HOLLYWOOD – Politics makes strange bedfellows and never more so than when it comes to the FCC’s proposed loosening of media ownership, which organizations as diverse as the NRA (National Rifle Association) and NOW (National Organization of Women) are urging the regulatory agency to postpone. They’re not the only ones.
A chorus of critics has sprung up in opposition to the FCC’s planned vote on the issue on Monday. Numerous organizations have asked FCC chairman Michael Powell (son of Secretary of State Colin Powell) to postpone the plan and allow more time for discussion.
Powell was scheduled to appear on “Nightline” on Thursday night, but two hours before the segment was to be taped he canceled because he did not want to share the spotlight with media honcho Barry Diller, who has been critical of the FCC’s plans. The segment was to be part of a whole show, hosted by anchor Ted Koppel, exploring the pros and cons of the issue.
Diller, chief of Internet business USA Interactive, proclaimed his opposition to easing restrictions at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in early April. He has remained a vocal opponent of entertainment industry deregulation ever since.
The FCC’s plan would ease the restrictions on how many media entities large media conglomerates could own in a single market. Opponents charge that the sweeping changes would result in even more TV and radio stations being owned by fewer companies, resulting in more corporate control of the media, less diversity in viewpoints and, ultimately, threatening the freedom an independence of the press.
Despite the criticism, Powell has refused to open the floor to further debate or push back the vote.
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HBO SHOWCASES LEGUIZAMO’S DIRECTING DEBUT
LOS ANGELES – Actor John Leguizamo is set to make his directorial debut with an HBO film scheduled for this summer.
He also stars in “Undefeated,” about a boxer from humble surroundings in Queens trying to deal with sudden wealth and fame. The movie is scheduled to premiere July 26 on HBO.
Leguizamo also collaborated on the story with Frank Pugliese (“Shot in the Heart,” “Homicide”), who wrote the screenplay. The movie also stars Clifton Collins Jr. (“Traffic”), Robert Forster (“Jackie Brown”), Vanessa Ferlito and Nestor Serrano (“Witchblade”).
“Undefeated” continues Leguizamo’s string of productions for HBO. Several of his stage shows were filmed for the pay-cable service, and he won an Emmy in 1999 for his performance in “Freak.”
He’s also earned an Obie award for his off-Broadway show “Mambo Mouth” and multiple Tony nominations. His movie credits include “Moulin Rouge,” “Empire” and “Summer of Sam.”
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FOX SETS “BANZAI’ FOR JULY
LOS ANGELES – In the middle of a sweltering summer, nothing offers relief like a Michael Jackson impersonator doing the moonwalk on an ice rink, or a stick fetching race between a dog and “Diff’rent Strokes” co-star Todd Bridges, or the eternally amusing single joke of Mr. Shake Hands Man, who annoys celebrities by shaking their hands until they surrender. Fox will unveil these quirky characters and many others when “Banzai” premieres July 13 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.
“Banzai” is based on a cult television smash from Britain’s Channel 4, which in turn parodied Japanese extreme game shows. It combines crazy stunts, bizarre characters and a healthy does of at-home interactivity. As absurd as the on-screen antics get, viewers will be able to bet on the results of different wild gambits, like how long Mr. Shake Hands Man will be able to shake hands with Kelsey Grammer before the “Frasier” star can extricate himself.
At Fox’s upfront earlier this month, few of the network’s new offerings produced such wild laughter, but complaints may come as fast as the chortles. In 2001, USA ran snippets from the British series as part of the network’s “Banzai Movie Friday.” Even in those small doses, Asian-American groups objected to the stereotypical accents in the voice-overs, saying that the announcers poked fun at the sounds of Asian languages.
Media activist groups will have a chance to get a more extended view when Banzai premiers in six weeks and viewers will have a chance to discover a new cult favorite before it gets pulled.
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“IDOL’ FINALIST JULIA AND THE PUSSYCATS
LOS ANGELES – Meow, meow, meow, meow. Meow, meow, meow, meow. Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow.
There will be no time for purrs nor pats on Oxygen’s all-new “Meow TV,” premiering on Friday, May 30. The first show aimed at felines, “Meow TV” is co-hosted by Anabelle Gurwitch (“Dream Team,” “Dinner and a Movie”) and promises segments including “Cat Yoga,” “Squirrel Alert” and “Cat Haiku.”
Subsequent episodes, though, will feature talent segments, where humans do stupid things to amuse both their own felines and the cats in the at-home audience. At least one of the judges will be familiar to millions of human viewers – and we aren’t talking about the six-foot calico cat named “Mr. Meow” promised by the show’s publicists.
Julia DeMato, a 24-year-old cosmetologist from Connecticut, the third finalist dismissed from the second season of “American Idol” is onboard as one of the show’s human guest judges.
This will, inevitably produce comments about how catty judge Simon Cowell really is, or references to Paula Abdul’s one-time love MC Skat Kat (with whom she proved that opposites attract), or derogatory comments about why Randy Jackson never calls anybody his “kitty” or his “puss” instead of his “dawg.”
Astute viewers of “American Idol” will either remember Julia from her manufactured feud with fellow finalist Kim Caldwell, or perhaps from the finale, where Julia’s apparent redundant left foot led to repeated stumbling, bumbling and fumbling during group choreographed numbers. The more lecherous viewers will remember Julia’s transformation from bland wallflower to short-skirt wearing vixen (or sex “kitten” to keep with the theme).
No word on which incarnation of Julia DeMato will show up on “Meow TV,” but she promises to do her job to make both people and cats alike comfortable.
“I know from firsthand experience how nerve-wracking it is to be up on stage,” DeMato says. “As a “Meow TV’ judge, I’m hoping to put people at ease by emphasizing the positive aspects of their performances and making sure everyone has a fun experience.”
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STARZ! PICKS UP BATES, EVERETT COMEDY
LOS ANGELES – “Unconditional Love,” an offbeat comedy starring Kathy Bates and Rupert Everett, will skip such normal formalities as theaters and video to make its premiere on Starz! in August.
Directed by P.J. Hogan (“Muriel’s Wedding,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding”), “Unconditional Love” was produced by Columbia Pictures for a theatrical release. However, after brief, undistinguished runs in several international territories in 2002, Starz! will get its first domestic run.
Bates plays Grace Beasley, a middle-aged Chicago housewife. Everett is Dirk Simpson, a British valet. They unlikely couple unite to avenge the death of legendary pop singer Victor Fox (Jonathan Pryce). Their adventures take them across the United States and United Kingdom, bringing them in contact with erstwhile luminaries such as Dan Aykroyd, Julie Andrews and Barry Manilow.
“Unconditional Love” joins esteemed Starz! premieres like Patricia Arquette and Billy Bob Thornton in “The Badge” and the upcoming “Scenes of the Crime” with Jeff Bridges.
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AP-NY-05-30-03 1620EDT
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