Posted on Thu, Apr. 7, 2011
Glenn Beck is leaving his Fox News talk show, says Business Insider. Beck wants to "transition away later this year," according to his website The Blaze. A joint Beck/Fox news release says his production company, Mercury Radio Arts, will work with Fox News to develop and produce TV projects and digital content. For quite a while, The Glenn Beck Program was the third-highest-rated show in all cable news, behind two other Fox stalwarts, Bill O'Reilly's O'Reilly Factor and Sean Hannity's Hannity. But rumors said Fox was eagerly inviting Beck to transition, in light of ratings that (while still big for cable) had slumped. His nightly average dropped from 2.9 million in October to 1.9 million in January. Viewership has declined by nearly half among 18-to-49-year-olds and nearly 40 percent among 25-to-54-year-olds. None of which can have endeared him to his bosses at Fox.
Britney bludgeons album charts
Fearsome Britney Spears aggressively straddles the acme of Billboard's Hot 200 albums charts this week with Femme Fatale selling 276,000 copies in its debut week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her sixth No. 1, it ties her for third most among women with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson. Only Barbra Streisand (nine) and Madonna (seven) have more. Wiz Khalifa is at 2 with Rolling Papers and 197K. The rest: (3) 21, by Adele, 94K; (4), F.A.M.E., by Chris Brown, 91K; (5) Songs for Japan compilation, 71K; (6) The King of Limbs, by Radiohead, 69K; (7) I Remember Me, by Jennifer Hudson, 56K; (8) Doggumentary, by Snoop Dogg, 50K; (9) Hello Fear, by Kirk Franklin, 46K; and (10) Something Big, by Mary Mary, 42K.
Meanwhile, on the other end of Pennsy
The next Batman flick will be filmed in the sinister metropolis of - Pittsburgh! Feel the love. Titled The Dark Knight Rises, it's helmer Christopher Nolan's third batflick with Christian Bale as the pteropine hero, after 2005's Batman Begins and 2008's The Dark Knight. "I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman," says Nolan, filling us with dread and melancholy.
Mariah brandishes baby bump
Following in the Demi Moore tradition, Mariah Carey bares her baby bump for all to see on the cover of the new Life & Style. Think Lady Godiva preggers. Evidently the twins (due in May) were doing the interior rumba the whole time. "We didn't start shooting until 1:30 a.m.," says Mariah, "because I was in the hospital from the night before until the day of the shoot with contractions five minutes apart!" Careful there, Mariah - or there'll be three people on the cover! Others who've displayed their displacements: Brooke Shields, Claudia Schiffer, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Cindy Crawford
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Madonna denies CIA/IRS rumors
Madonna is cofounder of a nonprofit called Raising Malawi, which funds educational efforts in that African nation. Rumor said the FBI and/or IRS were investigating the nonprofit. Madonna's rep, Liz Rosenberg, denies it. Ah, but changes are afoot. Raising Malawi was to build a $15 million school, but after damaging reports of prebuilding expenditures of $3 million, that stopped. It has been revamped and will spend its money other ways.
The incredible mojo of Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen's got the Big Mo, people. After his "Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour flopped in Detroit, he turned it around in Chicago, and dang if he didn't get a standing O at Tuesday night's show in Cleveland! He had the Cleveland Indians jersey, already! The T-shirt that said SHEENIUS! He said if CBS asked him nice-like, he'd consider rejoining the Chas-trashed show Two and a Half Men. Difficult, especially if his co-lead, talented Jon Cryer, isn't around. Cryer's now in a limited Broadway run of Company with Neil Patrick Harris. Postshow, Chas whisked his whole crew off to a screening, at a specially rented theater, of Apocalypse Now, which stars his dad, Martin Sheen. One more note: Chas is trying to copyright 22 of his suddenly famous phrases, such as "Tiger Blood," "Duh, Winning?", and so forth.
He's in love - not nuts!
Will Hugh Hefner, 85 on Saturday, seek a prenup with Crystal Harris, 24, before they wed in June? Like anything that's none of our business, it ignited painful curiosity. After reports he'd forgo a marital ironclad, Hef, reputed to be worth $43 million-plus, tweeted Wednesday: "I had a prenup the last time I got married. Why would anyone assume I wouldn't have one this time? A prenup protects everyone."
Smallest is biutifullest
Taylor Swift, Wyomissing's own, was spotted on an April Fool's Day date in Nashville with thesp Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy). What we just love is this quote, from Unnamed Source, who says, staggered with amazement: "She has actually spent time getting to know Garrett." OMG! What? You sure? . . . Cool: Bob Dylan played his first-ever concert in China on Wednesday. Big welcome! Not cool: The Chinese gov made him not sing any political tunes. . . . Soap-opera queen Susan Lucci has a new autobiography out, titled All My Life. . . . Local news god Larry Kane comes out Tuesday with Death by Deadline, a thriller and exposé about TV news. It's an all-digital pub, so warm up your Kindles. . . . Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, says daughter Sophia got into Yale. Which was the point, right? . . . Donald Trump, presidential candidate, says he thinks Barack Obama "can be beaten easily" by the right person in 2012. He also says he's "really considering" Oprah Winfrey's offer to give him a makeover on her show. . . . Please, Donald, do it, we're begging you. End the nightmare. . . . Devoted fans of MTV's Shakespearean tragedy Jersey Shore need not fear growing rumors that Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi plans to leave. No way, says Snooki, said by some to be Generation Zero's Meryl Streep. (We prefer to think of her as the postmodern Isadora Duncan.) Snooki tells Extra, "I will never leave Jersey Shore." Is she telling the truth, or trying to avoid a riot by mollifying her fans?
This article contains information from Inquirer wire services and websites. Contact "SideShow"at sideshow@phillynews.com.
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While detailing the ratings drop for Glenn Beck, Mr. Timpane failed to include the information that he continues to dominate his time slot, as well as beat the prime time political commentators on MSNBC, CNN, etc. I have no idea how "his bosses at Fox" feel about Mr. Beck, and it seems neither does the writer of this piece. Gossip has its appeal for some, but facts trump speculation.— John Dallas Bowers
Who care about this guy? I'm more interested in Donald Trump and his insinuation that Obama was not born in this country. I've been hearing this from different outlets for awhile now. Why doesn't Obama produce a valid birth certificate and put this question to rest?— delcodanno
