artistic, and historical significance of film, and enables them to better understand the language of film and visual images. For more information, please visit www.film-foundation.org .

'The Return of Courtney Love' to Have Its U.S. Premiere on VH1 on Saturday, December 16 at 9:00 PM*

The Film Also Features Never-Before-Seen Home Movies of Courtney and Kurt

"The Return of Courtney Love" will have its U.S. Premiere on VH1 on Saturday, December 16 at 9:00 PM*.

Much of Courtney Love's chaotic life has played out before us in the tabloids but she has never agreed to take part in a documentary -- until now. This is an intimate portrait of one of the most controversial and complicated women in modern popular culture. Recently out of rehab after 18 months, Courtney has been busy getting her life back on track. We catch up with her as she begins recording a new album, rebuilding relationships with her friends, and bonding with daughter Frances.

The film allows Love the chance to look back at her tumultuous life and reflect on her career, the relationships that shaped her life, drug addiction, and the tragic death of husband Kurt Cobain. Filmed in her California home and at the recording studio, the film also features Love's new music and unseen home movie footage of her and Cobain. "The Return of Courtney Love" documents her personal and professional comeback with searing and sometimes brutal honesty.

The full episode will be available on VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel beginning Sunday, December 17 at http://vspot.vh1.com/. For more information on "The Return of Courtney Love," visit http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/vh1_rock_docs/112303/episode.jhtml.

"The Return of Courtney Love" is produced and directed by Will Yapp and executive produced by Juliet Rice for Spun Gold TV.

 

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel. Connect with VH1 at www.VH1.com.

VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

Source: VH1

 

TCM's 8th Annual Young Film Composers Competition Kicking Off Jan. 1 to Feature Beau Brummel

Chance to Score Feature-Length Film for Debut on TCM and $15,000 Up for Grabs in 2007 Competition

2006 Winner Darrell Raby's Score of The Show to Premiere Monday, Jan. 29, 2007

Beau Brummel (1924) -- matinee idol John Barrymore's portrayal of the arrogant 19-century style mogul who enjoyed life among England's upper class until he insulted his good friend, the Prince of Wales -- has been chosen as the feature film for contestants in Turner Classic Movies' 8th Annual Young Film Composers Competition, it was announced today by Tom Karsch, executive vice president and general manager of TCM. The competition will run from Jan. 1, 2007 - March 31, 2007, at http://www.tcm.com/yfcc and for the first time will be open to participants from not only the United Kingdom and Canada but also France and Spain.

Last year more than 650 aspiring film composers submitted entries for the competition, which resulted in a new score for The Show (1927), a melodrama of a Budapest sideshow. Winning composer Darrell Raby's work will air with the film for the first time on TCM on Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET and encores at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT.

Oscar(R)-winning composer Hans Zimmer, whose numerous scores include The Da Vinci Code and the soon-to-be-released Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End and The Simpsons Movie, will return to lead a blue-ribbon panel of judges in selecting the grand-prize winner of this year's Young Film Composers Competition in Los Angeles in August 2007.

Finalists will travel to Los Angeles in August for seminars on the film and TV music industry at the YFCC Expo, a tour of the Warner Bros. lot, including the music department where the original scores of such great films as Casablanca are housed, and more. For two days the young composers will have an inside look at the competitive world of film and TV scoring and an opportunity to meet some of the key players in the industry, culminating at an awards banquet and ceremony where the grand-prize winner will be announced. Runners up will also receive prizes, including Apple laptops and Logic Pro Software.

Zimmer, who will lead the judges' panel for a third straight year, brings to the role more than two decades of experience in film scoring, a host of awards and a passion for nurturing young composers. Once the 2007 winner is named, Zimmer will mentor them through the process of scoring the silent classic by offering guidance on everything from developing musical themes to working with live musicians in a professional sound recording stage.

The 2007 Young Film Composers Competition is sponsored by Film Music Magazine.

Turner Classic Movies, currently seen in more than 75 million homes, is a 24-hour cable network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. TCM presents the greatest motion pictures of all time from the largest film library in the world, the combined TimeWarner and Turner film libraries, from the '20s through the '90s, commercial-free and without interruption. Expanding TCM's role as a curator of movie history, the network recently launched TCMdb, the Internet's most media-rich interactive movie database. For more information, please visit tcm.com.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a TimeWarner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

Source: Turner Classic Movies

 

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey(R) & Lucky Brand Jeans Bring The Greatest Show On Earth(R) to the Classic T-Shirt

-- Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey(R) and Lucky Brand Jeans are pleased to announce a partnership that combines the originality of The Greatest Show On Earth(R) with Lucky Brand Jeans' rock'n'roll style.

"Lucky Brand Jeans is built on the courage and free-spirited fun of youth, and those are the values that the Ringling Bros. brand also embraces," said Julie Robertson, Senior Vice President Marketing, Feld Entertainment. "Ringling Bros. and Lucky Brand Jeans are a natural fit, as they both bring authentic quality and good humor to fans in small towns and big cities across America."

A great holiday gift, Lucky Brand Jeans has put the classic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and The Greatest Show On Earth logos on one of its favorite soft T-shirts, boasting "Talent Scout" on the back. These limited edition T-shirts are available at all Lucky Brand Jeans neighborhood jeans stores and at luckybrandjeans.com.

"The Greatest Show On Earth logo is an iconic part of American culture which defines the 'run-away-with-the circus' rebellious spirit that Lucky Brand Jeans customers love," said Peggi Jewell, Vice President Retail Merchandising, Lucky Brand Jeans. "Ringling Bros. has a vintage-inspired originality that Lucky Brand Jeans seeks out in its partnerships."

About Feld Entertainment, Inc. -- Feld Entertainment, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with millions of people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in 50 countries and on six continents to date and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Disney On Ice, Disney Live! and Doodlebops Live!

About Lucky Brand Jeans -- Lucky Brand Jeans designs and produces denim, sportswear, knits, wovens, outerwear, t-shirts and active wear. Additional Lucky Brand licensed products include swimwear and accessories for men and women. The Lucky Brand collections are carried at better department and specialty stores and at Lucky Brand Jeans stores nationwide and internationally.

Source: Feld Entertainment, Inc.

 

Van Morrison At The Movies: The Soundtrack Hits Collects 19 Cinematic Music Gems

CD to Be Released February 13, 2007 by Manhattan/EMI

-- Van Morrison's music plays a role in many of modern cinema's most cherished films. Van Morrison At The Movies: The Soundtrack Hits, to be released February 13 by Manhattan/EMI Music Catalog Marketing, collects, for the first time, 19 of Morrison's best-known songs, presented as they've been featured in films. In addition to favorites including "Gloria" from The Outsiders, "Wild Night" from Thelma & Louise, and "Brown Eyed Girl" from Born On The Fourth Of July, the new collection includes a previously unreleased live version of "Moondance" from An American Werewolf In London, recorded live with strings in 1986 at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre.

The cinematic qualities of Van Morrison's songs make it no surprise that he is one of the most popular choices for movie music. His compositions have graced the soundtrack of many box office hits over the years.

That Martin Scorsese is a Van Morrison fan is unsurprising: the connection was made when Robbie Robertson's former roommate directed The Last Waltz, The Band's historic farewell performance in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. Rock writer and spectator Greil Marcus described Morrison's entrance as the catalyst that "turned the show round... There he was on stage, in a maroon suit and a green top, singing to the rafters. They cut into 'Caravan' (with John Simon waving The Band's volume up and down), and the horns at their most effective -- while Van burned holes in the floor... It was a triumph, and as the song ended Van began to kick his leg in sheer exuberance, and he kicked his way right offstage like a Rockette. The crowd had given him a fine welcome and they cheered wildly when he left."

Morrison's live version of the Pink Floyd classic "Comfortably Numb," featured by Scorsese in his 2006 blockbuster The Departed, was cut in Berlin some 16 years earlier when Roger Waters put on a live production of "The Wall." There was a Band connection again, with Levon Helm and Rick Danko contributing background vocals.

Departed star Jack Nicholson also appeared in James L Brooks's As Good As It Gets, which used the title track from Days Like This, Van's latest album at the time of release (1997). But it's the earlier classics that have inevitably attracted the most attention from directors, even if some have been performed by others.

Not one but two Vietnam movies have featured his music, and, as befits the timescale, they have chosen 1960s vintage material. "Brown Eyed Girl," Morrison's first U.S. solo hit from 1967, was Oliver Stone's choice in 1989 for the Born On The Fourth Of July soundtrack, while the earlier "Baby, Please Don't Go" from Morrison's Them days appeared in 1987's Good Morning Vietnam. Continuing the military theme but moving forward a musical decade, Taylor Hackford's An Officer And A Gentleman visited the often overlooked Wavelength album for "Hungry For Your Love" -- a fine addition to a well above average soundtrack.

At the other end of the musical spectrum, the tender "Someone Like You" was not only a highlight of Lawrence Kasdan's French Kiss but also Bridget Jones' Diary. And Michael Hoffmann's One Fine Day, the George Clooney/Michelle Pfeiffer film from 1996, included Morrison's classic "Have I Told You Lately?"

Mark Joffe's The Matchmaker reflected Morrison's Irish heritage by telling the story of an election campaigner (Marcy Tizard, played by Janeane Garofalo) who visits an Irish village to track down the ancestral roots of the U.S. senator she works for, only to find romance. Suitably, the track selected was "Irish Heartbeat," Morrison's 1983 creation with The Chieftains.

With An American Werewolf In London, John Landis created the classic horror movie. Typical of his witty style was his use of music, and he incorporated a number of different 'moon-themed' pop songs including "Moondance," which, because of the contrast in mood this created, echoed the comedy/tragedy juxtaposition.

Van Morrison has announced several upcoming concert dates. For more information and updates, visit www.vanmorrison.co.uk.

Van Morrison At The Movies: The Soundtrack Hits

1. Gloria (performed by Them) -- The Outsiders

2. Baby, Please Don't Go (performed by Them) -- Wild At Heart

3. Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) -- Pope Of Greenwich

Village

4. Domino (live) -- Clean & Sober

5. Moondance (live)* -- An American Werewolf In London

6. Queen Of The Slipstream -- Extreme Close-Up

7. Wild Night -- Thelma & Louise

8. Caravan (live) -- The Last Waltz

9. Wonderful Remark -- King Of Comedy

10. Brown Eyed Girl -- Born On The Fourth Of July

11. Days Like This -- As Good As It Gets

12. Into The Mystic (live) -- Patch Adams

13. Hungry For Your Love -- An Officer And A Gentleman

14. Someone Like You -- French Kiss

15. Bright Side Of The Road -- Fever Pitch

16. Have I Told You Lately? -- One Fine Day

17. Real Real Gone -- Donovan Quick

18. Irish Heartbeat (with Chieftains) -- The Matchmaker

19. Comfortably Numb (live) -- The Departed

* previously unreleased

Confirmed Van Morrison concert dates:

December 2006

30 Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay

January 2007

2 Kissimmee, Silver Spurs Arena

26 Brighton, Dome

27 Brighton, Dome

February 2007

7 Belfast, Waterfront

8 Belfast, Waterfront

21 Los Angeles, Gibson Amphitheatre

23 San Rafael, Marin Center

April 2007

6 Manchester, Bridgewater Hall

7 Manchester, Bridgewater Hall

13 Oxford, New Theatre

14 Cardiff, Millennium Centre

Source: Manhattan/EMI

 

Now on DVD: Been Rich All My Life

From Harlem's Golden Age: The Divas Who Won't Stop Dancing!

The following is being issued by First Run Features:

They filled the dance halls of Harlem in its Golden Age, performing at the famed Apollo Theater and Cotton Club with legendary bandleaders like Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. They led the first strike by African American performers when they walked out of the Apollo one night in a successful bid for higher wages, establishing AGVA, an integrated performers' union. They danced on the first black USO tour, stealing the "for colored only" signs off the trains they rode through the American South. That was 65 years ago, and today they're still hoofin' and living it up. They are the Silver Belles, the sassy, classy chorus line dancers still filling the concert halls well into their eighties and nineties. Meet them in BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE, the delightful film by Sundance Award winning director Heather Lyn MacDonald, now available on DVD.

Director MacDonald has created a stereotype-busting portrait of age- defying women who have never wavered in their love of dance or of each other. At the core of the film is a friendship that has continued for seventy years, and the film sparkles with their candor. BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE also offers the rare opportunity to see a century of history through the eyes of the last surviving dancers of Harlem's 1930's heyday. These colorful characters and their stories are accompanied by a treasure trove of archival film and photos, as well as a music score spanning eight decades of evolving jazz styles. "The right music will just push you," says 87 year-old Fay Ray. "I light up like a Christmas tree when I go out there!"

DVD Bonus Features: Dance Class: Learn the Shim Sham Shimmy * Bonus Scenes with Director's Commentary * Interview with Composer * Original Music Tracks * Photo Gallery

Order DVDs at: http://www.beenrichallmylife.com/, or call the hotline,

212-252-2778.

See Kam Williams review in New Orleans Black:

http://www.neworleansblack.com/section/entertainment/356/

 

"THRILLING! THE SILVER BELLES ARE BOLD, BRASH AND GORGEOUS." - VILLAGE VOICE

"***1/2 BEGUILING, TANTALIZING! A LOVELY REMINDER THAT MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

JUST MAY HOLD THE SECRET TO ETERNAL YOUTH."

- CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"RICHLY UPLIFTING! INSPIRATIONAL TO YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE."

- HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

 

MEGA Brands and Nickelodeon Enter Into International Multi-Year Licensing Partnership to Develop Construction Toys Based on Nick Jr.'S Most Popular Preschool Characters

MEGA Brands Obtains Worldwide Rights to Top Shows on Preschool Television Including Nick Jr.'s Go, Diego, Go!, The Backyardigans and Dora the Explorer

MEGA Brands Inc announced today that it has entered into a multi-year international licensing partnership with Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) to develop construction toys based on Nick Jr.'s leading preschool character brands. The deal was announced by Vic Bertrand, Executive Vice President of MEGA Brands, Sherice Torres, Senior Vice President/Hard Goods of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products and Tanya Haider, Senior Vice President/International of Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products.

Under the multi-year deal, MEGA Brands obtains the rights to develop an assortment of construction toys including buildable playsets and vehicles based on the highly successful Nickelodeon preschool brands, including Go Diego Go!, The Backyardigans and Dora the Explorer. The new licensed product offerings will launch in 2007 beginning with the United States and Canada with an expansion to additional markets including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Latin America later in the year and others in 2008.

"Nickelodeon and MEGA Brands share a common commitment to providing families with programming and products that foster imagination, education and social development," said Vic Bertrand. "We are excited to help bring Nickelodeon's loveable characters to life for children across the globe through the power of block building. These are tremendous properties for expanding our system of blocks as Dora, Diego, and The Backyardigans characters open up new play patterns of building activities for children."

"MEGA Brands brings exceptional innovation and creativity to their preschool construction toys, making them the perfect partner to develop exciting products tied to Nicklelodeon's top-rated preschool properties," said Sherice Torres. "We're excited to have these new products make their debut in the United States and Canada this spring."

"As NVCP builds on the tremendous success of Dora the Explorer internationally and rolls out Nick Jr.'s hit properties, Go, Diego, Go! and The Backyardigans to new markets in 2007, it is the perfect time to extend our preschool portfolio into the construction toy category by partnering worldwide with MEGA Brands," added Tanya Haider.

Dora the Explorer is among the top-rated preschool television shows around the world and, as the number one preschool license in North America, is considered a licensing phenomenon. The hundreds of products bearing the Dora name are consistently top sellers at major retailers worldwide. Dora is currently the number one overall toy license in France and Canada, the number one girls' license in the United Kingdom and the fastest-growing Fisher-Price license ever in Latin America.

On the heels of its hugely successful cousin Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go! made its Nick Jr. debut in September 2005, and has quickly become one of the top three preschool shows on commercial television in the US. As television's only bilingual boy action hero, Go, Diego, Go! has already been syndicated into 78 markets and is securing top three ratings in major markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. A full consumer products program launched in the United States in Fall 2006 to great fanfare and success. Diego's first DVD was a Parents Choice Award recipient and key toys were selected as top holiday toy selections in a variety of national media. Driven by intense consumer demand, Go, Diego, Go! consumer products launched this month in France to be followed by multiple markets in 2007. MEGA Brand's products will be among the first to appear internationally.

The Backyardigans inspire kids to dance, sing and create their own imaginative adventures. This half-hour CGI animated series is one of the top five preschool shows on commercial television in the United States and distributed internationally by Corus Entertainment. Consumer products launched globally in Fall 2006 across all categories and channels of distribution.

About MEGA Brands

MEGA Brands Inc. provides stimulating creative experiences for children and families through innovative, well-designed, affordable and high quality products that are marketed worldwide under the leading brands MEGA BLOKS(R), ROSE ART(R), MAGNETIX(R) and BOARD DUDES(R).

We design, manufacture and market high quality construction and magnetic toy sets, games and puzzles, craft and activity sets, art materials, boards, writing instruments, school supplies and stationery. MEGA Brands is headquartered in Montreal and present in 14 countries with sales in over one hundred. For more information: please visit www.megabrands.com.

About Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products

Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the third largest licensing business in the world and represents such properties as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer. The department handles the merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

Nickelodeon, in its 27th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 92 million households and has been the number-one- rated basic cable network for eleven consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B)

Web sit: http://www.megabrands.com

 

Taylor Hicks, Self-Titled First Album on Arista Records/19 Recordings, Due in Stores on December 12th

Hotly-Anticipated Major Label Debut by American Idol's 5th Season Champ, Produced by 2x-Grammy Winner Matt Serletic

The 36.4 million tv viewers who watched the May 24th finale of the fifth season of FOX's American Idol, and the "Soul Patrol!" legions who cast more than 63.4 million votes for the winning performer, have their calendars marked for the December 12th in-store arrival of TAYLOR HICKS. His self-titled first album on Arista Records/19 Recordings reaffirms the eternal power of soul, pop and R&B in the hands of a new young star, who prompted Vibe magazine to rave (in the November issue), "Taylor Hicks is the embodiment of the last fifty years of popular music."

Since completing the album, Taylor has made tv appearances on ABC's 20/20, the American Music Awards, and NBC's Christmas Tree lighting ceremony from Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Upcoming tv includes: NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Dec. 1st); ABC's Good Morning America (5th), Live with Regis & Kelly (6th), and The View (11th); CBS's The Early Show (12th); MTV's TRL Countdown, the syndicated Martha Stewart Living and Dr. Phil, and TNT's "Christmas In Washing ton" (all on the 13th); and NBC's The Megan Mullally Show (14th).

There will also be a full complement of pieces to run the week of release on Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Access Hollywood, Extra, the E! channel, and CNN. The 4-page cover story spread in People magazine (June 12th issue) ignited a six-month avalanche of press coverage, everywhere from Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today, to the New York Times, the New York Post, and Life. Across the web, campaigns have been formulated to include Internet portals AOL Music, Yahoo! Music, ClearChannel Music, VH1.com, Real/Rhapsody/Rolling Stone.com, MySpace, Google, and more.

TAYLOR HICKS digs deep into the blues-drenched roots of Birmingham, Alabama's favorite son, a singer and songwriter whose song choices every week never strayed from the soul music he holds so dear. Virtually every new song on the album was 'Taylor-made' for the artist, starting with "Dream Myself Awake," written by Rob Thomas, and "Give Me Tonight," which Taylor and Serletic co-wrote with Matt's friend Kevin Kadish and hit songwriter Kara Dioguardi. Hitmaker supreme Diane Warren contributed "Places I've Been"; while "The Maze" was written by the same duo who penned Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn." And Taylor's fans will be delighted to hear that he has re-recorded new versions of self penned "Soul Thing" and "The Deal," two songs that previously appeared on his second indie album Under the Radar.

The new album was produced by two-time Grammy Award-winner Matt Serletic, whose multi-platinum track record with matchbox twenty & Rob Thomas, Santana, Willie Nelson, Collective Soul and Aerosmith made him the perfect choice for the project. That chemistry is evident throughout, from the opening feel-good up-tempo groove of "The Runaround," the dramatic ballad "Just To Feel That Way," and the heartfelt closing number, "The Right Place," which was originally written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance for Ray Charles to record before his death. Taylor considers it an honor to have had the opportunity to make this song his own.

Along with Taylor's heroes, Otis Redding, James Brown, and Sam Cooke, the memory of Ray Charles is always centerstage -- and can be heard on "Heaven Knows," whose riffs pays homage to Ray's "What'd I Say" and Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar," the Motown classic written by Smokey Robinson. The album's next track, "Gonna Move," comes from another personal favorite of Taylor's, revered singer-songwriter Paul Pena (composer of Steve Miller's "Jet Airliner"). It is followed by an early Marvin Gaye composition, "Wherever I Lay My Hat" (a hit for Paul Young in the '80s).

Source: ARISTA

 

 

CBS SIGNS DAVID LETTERMAN

AS HOST OF THE "LATE SHOW" THROUGH FALL 2010 CBS announced today that David Letterman has signed a new contract to host the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN through the fall 2010.

 

"I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute."

 

Letterman, who marked his 13th anniversary as host of the LATE SHOW on August 30, will celebrate 25 years in late-night comedy this coming February. Since its debut on CBS, the LATE SHOW has been honored with nine Emmy Awards (including six for "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program") and 54 Emmy nominations. Previously, Letterman won five Emmys and received 35 Emmy nominations for "Late Night with David Letterman" during its 11½ years on the air.

 

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our Network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the LATE SHOW puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"

 

From the start, Letterman has been credited with redefining the talk-show genre. In 1992, he received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for taking "one of TV's most conventional and least inventive forms -- the talk show -- and infusing it with freshness and imagination." Letterman has won two American Comedy Awards for "Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series," and a People's Choice Award for "Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host." In 1995 and 2001, the Television Critics Association nominated Letterman for a Career Achievement Award.

 

The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated, is broadcast weeknights (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Barbara Gaines, Maria Pope, Jude Brennan and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.

 

 

 

 

 New DVD releases including: the much awaited`Pirates' sequel

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

Johnny Depp returned to the sea and sailed away with the year's biggest hit. The blockbuster sequel has Depp's woozy buccaneer Capt. Jack Sparrow trying to weasel his way out of a mortal debt owed to Davy Jones, who rules the bottom of the ocean, with Jack's pals (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley) in tow trying to save his soul. The movie comes as a single DVD with a blooper reel and commentary from the screenwriters or in a two-disc set with a treasure trove of other extras. There are featurettes on Depp's rascally character, which earned him an Academy Awards nomination for the first movie, "The Curse of the Black Pearl," and on Bill Nighy's slimy Davy Jones, along with segments about the cast's sword-fight training and the special effects that went into creating a giant sea beast. The two-disc set also has a look at the new incarnation of Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme-park attraction, which inspired the movie franchise. Since the extras do not include a look ahead at next summer's third "Pirates" adventure, it's a fair bet there'll be another "Dead Man's Chest" DVD release out then with a sneak peek at the third flick. DVD set, $34.99; single DVD, $29.99. (Disney)

___

"Miami Vice"

The 1980s pop-culture sensation leaps from the small screen to the big one, but unlike other TV adaptations, this one is squarely in the hands of its original mastermind. Michael Mann, who oversaw the cop show that starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, wrote and directed the movie version featuring Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell. While the original was filled with light, bright fashion, pop hits and buddy-cop banter, the movie is nocturnal, somber and down and dirty as Foxx and Farrell's undercover cops infiltrate a gang that runs drugs into Southern Florida. Fans have two DVD choices: the R-rated theatrical version or an unrated director's edition that adds a few minutes of footage. Both DVD versions have segments on the filming locations and Foxx and Farrell's undercover training, while the unrated edition has commentary from Mann and two extra behind-the-scenes featurettes. DVD, $29.98. (Universal)

___

"Idlewild"

Andre Benjamin and Antwan A. Patton, the musical partners of OutKast, are joined by a great cast that includes Terrence Howard, Ving Rhames, Macy Gray, Ben Vereen and Cicely Tyson for this glitzy musical drama centered on a 1930s speakeasy down south. Benjamin plays a quiet pianist and songwriter who's a lifelong pal to the club's flashy star (Patton), the two finding their world hurled into chaos after a crime boss and a beautiful singer come into their lives. Written and directed by Bryan Barber, who made such OutKast music videos as "Hey Ya," the movie is accompanied on the DVD by a deleted scene, a song that was cut from the film and the OutKast music videos "Morris Brown" and "Idlewild Blue." DVD, $29.98. (Universal)

___

"Beerfest"

The comedy troupe Broken Lizard ("Super Troopers") presents a cinematic kegger about five boozy American buddies who train for the ultimate chugging contest — a secret, Olympics-style suds-quaffing competition in Germany. The movie gets off to a slow and dreary start but turns funnier and hits a few truly hilarious notes toward the finish, sort of the way the laughs get louder and come easier as the evening progresses during a night of heavy imbibing. The movie comes in a DVD edition with the R-rated theatrical release or an unrated version with a few extra minutes of footage. The five Broken Lizard members team for two commentary tracks for the full movie and deleted scenes. Featurettes include one with the gang recollecting their own booziest misadventures. DVD, $28.98. (Warner Bros.)

___

"How to Eat Fried Worms"

You'll want to go easy on the munchies during this cute little family flick adapted from the children's book by Thomas Rockwell. The movie centers on the grossest day ever for 11-year-old Billy (Luke Benward), the new kid who crosses the class bully on his first day at school. Trying to save face, Billy agrees to a disgusting challenge — to eat 10 worms in a single day, with the bully and his followers concocting more and more repulsive ways to present the slimy entrees. Benward joins co-stars including Hallie Kate Eisenberg for commentary along with director Bob Dolman, who also offers remarks for a handful of deleted scenes. The DVD also has two featurettes. DVD, $27.95. (New Line)

___

TV on DVD:

"Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season" — This is where modern late-night comedy began three decades ago. An eight-disc set packs the first 24 episodes of the sketch-comedy show, accompanied by screen tests for each of the original cast — Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner. The set also has a 1975 interview with the cast and a photo booklet. DVD set, $69.98. (Universal)

"Mission: Impossible — The Complete First TV Season" — Before it was Tom Cruise's action playground, even before Peter Graves signed on as spymaster Jim Phelps, the Impossible Mission Force was run by Steven Hill, who oversaw a team of operatives that included Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. A seven-disc set has the first 28 episodes of the show that debuted in 1966. DVD set, $54.99. (Paramount)

"24: Season 5" — It's another long, tough day at the office for Kiefer Sutherland, who's out to save the country again, returning from oblivion after being forced to fake his death at the end of year four. Sutherland's Jack Bauer races to uncover links between an assassination plot against his old allies and an international anti-terrorism treaty. The seven-disc set has all 24 episodes, deleted and extended scenes and a prequel setting up season six. DVD Set, $59.98. (20th Century Fox)

"The Adventures of the Black Stallion: The Complete First Season" — Based on the books by Walter Farley and following up on the 1979 big-screen adaptation, this TV version stars Mickey Rooney in the tale of a wild Arabian horse and the boy who rides the stallion on the racing circuit. DVD set, $39.99. (Echo Bridge)

___

Other new releases:

"Rocky" — With Sylvester Stallone about to star in "Rocky Balboa," the sixth film about the street tough who becomes a champion boxer, his 1976 Oscar best-picture winner returns in a two-disc set. Extras include commentary from Stallone, a making-of documentary and featurettes on the music, makeup and other behind-the-scenes matters. DVD set, $26.98. (MGM)

"Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton: The Film Collection" — A five-disc set packs four films starring the husband-and-wife stars, led by a new two-disc edition of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (which is available separately). The set includes the new-to-DVD titles "The V.I.P.s," "The Sandpiper" and "The Comedians." DVD boxed set, $49.92; "Virginia Woolf" two-disc set, $26.99. (Warner Bros.)

"The Premiere Frank Capra Collection" — Five films from the director's prime in the 1930s are gathered in a six-disc set: "It Happened One Night," "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "You Can't Take It With You" and "American Madness." The set includes a Capra documentary hosted by Ron Howard and a 96-page booklet. DVD set, $59.95. (Sony)

"Charlie Chan: Volume 2" — Warner Oland is back for four more mystery adventures as the wily Oriental detective. The four-disc set has "Charlie Chan at the Races," "Charlie Chan at the Opera," "Charlie Chan at the Race Track" and "Charlie Chan at the Olympics." DVD set, $59.98. (20th Century Fox)

"True-Life Adventures" — Four two-disc sets collect the 13 nature and animal documentaries Walt Disney released in its "True-Life Adventures" series from 1948-60, eight of the films winning Oscars. Bonus materials include other nature and wildlife films Disney produced apart from the "True-Life Adventures" series. DVD sets, $32.99 each. (Disney)

 

XM to Offer First-Ever Dedicated Hanukkah Channel as Part of Holiday Programming Lineup

XM's 'Radio Hanukkah' to Feature Jewish Music and Culture from December 15-23

Barenaked Ladies, Matisyahu, Al Franken, Kinky Friedman, Sen. Carl Levin, Neil Sedaka, Dr. Ruth, Larry Miller and Many Others to be Included in XM Original Programming for Radio Hanukkah

 Dec. 4 -- Coinciding with the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, XM, the nation's leading satellite radio service with more than 7 million subscribers, will offer the first-ever national broadcast channel devoted exclusively to Jewish culture. "Radio Hanukkah" (XM 108), will feature a broad spectrum of Jewish music and conversation beginning Friday, December 15 (25th of Kislev) and running through December 23.

With a specific focus on the music and traditions that celebrate the festival of Hanukkah, classic and off-the-wall renditions of traditional Hanukkah songs, such as "I Have a Little Dreidel" and "Maoz Tzur," will be showcased on the channel along with nightly broadcasts of the traditional Hanukkah candlelight blessings which will air at the appropriate times in both the Eastern and Pacific time zones.

In addition, Radio Hanukkah will feature specials focused on contemporary and traditional Jewish music, comedy, children's programming and more. Barenaked Ladies, Matisyahu, Al Franken, Kinky Friedman, Sen. Ben Cardin, Sen. Carl Levin, Neil Sedaka, Dr. Ruth and Larry Miller are among the Jewish celebrities who will be participating in XM's Radio Hanukkah programming.

Radio Hanukkah will be available through XM Radio Online, XM's Internet streaming service. As an added benefit, fans across the country will be able to enjoy an extended free trial of Radio Hanukkah and the entire XM Radio Online lineup at no cost from December 15-23 by entering the promotional code "TheChosen" when signing up at http://www.xmradio.com/.

In addition to Radio Hanukkah, XM's holiday programming lineup includes five other commercial-free holiday music channels featuring a variety of musical styles celebrating the season:

  * Holly (XM 103) -- Features contemporary holiday hits mixed with selected     traditional favorites; Available through December 25   * Holiday Traditions (XM 104) -- Features traditional holiday recordings     from the 1940s through the 1960s; Available through December 25   * A Nashville Christmas (XM 105) -- Features contemporary and traditional     holiday hits from popular country music artists; Available through     December 25   * A Classical Christmas (XM 106) -- Features traditional holiday carols     performed by celebrated classical music artists; Available through     December 25   * Special X-Mas (XM 107) -- Features a mix of holiday novelty songs,     oddball parodies, and rock covers of holiday classics; Available through     December 25  

Complete programming information for Radio Hanukkah, including detailed broadcast schedules, is available online at http://www.xmradio.com/hanukkah. General information on all of XM's dedicated holiday channels is available at http://www.xmradio.com/holiday.

About XM Satellite Radio

XM (NASDAQ:XMSR) is America's number one satellite radio company with more than 7 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2006 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.

XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota is available in 140 different vehicle models for 2006. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 3-9-06. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.

Source: XM Satellite Radio

 

 

 

ACCLAIMED INDEPENDENT FILM “ONE SIX RIGHT”, HIGHLIGHTING VAN NUYS AIRPORT, CLOSES U.S. TOUR WITH SCREENING AT VNY

Editor’s Notes:

“One Six Right” may be the most expensive home movie made about the Van Nuys Airport joked independent filmmaker Brian J. Terwilliger.   

 

Obviously illustrating Terwilliger’s love of flying, struck a cord not only for those at the Van Nuys Airport, but also on Capitol Hill where it was screened for members of Congress.

 

Admittedly, it renewed a personal interest in flying and I fell in love all over again, as did the audience packed in the hangar.  Pilots and fans of "One Six Right" have even chosen to fly around again, so they could land on the runway One Six Right at the Van Nuys airport.

 

Partnering with Sony for cameras as well as the SXRD 4K Digital Cinema Projection System, soon to be in theatres near you, it makes one wonder…was this renewed love of aviation credited more to the filmmaker’s eyes, the delivery or both? 

ACCLAIMED INDEPENDENT FILM “ONE SIX RIGHT”, HIGHLIGHTING VAN NUYS AIRPORT, CLOSES U.S. TOUR WITH SCREENING AT VNY

December 2, 2006) – Surrounded by some two dozen classic and modern aircraft and numerous aviation legends, more than 1,000 people tonight attended the nationwide tour finale screening of “One Six Right” at Van Nuys Airport (VNY).

 

The acclaimed documentary film celebrates the unsung hero of aviation – the local airport – by tracing the life, history and struggles of an airport icon: VNY, the world’s busiest general aviation airport.  The film also highlights the crucial value of general aviation airports in the air transportation system.

Northridge-based filmmaker Brian J. Terwilliger – determined to make a movie celebrating his love of flying – independently produced and distributed the 73-minte “One Six Right.” To date, the film has sold nearly 40,000 DVDs worldwide.

The finale screening, sponsored by VNY, Sony, Apple and Syncro Aircraft, took place in a 64,000 square-foot hangar transformed into an aviation museum and movie theatre for one night only.  Attendees watched the film on a state-of-the-art Sony SXRD 4K Digitial Cinema Projection System, with the film shown on the biggest screen in the largest venue of its 12-city national tour.  The tour featured a stop on Capitol Hill to screen the film for members of Congress.

 

As part of the finale screening, Terwilliger presented Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) President Tom Poberezny with a check for more than $15,000 in proceeds from the film’s DVD sales.  The money will go to the EAA Young Eagles Program, which provides free airplane rides to introduce youth to aviation.

It’s an honor to close the ‘One Six Right’ U.S. tour by coming home to VNY, where it all started,” Terwilliger said.  “Through telling the story of this airport, I hope the film helps viewers appreciate the significance of all general aviation airports as a critical component of the communities they serve.”

 

He added, “Too many general aviation airports are closing at a rapid rate across the nation, so it’s vital to understand their role as the foundation of the entire air transportation system, given how they contribute significantly to global commerce and provide a breeding ground for the pilots and other aviation professionals of tomorrow.”

VNY, a focal point for business and industry in the San Fernando Valley, annually contributes about $1.2 billion to the Southern California economy, supports over 10,000 jobs and generates an earnings impact of $273 million.  By serving the needs of private, government and corporate aviation with nearly one-half million takeoffs and landings annually, VNY also enhances efficiency and safety at the region’s commercial airports.

 

“One Six Right” highlights the fascinating history of VNY, which includes aviation pioneers setting speed and endurance records in the 1920s and ‘30s, producers using the site to film scenes from classic movies such as “Casablanca” and “Hell’s Angeles” and Hollywood discovering none other than Marilyn Monroe on an aircraft assembly line in the 1940s.

The finale screening of “One Six Right” featured on display many of the aircraft that have flown in and out of VNY during its stories history, including the DC-3, P-51, B-25, A-26, T-6, F-5, T-38, Pitts, Fleet, Cub, Staggerwing, Cirrus VK-30, Cessna 172 and more.  Attendees also had the opportunity to see up close the helicopter and gyroscopic camera system that was used to shoot the film’s aerial sequences.

 

Some of the aviation professionals in attendance included Barry Schiff, who holds several world speed records’ decorated fighter pilot, test pilot and aerobatics master Bob Hoover; and Clay Lacy, founder of VNY-based Clay Lacy Aviation.

To learn more about “One Six Right”, visit www.onesixright.com.  Information on VNY is available at www.lawa.org/vny.

“One Six Right” and Sony SCRD 4K Screening Fact Sheet

About “One Six Right”

-          “One Six Right” is an independent feature produced by Brian J. Terwilliger Productions that recounts the history of Southern California ’s famed Van Nuys Airport.

-          The movie was shot and produced using Sony’s CineAlta™line of digital 24P acquisition products, including the HDW-F900 camcorder, the HDC-F950 camera, the SRW-1 VTR and HDCAM SR™ professional videotape.

-          With much of the documentary shot in-flight and on the tarmac, Terwilliger was impressed with the CineAlta technologies’ ability to handle unusual stresses such as extreme G-forces and variances in temperature.  The units were exposed to 49 days of grueling in-flight situations that pushed their design specifications to the limit.

SCRD 4K Digital Cinema Display

-          Today’s screening is being projected in Sony’s SXRD 4K Digital Cinema Systems projection technology – in this case, by two 10,000-lumen model SRX-R110 projectors.

-          After a three-day assessment held at the Digital Cinema Lab in Hollywood , Sony’s SXRD 4K Technology recently gained major studio support.

-          Sony’s SXRD 4K projector features 4096 x 2160 pixels to produce four times the resolution of current high-definition consumer televisions.

Heard from Filmmaker

-          “We used the HDC-F950 camera and SRW1 VTR for all of our aerial photography in the movie, and the quality of the footage was nothing short of spectacular,” Terwilliger said.  “Neither the heat from the jet engines nor the G-loads from the inverted flight patterns rattled the system.”

-          The use of Sony’s HDCAM SR series videotape, which enables longer load times than film, allowed the crews to stay in the air longer.  Terwilliger credits this extra air time with making it possible to capture some of the documentary’s most compelling footage, including shots of aircraft approaching the airport during “golden hour,” the early and late period of day just as the sun rises or sets on the horizon.

-          “Combining a visually capitavating subject such as aviation with a factual storyline is what we tried to accomplish and we wanted to make sure that audiences felt as if they were going back in time with us to the heyday of this landmark airport,” Terwilliger said. “This projector makes that sort of ‘time travel’ possible because its incredible resolution and contrast really give you the feeling of being there.”

Source:  Sony, www.sony.com/sxrd

 

 

Dec 2 2006

 

184 Live-Action Features, 16 Animated Features, 124 Television Series and 38 Made-for-TV Films/Mini-Series Eligible for "The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards"

To Be Telecast Live on NBC at 8 PM on Monday, January 15, 2007

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 29, 2006 -- 184 live-action feature films (119 drama and 65 comedies or musicals), 16 animated feature films, 124 television series (73 drama and 51 comedies), 38 mini-series or telefilms and 56 foreign language films have been qualified for "The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards" consideration honoring 2006 achievements, it was announced today by Philip Berk, President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

In addition, 88 songs are eligible for the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.

The nominations for "The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards" will take place Thursday, December 14 at The Beverly Hilton. "The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards" will take place Monday, January 15, 2007, at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast airing on NBC at 8 p.m. (EST) and produced by dick clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Allen Shapiro and Barry Adelman are executive producers. Chris Donovan is director. Al Schwartz is consulting producer. Ken Shapiro is producer. Ron Weed is co-producer.

Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus Now Compatible with Canon HV10
Support Pack Brings High-definition Video to a New Level
Fremont, CA - November 30, 2006 –InterVideo®, Inc. (NASDAQ: IVII) and its subsidiary Ulead® Systems, Inc., industry leaders in video, image and DVD software, today announced the Ulead VideoStudio® 10 Plus Canon HV10 Support Pack. This pack allows users to capture video and write back to the Canon HV10 HDV Camcorder.

"The Canon HV10 pairs superb high-definition performance with convenience and a stylish, compact size" said Steve Ro, President of InterVideo. "Ulead VideoStudio 10 is the perfect tool to capture, spice up, and package video shot with the Canon HV10. The power to create movies with the precision and clarity of those viewed in the cinema or HDTV is now in everyone's hands."

The Canon HV10 is capable of filming video in 1080 high-definition resolution video and standard definition modes. The editing of HD content with VideoStudio 10 Plus is just as easy as that of standard definition video, even on mid-range machines. Additionally, the Canon HV10 is a powerful, 3.1-megapixel digital camera, and photographic images taken with the camera can then be used in Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus to create impressive DVD backgrounds, slideshows and picture-in-picture movie effects.

"Ulead VideoStudio 10's creative collaboration with the Canon HV10 doesn't just end with video and images," said Juliet Kuo, Vice President of Marketing for Ulead. "Accompanying video sound can be turned into full-on Dolby® Digital 5.1 Surround Sound using Ulead VideoStudio 10's sound editing capabilities. Placing and mixing sound passages filmed with the HV10 is as easy as dragging-and-dropping a file."

Movies shot with the Canon HV10 and edited with Ulead VideoStudio 10 can be exported into professional-looking DVDs right within the VideoStudio 10 program. Additionally, Ulead VideoStudio 10 supports MPEG-4, perfect for uploading to iPod®s, PSP™s, Smartphones, and popular video and video blog sites.

The Ulead VideoStudio 10 Plus Canon HV10 Support Pack is available for download and can be found at the following location: http://www.ulead.com/tech/vs/vs_ftp.htm

About Ulead VideoStudio 10
Ulead VideoStudio 10 is video editing and DVD authoring software that lets anyone do more with video. Choose from a complete array of easy-to-use tools to edit video and author discs. Or, use wizards to create exciting videos and slideshows automatically. Share your movies everywhere, from DVDs and VCDs, vlogs, to iPods to the latest high-definition home theater systems.

About InterVideo, Inc.
InterVideo is a leading provider of integrated digital and high-definition multimedia and audio/video content solutions in the PC, CE and wireless industries. The company's broad suite of integrated multimedia software products are designed to enhance the consumer's entertainment experience, whether the content is delivered to a home system, HDTV set, wireless system, mobile or personal multimedia device. InterVideo's unique iMobi™ multimedia codec technologies are widely used by Smartphones, GPS units and portable entertainment device OEMs and ODMs to enhance music and video enjoyment…any place, any time. The firm's worldwide headquarters is at 46430 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA, 510-651-0888, InterVideo also has major offices in Taiwan, Japan, Mainland China and around the globe. For more information, visit http://www.intervideo.com.

# # #

Safe Harbor Statement
Except for the historical statements contained herein, the foregoing release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding InterVideo/Ulead products. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially due to several factors, including but not limited to the ability to forecast customer behavior and recognize or respond to emerging trends, changing preferences or competitive factors, the market acceptance of our new products and product enhancements, the resolution of any notices of claims regarding alleged infringement of third parties' intellectual property rights, the ability to maintain or expand our relationship with PC OEMS and other risks and uncertainties. Please consult the various reports and documents filed by InterVideo with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to InterVideo's Form 10-Q for other risk factors that could cause actual results to differ. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and InterVideo disclaims any responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statement provided in this news release.

©2006 InterVideo is a registered trademark of InterVideo, Inc. Ulead and the Ulead Systems logo are registered trademarks of Ulead Systems, Inc. Ulead VideoStudio is a trademark of Ulead Systems, Inc. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All other names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders

 

Ozura’s Beauty Queen Grand Finals Underway

Kuala Lumpur, 1 December 2006 – Ozura Mobile, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nextnation Communication and a leading international publisher and developer of mobile entertainment has announced six finalists that will make it to the Grand Finals after the final heat of the Beauty Queen tournament. The coming of the Grand Finals marks an official end to the year long tournament that has been ongoing since March this year.

The Beauty Queen tournament was a series of mobile games structured into three heats culminating to the Grand Finals. With each tournament held over a period of two months, the competition has been ongoing since March this year. The game series centered on the life of a beauty queen, namely Ms. Gloria Ting, Miss Malaysia 2004.

Each heat previously featured a new edition of the Beauty Queen game. The first edition of the series, Beauty Queen: Workout was held in March, where the top three winners received an Acer Laptop, Canon Digital Camera and an Ipod Nano. Workout focused on the fitness aspect of being a beauty queen and how important it was to maintain good health while keeping in shape.

The second edition, Beauty Queen: Catwalk was more glamorous in comparison, centering on the famous term religiously applied to all beauty figures – the catwalk. The top three winners of the second heat which was held in May this year received a Sony Ericsson W900i, a Pioneer home theatre system and a Sony PSP.

The final heat, Beauty Queen: Charity explored a softer side and the inherent social responsibility that comes with being a public figure – the act of charity. The final heat was held in July, the top three winners of this last heat won a Sony Handycam, a Seiko Watch and a DKNY handbag.

“After a year long tournament, it is rewarding to finally see the results of our efforts, a Grand Final competition where the best of the best in our local mobile community come together to battle it out for the title of the Grand Winner,” said Lion Peh, Ozura’s Chief Executive Officer.

With the last heat out the way, the Grand Finals has finally come about where six contestants will be playing against each other ‘live’ to determine the Grand Finals winners. There will be two rounds, the first round is an elimination round and the second is to determine the top three winners of the finals. Finalists will be playing all three editions of the games, Workout, Catwalk and Charity. The Grand Finals winner will be winning the cash prize of RM 5,000 and a dinner with Ms. Gloria Ting. The second and third place winners will be receiving cash prizes of RM 3,000 and RM 2,000 respectively.

“The Beauty Queen tournament was a success that it has recently incurred much foreign interest. Advance Info Service (AIS), the largest mobile network operator in Thailand has requested an installment of their own series to glorify their own crowned beauty queen. The Beauty Queen series has been a catalyst to the upsurge of mobile gaming popularity in Malaysia , while increasing the exposure of Ozura’s role as a leading player of the mobile gaming industry in the Asia Pacific,” remarked Peh when asked about the impact Beauty Queen has had on Ozura.

The Beauty Queen Grand Finals will be held in Kuala Lumpur on 9 December 2006 where six finalists will be competing amongst themselves for the grand prize of RM 5,000 and dinner with Gloria Ting.

 

About Ozura Mobile
Ozura Mobile is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nextnation Communication and is a leading international developer and publisher for mobile games and game developer engine to carriers, aggregators, mobile phone manufacturers and service providers. The company creates games for mobile phones based on the J2ME, BREW and Symbian platforms. Ozura’s games are available all over the world through its distribution network of partners spanning across 130 countries. It is expected that the growth of mobile phones supporting these platforms will exceed one billion units worldwide in 2008. For more information, visit www.ozura.com.

About Nextnation Communication
Nextnation‚ a mobile application service provider‚ enables businesses and individuals to access‚ connect‚ and transact across today's complex global mobile networks. Its core product MINDCEP™ Platform is a mobile multimedia communication platform‚ facilitating and enabling mobile data transmission worldwide using WAP‚ MMS‚ SMS and Java technologies. MINDCEP™ is connected to some of the largest premium messaging networks in the world in order to offer a broad range of services from content distribution to mobile m-commerce and place the company at the forefront of this rapidly growing messaging market. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.nextnationnet.com.

 

WIGGLES Lose Greg Page




The Wiggles have sadly announced today that Greg Page, also known as the Yellow Wiggle, is unable to continue performing with The Wiggles due to a chronic condition and has reached the decision to leave the group.

Greg has been suffering symptoms for many months, affecting his ability to perform.  The condition is related to blood pressure and while in no way life threatening it affects his balance, breathing and coordination at unpredictable times and with varying severity.  Greg has discovered he is genetically predisposed to this condition and that he now needs to focus on managing his health.

Greg is a founding member of The Wiggles and has devoted 15 years to the group. The whole band, crew, and all Wiggles staff, have expressed their sadness and their wishes for Greg to overcome his health problems.

The Wiggles this year have continued their worldwide success, just completing a tour of the US, and have announced Greg’s replacement with his understudy Sam Moran to ensure the continued future of one of Australia’s most successful entertainment troupes.

“This emotional decision was one which was very difficult, as I have dedicated almost half my life to the Wiggles, and with a question mark over my health, I feel that this is the right decision.  I will miss The Wiggles and the other guys very much, as well as seeing all the children in the audiences that we perform in front of.  I wish the guys continued success, and welcome Sam Moran with open arms to the Yellow Skivvy – I know he is a great performer, and is well equipped to be the Yellow Wiggle,” Greg said.

Sam has been performing with The Wiggles for the past nine years and as understudy has performed over 150 shows as the Yellow Wiggle. Educated at the Conservatorium of Music, Sam has been a Wiggly dancer, Wiggly band member and will be a wonderful addition to the group.

Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) said, “I know I speak for all The Wiggles and our staff in expressing our sadness at Greg’s leaving.  The four of us started from humble beginnings 15 years ago and we’ve been through many adventures together.  We will miss Greg as a superb singer, performer and songwriter but mostly we’ll miss him on the road as a friend and ally.  We wish him well in dealing with his illness and in future.”

“We welcome Sam in his place in the Wiggles.  We know first hand that he is an extremely talented performer and is already well-loved by our Wiggly audience”.

The Wiggles will continue to tour the world, record and film new DVDs with Sam Moran as the new Yellow Wiggle.
For further information, please contact:
Dianna O’Neill Publicity
Phone 02 9337 2288
Mobile 0418 468 148
Email dioneill@ozemail.com.au


MEDICAL CONDITION BACKGROUND

Greg Page is afflicted with a condition known as orthostatic intolerance.  Put simply, it means that when Greg stands up, his heart does not compensate for the change in posture by pumping more blood around his body for it to function properly.  A similar problem occurs when there is a change in the environment such as a warm room or hot weather.

This condition is causing problems with his walking, balance, speech and coordination. It relates to the proper functioning of the autonomic nervous system, which is the way the human body regulates things we don’t consciously have to think about such as heart beat and temperature regulation.

As many as 30,000 people in Australia suffer orthostatic intolerance at varying levels of severity. The condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose.  Greg is currently suffering a severe and chronic case but episodes, specialists now believe, date back some 12 years.  At that time, testing was inconclusive, because the symptoms were mild to moderate, sporadic, and could have been attributed to a number of causes.  All major organs in his body were functioning properly, so there was no further testing done.  It is possible that his most recent bouts of illness with two hernias (prior to Oct 05) brought on the orthostatic intolerance with increased severity.

There is no diagnosis of the cause for this condition in Greg’s case yet.  It is clear, from extensive testing, that his heart is perfect and functioning normally, however his brain is not communicating properly with his heart and, from time to time, in unpredictable circumstances, results in the onset of symptoms.

Greg is still seeking further prognosis and advice on how to manage his condition from specialists. Although it is not life threatening, it is also not likely to be cured so will require careful management to keep it under control. Stepping back from the very strenuous live performance demands of being part of the Wiggles is now his only option.

“Although orthostatic intolerance is not uncommon in the world population, its symptoms can be mild enough to remain undetected or extremely difficult to diagnose, or it can be dormant for a long time and brought on spontaneously by a trigger, sometimes something seemingly trivial, as it seems likely could be in Greg’s case, or it could be the two hernias that he had last year.”

“Then the symptoms can become chronic and incapacitate normally healthy active people to an enormous, and highly unpredictable, degree. Greg is fortunate he is not at the fully disabled extreme of the condition, but he is currently suffering a level of the condition that requires considerable further assessment and development of a plan to manage the condition, as it is not likely to be cured, but we expect we can minimise the impact on his life in the future,” said Associate Professor John Watson, Neurologist.

Orthostatic intolerance
The symptoms for this condition may include the following:
•    Excessive Fatigue
•    Exercise Intolerance
•    Nausea
•    Tachycardia
•    Palpitations
•    Tremulousness
•    Weakness - most noticeable in the legs
•    Chest Discomfort
•    Shortness of Breath
•    Migraines and Other Headaches
•    Gastrointestinal Problems

 

Hot Wheels(R) Rolls Out New '07 Models

 

WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS, DC COMICS AND MATTEL PARTNER TO
REINTRODUCE FOR THE FIRST TIME
THE CLASSIC TV BATMOBILE

--Mattel to Produce Hot Wheels(R) Die-Cast Batmobiles Inspired by the
Classic Television Series--

Dec 1, 2006 -- Warner Bros. Consumer Products
(WBCP), DC Comics, and Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT) announced today the
production of a line of Hot Wheels(R) die-cast cars inspired by the Batmobile
featured in the 1966 "Batman" television series.  The legendary
crime-fighting vehicle was designed by custom automotive icon, George Barris,
and has since become a lasting symbol of the Batman franchise.  Under
the partnership, Mattel will produce Hot Wheels(R) Batmobiles, which
will begin arriving at retail locations in 2007.

This launch of the Batmobile commemorates the 40th anniversary of the
"Batman" television series, which initially aired in 1966, and
reintroduces one of television's most recognized vehicles to an entirely new
generation of Batman fans and collectors alike.  Barris' classic version
of the Batmobile is world-renowned and the Hot Wheels(R) reproductions
will be the first of their kind.

"We're bringing one of the most iconic entertainment-based Batmobiles
to consumers in honor of the television show's 40th anniversary," said
Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing and
Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.  "While the vehicle has
been reinvented numerous times over the years in comic books, animated
series and feature films, the TV Batmobile is still held in the highest
regard with countless fans who will truly appreciate this exciting
endeavor."

In recognition of the occasion, Mattel will produce multiple scales of
the Hot Wheels(R) Batmobile, including a 1:64th scale model that will
appear on store shelves in Spring 2007 in the Hot Wheels(R) basic car
line.  In Fall 2007, there will be an additional 1:64th scale model
introduced as well as a 1:43rd scale replica model and a 1:18th scale, which
will have three levels of detail and finish.  The ultimate version, the
Hot Wheels Elite(TM) special edition Batmobile, will have enough detail
to delight even the most discriminating of Batmobile collectors.

"This is the car that every collector has been asking for," said Geoff
Walker, Vice President of Wheels Marketing, Mattel Brands.  "This
Batmobile designed by George Barris is the version of the Caped Crusader's
car that everyone instantly recognizes.  We're thrilled at the
opportunity to create the Hot Wheels version of this iconic vehicle to be
available early next year."

"It is wonderful to see that collectors and fans of the TV Batmobile
will finally be able to enjoy an excellent toy reproduction," said George
Barris.  "We received thousands of letters asking when the TV Batmobile
will be available, and are pleased that Hot Wheels is bringing the
original to life through different scales and detail.  I take great pride
in the vehicle's design and know that the Hot Wheels team will do it
justice in capturing the details of the original.  It is my honor to be a
part of the 40-year history of the Batmobile and to have this most
famous car be released by Mattel for the consumers."

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company,
is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations
in the world.

About DC Comics

DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest
English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic
characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC
Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television
series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences
of all ages for generations.  DC Comics' Web site is located at
www.dccomics.com.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in
the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products,
including Barbie(R), the most popular fashion doll ever introduced. The
Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels(R),
Matchbox(R), American Girl(R), Radica(R) and Tyco(R) R/C, as well as
Fisher-Price(R) brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People(R),
Rescue Heroes(R), Power Wheels(R) and a wide array of
entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif.,
Mattel employs more than the 30,000 people in 42 countries and sells
products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Mattel's vision is to
be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and
(C) DC Comics.
(s06)


Latest from Die-Cast Leader Includes New Mystery(TM) Cars,
Expanded Treasure Hunt Series and Code(TM) Cars

Dec 1 2006) - Mattel has unveiled the first
wave of its Hot Wheels(R) new basic car assortment for 2007, ensuring
that kids, collectors and car enthusiasts will have no trouble finding
something to quench their desire for speed, power and performance.  More
than 180 different basic cars will join the Hot Wheels(R) fleet in the
2007 model year with a number of exciting additions to the brand that
epitomizes popular car culture.

Leading these new additions is the eagerly anticipated Mystery(TM) car
segment which features 24 different vehicles in specially designed
"blind" packaging.  Since fans' view of the car is obscured, they will not
know which model they've purchased until they open the package,
encouraging trading among collectors.  Mystery(TM) cars will be produced in
varying quantities, meaning each purchase is another chance to find a
very rare model.

"As a kid, I used to love buying baseball cards, never knowing exactly
what I was going to get, and trading with my friends for the cards that
I needed," said Geoff Walker, vice president of Wheels Marketing,
Mattel Brands.  "We're creating the same kind of experience for kids and Hot
Wheels collectors, giving them the thrill-of-the-hunt which is so
central to the appeal of collecting."  Walker added that unlike card
collecting, the cost of collecting Hot Wheels(R) cars has remained relatively
constant throughout its nearly 40-year history, making it easier for
kids to build their collection.  "While the price for a pack of baseball
cards can easily approach $5, you can collect and trade Hot Wheels
Mystery cars for less than a dollar.  And, our cars are certainly more fun. 
After all, you can't race baseball cards."

More surprises are in store with Code(TM) cars, another new segment
with special codes etched on the car chassis, similar to a real vehicle's
VIN.   Entering the code on the newly relaunched Hot Wheels(R) Web site
(www.hotwheels.com) will reveal information on the car and also unlock
special web-exclusive content, such as screen savers and hidden game
levels.  Each code is unique, even on the same model, making each
individual car's online properties completely distinctive.  And, for the first
time, hotwheels.com/cars features a site solely dedicated to cars with
games, downloads and an interactive tool so that kids can track their
collection online.

In addition to the two new segments, there are some modifications for
the 2007 Hot Wheels(R) basic car line.  Always popular with collectors,
the scarce Treasure Hunt series of cars will be produced in greater
numbers, making them easier to find for kids and the casual consumer. 
Joining the mix will be a new series of "super" Treasure Hunt cars,
produced in smaller quantities than the regular Treasure Hunt cars. 

"We found that we'd made the series so popular with our collectors that
kids rarely had a chance of finding a Treasure Hunt car on the shelf,"
explained Walker.  "By increasing production on the regular Treasure
Hunt models, and introducing the new 'super' Treasure Hunt cars, we are
serving both audiences."

Other segments include Track Stars(TM), which achieve optimum
performance on the classic orange Hot Wheels(R) track; 2007 New Models, 36
models that have never been made before; and 12 "teams" of cars that all
share a similar trait - Hummers, Camaros, hot rod taxi cabs and more.

The 2007 line of Hot Wheels(R) basic cars is on store shelves now for a
suggested retail price of $0.99 each, with new models rolling out
monthly throughout the year.   For more information, visit
www.hotwheels.com. 

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc., (NYSE: MAT, www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in
the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products,
including Barbie(R), the most popular fashion doll ever introduced. The
Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Hot Wheels(R),
Matchbox(R), American Girl(R), Radica(R) and Tyco(R) R/C, as well as
Fisher-Price(R) brands (www.fisher-price.com), including Little People(R),
Rescue Heroes(R), Power Wheels(R) and a wide array of
entertainment-inspired toy lines. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif.,
Mattel employs more than the 30,000 people in 42 countries and sells
products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. Mattel's vision is to
be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.

LA Opera Presents Special One-Night-Only

Free Community Performance of

Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde

Music Director James Conlon to Conduct

Performance to take place at 7:00pm on January 27, 2007

at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

(LOS ANGELES, CA) December 1, 2006 –Plácido Domingo announced today that LA Opera will present a special one-night-only free community event, a performance of Benjamin Britten’s chamber opera Noye’s Fludde at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, conducted by Music Director James Conlon. The concert will take place on Saturday, January 27 at 7:00pm, and will be offered free of charge as a gift to the community; advance tickets are required for admission. The 40-minute chamber opera is a charming retelling of the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark specifically created for church performances.  Scored for a combination of both student orchestra musicians and a professional chamber ensemble, Noye’s Fludde will feature members of Los Angeles Opera Orchestra performing along with the Hamilton High School Academy of Music Orchestra (Vance Miller, Orchestra Director).  The performance will also feature the Choir of St. John Eudes Church (Chatsworth, California; Richard Medrano, Choir Director). The Cathedral is located at 555 West Temple Street in Los Angeles.

The cast includes baritone Jason Stearns as Noye and mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella as Mrs. Noye, as well as a number of children, ranging in age from 11 to 16, in supporting roles. Noye’s Fludde will be directed by Eli Villanueva, with scenery design by Lisa Stone and costume design by Elizabeth Scott. Brian Gale will design the lighting, and Michael Hogstrand will be the sound designer.

LA Opera’s presentation of Britten’s Noye’s Fludde represents an important step in its flourishing community outreach projects. The Company’s emphasis on diverse repertory and creative use of alternative performing spaces demonstrates its conviction that an open attitude toward innovative theatrical experiences is an important aspect of opera’s future. Music Director James Conlon’s participation in Noye’s Fludde demonstrates LA Opera’s commitment to reaching out to new audiences and to bringing together disparate elements of the city in new ways. Audience members will have the opportunity to be a part of this performance when Maestro Conlon leads everyone in the traditional hymns that open and close the opera.

Noye’s Fludde is a colorful pageant where children play all the animal roles, parading two-by-two into the ark. Regarded as Britten’s most lovable work, it received its world premiere in Suffolk (U.K.) in 1958 as part of the Aldeburgh Festival. As one of the Festival’s founders, Britten composed many of his works specifically for Aldeburgh. Noye’s Fludde features inspired and delightful musical innovations; for example, the raindrops are represented by the sound of a series of mugs of varying sizes slung on string and struck by wooden spoons.

Los Angeles Opera gratefully acknowledges the generous support

of the Dan Murphy Foundation.

Funding for this project has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Additional support provided by Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Conn, Wells Fargo,

and Roger and Katherine Hughes.

Los Angeles Opera’s production of Noye’s Fludde is produced in association with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles, California), St. John Eudes Church (Chatsworth, California) and Hamilton High School Academy of Music (Los Angeles, California).

Admission to Noye’s Fludde is free of charge. Tickets are required for entry, and can be reserved (subject to availability) at the Los Angeles Opera Box Office, by phone at (213) 972-8001 or online at www.laopera.com/noahsflood. 

All programs, artists and dates are subject to change.

Steve Irwin Honored in Special Night of Programming on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel

- Tribute Followed by Irwin's Last Documentary, Ocean's Deadliest, With Philippe Cousteau -

 Dec. 1  Early this fall, the international community mourned the premature loss of animal expert and conservationist Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter." The world was stunned and the outpouring of condolences was immeasurable. Irwin touched so many lives -- adults and children alike -- and his impact on conservation efforts worldwide will last for years to come.

On Sunday, January 21, 2007 from 8-10 PM, fans can both reflect on Irwin's legacy with the STEVE IRWIN TRIBUTE and marvel at the premiere of his last television project, OCEAN'S DEADLIEST. The two-hour television event will be broadcast simultaneously on The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

"Steve has been such an icon for our entire family of networks, including Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel," noted Billy Campbell, president, Discovery Networks, U.S. "This exclusive evening of programming on both networks will honor both his past accomplishments and his continued dream of showcasing the wildlife kingdom in order to preserve it."

Beginning the evening of programming at 8 PM (ET/PT) is Steve Irwin's last documentary, OCEAN'S DEADLIEST. Lurking only a few feet below the surface of eastern Australia's crystalline ocean are some of the most dangerous animals on the planet. For thousands of years, venomous snakes, salt-water crocodiles and immense sharks have patrolled these waters. Now, in the hope of studying nature's most dangerous creations, two adventurers of legendary reputation and pedigree embark on an epic mission that requires leadership of an experienced, knowledgeable and fearless crew.

Irwin is joined by oceanographer and adventurer Philippe Cousteau, grandson of the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, in OCEAN'S DEADLIEST as they explore the waters between Australia's Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. Throughout this expedition, Philippe and Steve come face to face with venomous fish, huge great white sharks and amazing saltwater crocodiles as they search for the region's most dangerous animal. Along the way, they will meet the scientific experts who work with these creatures on a regular basis, learning the reason why they have evolved with such dangerous defenses and also learning that in truth, they fill a role in the overall ecosystem that is vital and cannot be overlooked. Their adventure features amazing and breathtaking moments, including subduing a giant croc in order to attach a satellite tracking device; observing the feeding behavior of the great white shark while safely tucked away inside a dive cage; and working with the Australian experts who capture deadly sea snakes in order to supply anti-venom to the rest of the world. Cousteau, who was aboard Croc One with Irwin during the expedition when he was struck and killed by a stingray, narrates the 90- minute documentary.

At 9:30 PM (ET/PT) is the STEVE IRWIN TRIBUTE, an intimate look at the life of Steve Irwin -- husband, father, friend, icon, and conservationist -- through the eyes of those who knew him best. Terri Irwin, family and friends share personal stories about the incredible man the world came to know and love as the Croc Hunter. Through exhilarating adventure moments and never- before-seen footage, the STEVE IRWIN TRIBUTE recognizes, celebrates and honors Steve's passion and enthusiasm for spreading wildlife conservation. His untimely and tragic passing away put our world in a state of shock and mourning. His imprint and legacy will live on through his non-profit organization Wildlife Warriors (http://www.wildlifewarriors.com/), dedicated to continuous efforts to embrace and spread animal conservation.

A rich interactive experience awaits visitors online at AnimalPlanet.com. In addition to a timeline of Irwin's life, favorite moments selected by Terri and daughter Bindi, and a photo gallery, AnimalPlanet.com also profiles the prominent sea creatures from OCEAN'S DEADLIEST, features interactive interviews with Cousteau, and provides puzzles and games related to the documentary.

STEVE IRWIN TRIBUTE and OCEAN'S DEADLIEST are both productions of Best Picture Show for Discovery Communications, Inc. John Stainton is the executive producer for Best Picture Show. For Discovery Communications, Inc., Wendy Douglas is the executive producer of the STEVE IRWIN TRIBUTE, and Jason Carey is executive producer for OCEAN'S DEADLIEST. Both specials are part of Animal Planet Media Enterprises' ROAR public affairs campaign and initiative (http://www.animalplanet.com/roar).

Discovery Communications, Inc., is the leading global real-world media company with operations in 170 countries and territories reaching 1.4 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 100 networks of distinctive programming represent 28 trusted brands including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and COSMEO, a revolutionary online homework help service, as well as Discovery Commerce, which operates more than 100 Discovery Channel Stores in the U.S. Discovery brings the real world to the whole world through its global multiplatform initiatives including Discovery Travel Media, Discovery Mobile and multiple broadband services. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA) (NASDAQ:DISCB) , Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman. More information about Discovery and its businesses can be found at http://www.discovery.com/.

Source: Discovery Communications, Inc.

USA Network's James Roday of 'PSYCH' Gets Nod for 'Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical' by the 11th Annual Satellite Awards

#1 New Show

 Dec. 1 James Roday, who stars in USA Network's new hit show PSYCH, received a "Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical" nomination for the International Press Academy's 11th Annual Satellite Awards.

Roday is in good company. His competition includes Steve Carrell ("The Office"), James Spader ("Boston Legal"), Ted Danson ("Help Me Help You"), Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report") and Jason Lee ("My Name is Earl").

PSYCH, which premiered on USA in July to critical and ratings acclaim, stars Roday ("The Dukes of Hazzard") as young police consultant Shawn Spencer who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute the precinct detectives think he's psychic -- at least that's what he lets them believe. Series also stars Dule Hill ("The West Wing") as Shawn's best friend and reluctant sidekick Gus and Corbin Bernsen ("Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," "L.A. Law") as Shawn's disapproving father, who ironically was the one who honed his son's "observation" skills as a child. Also featured are Timothy Omundson ("Judging Amy," "Deadwood"), Maggie Lawson ("Crumbs," "Inside Schwartz") and Kirsten Nelson ("Everwood").

Source: USA Network

 

Sheryl Crow Named Spokesperson for Revlon Colorist(TM)

National Ad Campaign for New Line of Premium Haircolor Products to Feature Songstress

 Dec. 1 Revlon announces today Sheryl Crow, one of the music industry's biggest stars, will be featured in a national advertising campaign for Revlon Colorist -- a new line of premium haircolor products launching in January 2007. As the face of Revlon Colorist, Crow will appear in a multi-media campaign that will include television, print, in-store and internet placements. Revlon will also work with Sheryl on various breast cancer initiatives.

"We are thrilled to have Sheryl represent Revlon Colorist," says Debra Dowd, Vice President of marketing for Revlon's hair business. "Sheryl is an empowering woman who brings a sense of real glamour that is relatable. She has an ability to inspire people through her music, and her commitment to women's needs makes this a great partnership."

About Sheryl Crow

Since exploding onto the global stage in 1993 with the multi-platinum Tuesday Night Music Club album, Sheryl Crow has forged a legendary career, becoming the finest female singer/songwriter of her generation. Crow followed the success of her first album with six critically acclaimed albums and best-selling tours. Over the course of her career, Sheryl has collaborated with everyone from the Rolling Stones to Kid Rock to Willie Nelson. She has won countless awards (including 9 Grammy Awards) and sold over 30 million albums worldwide. In early 2006, Sheryl was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer. The event changed her life, and her recovery has reinforced her zest for a full, joyful life. Sheryl continues writing new music and through her strength and perseverance, she continues to be an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere.

About Revlon

Revlon(R) is a worldwide cosmetics, skin care, fragrance and personal care products company. The company's vision is to become the world's most dynamic leader in global beauty and skin care. A web site featuring current product and promotional information can be reached at http://www.revlon.com/. Revlon brands include Revlon(R), Almay(R), Ultima II(R), Mitchum(R), Charlie(R) and Flex(R), which are sold worldwide.

 

 ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS, FASHION & TECHNOLOGY

Source: Revlon