TV producer pleads guilty in attempted Letterman extortion in exchange for 6 months in jail

NEW YORK - A former television producer pressured by debt and riven by jealousy admitted Tuesday he tried to extract vengeance and money by shaking down David Letterman in a case that bared the late-night talk show host's affairs with staffers. Robert "Joe" Halderman pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny, acknowledging he tried to chisel $2 million from the TV show host. He threatened to destroy Letterman's reputation by airing his workplace dalliances - using information authorities have said he mined from a former girlfriend's diary. - Read more...

Gov. Gen. awards winners include B.C. totem carver, Toronto muralist

MONTREAL - Robert Davidson first learned to carve when he was 13, instructed in the painstaking art by his father and uncle. The British Columbia sculptor has gained renown for his masks and totems, which have been widely shown and are in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. - Read more...

Luminato's music program to include Cockburn, Bela Fleck, John Malkovich

TORONTO - Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn says he isn't one to dwell on the past, but he was hit with a wave of nostalgia when he recently realized he's now into his 40th year in the music business. "It did seem like a milestone," the Ottawa-born folk-rock legend said Tuesday after it was revealed he'll be feted in a June concert as part of Toronto's Luminato arts festival. - Read more...

Academy: Farrah Fawcett omitted from Oscar segment so she could be better honoured during Emmys

LOS ANGELES - The executive director of the film academy said Tuesday that Farrah Fawcett wasn't included in the Academy Awards' In Memoriam segment because the actress was better known as a TV star. It was a difficult decision for the committee that assembles the segment to omit Fawcett, said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences executive director Bruce Davis, who added that he's not surprised some fans and family members are upset. - Read more...

From Raging Bull to NFL coach: De Niro set to play Lombardi in upcoming movie

BRISTOL, Conn. - Robert De Niro is set to play Vince Lombardi in an upcoming movie. ESPN announced Tuesday that the Academy Award-winning actor has agreed to play the Hall of Fame coach in the film it is developing with Andell Entertainment and the NFL. - Read more...

Hudson to be new voice of 'One Shining Moment' after NCAA hoops championship

NEW YORK - Jennifer Hudson will be the new voice of "One Shining Moment." The Grammy and Oscar winner has recorded her version of the song that plays each year at the end of the CBS broadcast of the NCAA men's basketball championship game. Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross have performed previous renditions. - Read more...

Bob Barker donates $2.5 million to turn existing building into PETA's Los Angeles headquarters

LOS ANGELES - Bob Barker has donated $2.5 million to help the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals open a new location in Los Angeles. The retired game show host and spay and neuter champion will cut the ribbon Wednesday at the Bob Barker Building on Sunset Boulevard and Alvarado Street. - Read more...

Phoenix authorities: Rapper DMX arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs

PHOENIX - Authorities in Arizona say rapper DMX has been arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, had served about half of his 18-month supervised probation when he was booked Tuesday night into the downtown Phoenix jail. The rapper was released from jail in May after serving a 90-day sentence for felony convictions including cruelty to animals, theft and two drug counts. - Read more...

McKellar and McDonald's Broken Social Scene film among Cdn slate bound for SXSW

TORONTO - Don McKellar says he and indie director Bruce McDonald are "crazily scrambling to finish" their rock'n'roll love story, "This Movie Is Broken," in time for its debut at the South By Southwest festival next week. The film revolves around an actual Broken Social Scene concert that took place last summer in Toronto and incorporates footage from city residents. - Read more...

Anticipation high as 'Phantom of the Opera' sequel 'Love Never Dies' opens in London

LONDON - Will the magic of the Phantom strike twice for Andrew Lloyd Webber? The professional critics' reviews haven't yet come in, but audiences at Tuesday's world premiere in London of "Love Never Dies" - the sequel to Lloyd Webber's global hit "Phantom of the Opera" - gave the show a standing ovation. - Read more...

'Spartacus' star Andy Whitfield diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

NEW YORK - Andy Whitfield, who plays the title role in the Starz Original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The British-born actor will begin treatment immediately. The network says the cancer was discovered during a routine checkup as Whitfield prepared to begin shooting the second season of the action-adventure series, which is filmed in New Zealand. - Read more...

Gary Allan shows his tender side and reveals a little pain on new CD

"Get Off on the Pain" Gary Allan (MCA Nashville) - Read more...

Pink Floyd takes EMI to court in dispute over royalties, online sales

LONDON - Pink Floyd has begun legal action against music label EMI Group Ltd. over the way royalty payments are calculated in the digital era. The group's lawyer, Robert Howe, told the High Court that the band was disputing the way royalties for online sales are worked out. - Read more...

Carolle Brabant succeeds Clarkson as new executive director of Telefilm Canada

MONTREAL - A senior manager with Telefilm Canada has been named the funding agency's new executive director. Carolle Brabant, who was interim director for six months in 2004, replaces Wayne Clarkson, who ended his five-year term as executive director in January. - Read more...

Penguins GM defends Crosby in wake of criticism over Leterman snub

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero doesn't think it was fair Sidney Crosby received criticism after declining an opportunity to appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman." The New York Post ran a story Sunday questioning Crosby's decision to turn down an invitation to read the show's Top 10 list during a stop in New York last week. The column ran under the headline: "Crosby blows NHL's golden chance." - Read more...

Hong Kong film festival to feature action thriller, romance as industry rebounds

HONG KONG - Organizers of the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival on Tuesday previewed an action thriller filled with daredevil stunts and a romance between two smokers, touting a renaissance in the local movie industry as it struggles to compete with the output of mainland China. The two films - "Fire of Conscience" and "Love in a Puff" - were fully financed by the same Hong Kong production company and shot in Hong Kong by local directors with a largely local cast, a rarity at a time when China is churning out big-budget historical epics and imperial dramas, often drawing Hong Kong talent to help make them. - Read more...

Lohan takes legal swipe at E-Trade babies that mention 'milkaholic Lindsay'

Lindsay Lohan is feuding with the E-Trade babies. The actress has filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming a television ad for the Wall Street firm that aired during the Super Bowl and Olympics was modeled after her. - Read more...

Amazon's potential Canadian move could be precedent setting for foreign owners

TORONTO - A decision to allow Amazon.com Inc. to open a distribution centre in Canada would set a precedent for changes to Canadian foreign ownership rules, the Canadian Booksellers' Association says. "We believe there's a reason they're in place...and we don't believe that reason has changed" CBA spokeswoman Susan Dayus said of the foreign ownership rules for the publishing industry in Canada. - Read more...