Michael Jackson's one-time spiritual advisor, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, has authored a book that depicts a strained relationship between Jackson and Madonna and paints Jackson as a man who wanted to "disappear," according to the AP.
The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation, released Friday, is said to be based on...
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NBC has settled a $105 million lawsuit brought by the sister of a man profiled in a Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator report.The woman claimed her brother's incriminating appearance drove him to kill himself. On the program, host Chris Hansen confronted Louis William Conradt, Jr., a Dallas prosecutor, accusing him of engaging in a sexually oriented online chat with an adult who posed as a 13-year-old boy.Per the AP, the lawsuit claimed NBC "steamrolled" police to arrest Conradt. Earlier this year, a judge scolded NBC, saying the network "crossed the line from responsible journalism to irresponsible and reckless intrusion into law enforcement."Terms of the settlement were not announced. — J.R. WhalenRelated:• Judge Says To Catch a Predator Lawsuit Can Proceed • Has NBC Preyed on Its Last Predator?• 20/20 Investigation Preys on Dateline's Predator • NBC Sued for $105 Mil over Predator Suicide
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A $100 million lawsuit that charges Dateline NBC with causing the suicide of a former Texas prosecutor ensnared in one of its To Catch a Predator investigations is moving forward. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that claims made in the suit filed by Patricia Conradt, the sister of Louis Conradt, can proceed to trial.Conradt, 56, shot himself in November 2006 after he was confronted at his Terrell, Texas, home by police officers accompanying a Dateline crew. Police were attempting to arrest Conradt after he solicited sex from a decoy posing as a 13-year-old boy during a Predator sting operation. While some charges in the lawsuit were dismissed, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said "a reasonable jury could find NBC crossed the line from responsible journalism to irresponsible and reckless intrusion into law enforcement." The judge also ruled that NBC appeared to be "pushing police to engage in tactics that were unnecessary and unwise, solely to generate more dramatic footage for a televi...
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Question: I am curious about the fate of the once-popular newsmagazine. I remember a time when every network had multiple newsmagazines on the air. CBS had 48 Hours and two versions of 60 Minutes at one time, and NBC used to play Dateline four times a week. Now we only have 20/20, 60 Minutes and the occasional "To Catch a Predator." What happened? Was it simply a shift in people's tastes? Did networks run these shows into the ground? Do you think a prolonged strike will see the reintroduction of shows like Prime Time? Also, if networks get really desperate during the strike, do you think they may resort to evening airings of their morning news shows? Just imagine the Today show, GMA or The Early Show re-airing at 9 or 10 pm.
Answer: You hit on most of the likely reasons for why the glut of prime-time newsmags in prime time has faded. Overexposure and changing tastes had a lot to do with it, to be sure, but also the upsurge of reality series as a new form of counterprogramming. When you
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Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip arrives on DVD Oct. 16 in a six-disc, 22-episode set.... Tonight's the night that ABC's 20/20 sticks its nose in Dateline: To Catch a Predator's business. The sucker punches start at 10 pm/ET.... Marlo Thomas will guest on Ugly Betty this fall as a jewelry company owner with a "thing" for younger men — namely, Daniel.... ABC Family's Lincoln Heights set a series high with its Tuesday Season 2 premiere, drawing 1.6 million total viewers. That's a 14 percent increase over the show's January launch.... EchoStar's Dish Network has agreed to host the Big Ten Network, and just in time for this weekend's college football games, says TV Week.
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