Macao Studio City reserves room for Playboy Mansion

Published by parclandon on June 28th, 2007 | Tagged Casino News, News

VARIETY ASIA - Playboy Enterprises Inc. and Macao Studio City have teamed up to open a Playboy Mansion in Asia’s booming casino town of Macau.
Wednesday’s news underlines the determination of the Macau government and developers to diversify away from gambling into wider entertainment and convention activities. Read more

Disney Channel expands in Vietnam

Published by parclandon on June 28th, 2007 | Tagged News

VARIETY ASIA - Walt Disney Television (Southeast Asia) has struck a deal with Vietnam Cable Television Service Technique Center (VCTV) and Saigon Tourist Cable Television Company (SCTV). Agreements give carriage for the Disney Channel in 75% of Vietnamese pay-TV households.
VCTV, which provides cable TV in Hanoi and DTH nationwide and is an affiliate of Vietnam Television (VTV), the country’s terrestrial TV broadcaster. SCTV is a joint venture between travel chain Saigon Tourist Holding Company and VTV covering Ho Chi Minh City. Read more

Korean Singer Rain Cleared For U.S. Concerts

Published by parclandon on June 26th, 2007 | Tagged News

CA MEDIA WIRE - Korean pop star Rain can now use his stage name for his upcoming “Rain’s Coming” world tour when it hits the United States.

A Nevada district court dropped the lawsuit filed by music company Rain Corp. challenging the Korean singer’s right to use his stage name in the U.S. In the suit filed last February, Rain Corp. requested that the court prevent Rain from using the stage name, claiming that it owned the copyright of the name, used by its Beatles tribute band, Rain – The Beatles Experience.

According to The Korea Times, the court did not agree with Rain Corp.’s assertions and dismissed the case against Rain, his former management company JYP Entertainment and concert organizer Star M Corporation.

Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, had postponed most of the U.S. concerts earlier this month due to the lawsuit. He will now continue the American leg of his world tour, with a scheduled concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 30.

Organizers are trying to reschedule dates in Atlanta, New York and San Francisco for later this year.

Organizers Scrap Live Earth Istanbul Show

Published by parclandon on June 25th, 2007 | Tagged News

BILLBOARD - The Istanbul edition of the July 7 global Live Earth concerts has been cancelled. Organiers are now seeking a site to erect giant screens in the city to take TV feeds from the remaining eight shows around the world.

Reports in the Turkish press point to the non-appearance of promised government support and a failure to attract sponsorship from big business as the reasons for the concert being nixed. Read more

Britney Threatens To Sue Over Billboards; Plus Jennifer Hudson, Phil Spector, Paris Hilton, Shar Jackson & More, In For The Record

Published by parclandon on June 22nd, 2007 | Tagged News

MTV - 50 Cent defends hip-hop in the July issue of Spin — and says Oprah Winfrey is simply out of touch with his audience. “She doesn’t ever say anything that anybody from the ghetto is gonna ID with,” 50 said. “Take a poll. You go out and find me some young black women who ID with Oprah. … She can escape the fact that she’s black because she’s a billionaire.” 50 also said in the interview that hip-hop takes more heat than it deserves. “I think it affects people a lot more to see a film where somebody realistically gets their head blown off than to listen to somebody rapping for three minutes.” …

50 and Winfrey share space on Forbes magazine’s annual Celebrity 100 list, which ranks the most powerful and highest-paid celebs — 50 comes in at #32 and Oprah’s #1. Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Diddy also make the cut, while Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton do not — blame “diminished brand value” for their absence, editor Lea Goldman told Reuters. Last year’s champ, Tom Cruise, drops to #8 on the list, while Tiger Woods takes #2 and Madonna is #3. Read more

On new album, 50 Cent shares the spotlight

Published by parclandon on June 22nd, 2007 | Tagged News

HOUSTON CHRONICLE - On his first two albums, 50 Cent was the main star with little room for supporting players. With the exception of appearances by such friends as Eminem and Young Buck, most of the songs were pure 50.

On his upcoming album, though, he’s more willing to share the mic.

Curtis, due out in September, features a who’s who of pop stars: Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Akon and Mary J. Blige are among those who collaborated on the rapper’s third CD. Read more

Warner Music Group and Violator Management CEO Chris Lighty Announce Strategic Marketing and Brand Management Joint Venture

Published by parclandon on June 22nd, 2007 | Tagged News

YAHOO - Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE:WMG - News) and Chris Lighty, founder and CEO of the artist management company Violator Management, today announced the formation of a new joint venture to be known as Brand Asset Group. The Group is designed to increase revenue by more aggressively managing artist brands from all genres and capitalize on the value of those brands through corporate sponsorships, strategic and integrated marketing campaigns and comprehensive brand extensions. Read more

Prince William, Joss Stone Deny any Relationship

Published by parclandon on June 22nd, 2007 | Tagged News

ASSOCIATED CONTENT - People Magazine reported that any rumors regarding a relationship between Joss Stone and Prince William are false as Stone denied a report originally printed by the United Kingdom’s Daily Mirror stating that the two were becoming very close.

Prince William who celebrates his 25th birthday on Thursday has been calling Stone, 20, in regards to an upcoming concert for his late mother Diana. Read more

Prince confirms: Seven shows at L.A.’s Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Published by parclandon on June 22nd, 2007 | Tagged News

STARTRIBUNE.COM - After weeks of rumors, Prince has confirmed his intimate gig at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. He’ll perform seven shows — on Saturday, Sunday and June 28-30. Two additional gigs will be announced.

He’ll play in the Blossom Room, where the first Academy Awards ceremony was staged. The space accommodates about 200 people. Sixty-five pairs of tickets will be sold at $3,121 a pair (dinner included but tax, tip and alcohol are extra). Seventy standing-rooms tickets will go for a mere $312.10.

When Prince played at his 3121 Club in Las Vegas on Fridays and Saturdays from November through April, tickets were $350 for VIP booths and $125 for standing room but the nightclub holds 900 people. Read more

“Crazy” Bald Britney Billboards Come Down

Published by parclandon on June 20th, 2007 | Tagged News

E! ONLINE - Britney Spears has admitted to having some problems, but she’s drawing the line at a “nut job.”

Facing the threat of a lawsuit from the pop star, Clear Channel Communications has taken down billboards in Florida advertising a local radio show with a paparazzi shot of a scowling, bald Britney and the tag lines “Total Nut Jobs,” “Shock Therapy” and “Certifiable.”

“We can confirm the billboards are down,” Clear Channel spokeswoman Michele Clarke said Tuesday, declining further comment. Read more