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Showbiz Tonight
Stern Exits FM Radio; Ashlee Simpson Hospitalized; Supermodel Shares Tsunami Experiences; Sarah Jessica Parker Dishes on Golden Globe Nominees
Aired December 16, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a Stern good-bye. A Sirius send-off.
HOWARD STERN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: No more censorship. No more (expletive deleted).
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there as shock jock Howard Stern goes off the air and out of this world.
Alec fights for a father`s rights. Tonight, the messy, bitter battle between Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger and why Alec is on a daddy crusade.
Supermodel, super survivor. Petra Nemcova is celebrating life nearly a year after the tsunami that almost claimed hers. Tonight, Petra Nemcova live in an interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Jennifer Love Hewitt, and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood. Welcome to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We begin tonight with news just coming in to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, and it is sad news. "West Wing" actor John Spencer has died of a heart attack. Spencer, who played former chief of staff and Democratic vice presidential nominee Leo McGarry on NBC`s "The West Wing," died in a Los Angeles hospital this morning. He was just days away from his 59th birthday.
Spencer won a best supporting actor Emmy in 2002 and has been nominated every year for the past five years. His character actually had a heart attack on the show last season, which forced him to resign as White House chief of staff.
NBC and "The West Wing" say they are deeply shocked and saddened by Spencer`s sudden death, and there`s no word what happens to the production of "The West Wing."
A.J., I know you had the opportunity to get to know John in the past.
HAMMER: Just a little bit. I did have the good fortune of sitting down with John. I`m a longtime fan of "The West Wing." And I found him to be nothing less than a graceful, elegant, very charming and talented man who was just so happy to be doing what he was doing.
I asked him, as a fan of the show, "Are you just having the time of your life?"
And John very specifically said, "I feel so fortunate at this stage of the game to walk into a role like that of Leo McGarry on `The West Wing`."
ANDERSON: Wow.
HAMMER: John Spencer will certainly be missed.
Well, now on to a farewell of a different kind. Tonight, shock jock Howard Stern bids terrestrial radio farewell and, in typical Stern style, he goes out with a bang.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there on the scene today as Stern shut down an entire New York City block to thank his fans for 20 good years.
And before he starts on his next venture, satellite radio, he had a few parting words for Clear Channel and the FCC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STERN: I refuse to bow down. I refuse.
HAMMER (voice-over): He`s defiant. He`s opinionated. And he hates corporate radio.
STERN: I am leaving terrestrial FM radio for a different kind of airwaves, so we can once again be free to do this broadcast the way I intend to do it.
HAMMER: The way he intends to do is, well, the way Howard Stern has always done it, but this time, with total freedom.
On satellite radio, no more censorship and no more fines. And that`s a good thing, because Stern`s the most heavily fined broadcaster in the FCC`s history. For decades, the shock jock has been fined, fired and vilified for his crass antics.
And he tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s tired of being censored.
STERN: That big black fist that you see is the logo for my new channels, and I want to cram that fist right up Clear Channel, corporate radio, FCC and the religious right. They are taking away our free speech. They`re taking away the humor on the radio that my fans respond to, and it`s time for a change. And that`s why satellite radio will succeed.
HAMMER: It will succeed if Stern has his way. After all, he`s got the fan base to make it happen.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Howard Stern broadcast his last terrestrial radio show in the streets of Manhattan. The outpouring of fans was tremendous.
STERN: Can I get a "Hey now?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey now!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey now!
HAMMER (on camera): Well, I`m standing outside of Howard`s radio studio in New York City, where despite the lousy weather, thousands of fans have shown up to celebrate Howard, the self-proclaimed king of all media, on his final day on terrestrial radio.
Of course, millions more are listening at home and watching online. Yes, all of this craziness is being streamed on the Web.
(voice-over) His radio show had 12 million daily listeners nationwide. And since he`s announced he`s going to satellite, Sirius subscribers jumped from 600,000 to 2.2 million, and that figure expected to hit three million by the end of the year.
Stern tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he thinks satellite radio will dominate.
STERN: And I`ll make this prediction. By 2010, 30 million people will be listening to satellite radio.
HAMMER: That`s a lot of people. But some of the most savvy people in the media business think Stern has a shot at changing the face of satellite radio.
MARTHA STEWART, FOUNDER, MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA: We`re both on the same floor. We both have studios on the same floor. His studios are very lavish compared to my little hovel.
HAMMER: Stern`s new coworker, media mogul Martha Stewart, who has her own show on Sirius. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Stern is helping to pave the way for satellite radio.
STEWART: He will bring with him a vast audience and -- and that audience will understand the value of satellite radio. And we`re looking forward to having him as a neighbor.
HAMMER (on camera): so, how are Howard Stern`s die-hard fans taking his last day on terrestrial radio? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT decided to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love him. He`s a pioneer. And anyone that`s an original deserves as much respect as he`s getting right here today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifteen-year fan. We`ve got to go with Howard to Sirius.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty-year fan.
HAMMER (voice-over): Fans for decades, and through the rain, cold weather and a pending transit strike, they were there, along with protestors, some against Stern, some against the FCC.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Howard fought for us for years to protect speech, and it`s being taken away. This is Howard Stern, the last free speech, the day radio died, 12/16/05. And we, his fans, are going to be missing if we don`t pay for it.
HAMMER: Whether or not his fans pay for it, they are loyal to him. He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT his secret.
STERN: The fans know one thing: that I`ll always be straight with them. I will always try to make them laugh. And even when I suck, I`ll tell them I suck. So I think it`s that kind of honesty that everyone responds to.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I only feared for my life once or twice this morning.
Howard Stern`s first radio -- satellite radio broadcast on Sirius is going to air on January 9. And still ahead here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`ll get into the business of satellite radio.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Stern to satellite radio: will you go, too? Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us an e-mail: ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts later on in the show.
HAMMER: Tonight, Ashlee Simpson has been hospitalized after collapsing following a performance in Japan. We are monitoring the story minute by minute.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Adrianna Costa joins us now live from the CNN Center with the latest -- Adrianna.
ADRIANNA COSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very scary news for the Simpson news, A.J. Here`s what we know so far.
Ashlee`s in Asia, promoting her new album, "I Am Me." In Tokyo, she`d just finished performing her single, "Boyfriend," for MTV Japan when she told the audience she felt sick. Now minutes later, she collapsed in an elevator and was taken by an ambulance to a nearby hospital. This all being chalked up to exhaustion.
She`s still in the hospital on an IV, and MTV News says she won`t be able to make a scheduled appearance Monday at the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Ashlee just recently at a photo shoot for "Cosmo" magazine, and in that interview, she got candid about her body image, saying she loves her curves and all but that it`s sad when people get too weight conscience.
But she did also add that she had her own weight struggles back when she was 11 years old. She said, quote, "When I went to ballet school, I was around a lot of girls with eating disorders, and I actually had a minor one myself. But then my parents stepped in and made me eat."
For more Ashlee interview, pick up the "Cosmo" magazine. It`s on newsstands right now. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will also continue to monitor her health and her progress as she recuperates in a Tokyo hospital after collapsing.
A.J., scary news. Back to you.
HAMMER: All right. Thanks very much, Adrianna. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Adrianna Costa.
Be sure to watch Adrianna`s entertainment reports every morning Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on "ROBIN & COMPANY," here on CNN Headline News.
ANDERSON: Tonight, strong words from Morgan Freeman about black history. Freeman has played many historical figures, including Malcolm X in "Death of a Profit," and a slave turned civil war soldier in "Glory."
But the Oscar winner tells "60 Minutes" that a certain tribute honoring black contributions is actually an insult.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE WALLACE, CBS NEWS` "60 MINUTES": Black History Month, you find...
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: Ridiculous.
WALLACE: Why?
FREEMAN: You`re going to relegate my history to a month?
WALLACE: Oh, come on.
FREEMAN: What do you do with yours? Which month is White History Month? Come on. Tell me.
WALLACE: Well, I`m Jewish.
FREEMAN: OK. Which month is Jewish History Month?
WALLACE: There isn`t one.
FREEMAN: Oh, oh. Why not?
WALLACE: Yes.
FREEMAN: You want one?
WALLACE: No, no.
FREEMAN: Right. I don`t either. I don`t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.
WALLACE: How are we going to get rid of racism...
FREEMAN: Stop talking about it. I`m going to stop calling you a white man.
WALLACE: Yes.
FREEMAN: And I`m going to ask you to stop calling me a black man. I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman. You don`t say, "This white guy named Mike Wallace." You know what I`m saying?
WALLACE: Uh-huh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That interview airs on "60 Minutes" Sunday on CBS.
HAMMER: Coming up live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, triumph over tragedy. Supermodel Petra Nemcova shares her harrowing story of the tsunami and why life is beautiful again. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And battle of the Baldwins. They`re the latest star crossed couple in custody combat. From bold accusations to public heartache, the reality of Hollywood custody. It`s an "L.A. Confidential" you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And all the president`s funny men. A new cartoon spoofs the commander in chief`s past year, an animation sensation coming up in our "SHOWBIZ Showcase."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. You`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
And it`s time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with the lovely Petra Nemcova. Nearly a year ago, she was living the life of a jet-setting top model when the tsunami in Southeast Asia turned her life upside down.
For eight hours, Petra clung to life on a tree. Her boyfriend, Simon Atlee, lost his life.
Well, now Petra dedicates herself to helping other affected by natural disasters. She`s written a book called "Love Always, Petra." And she joins us live in New York, Petra Nemcova.
It`s a pleasure to have you here as we launch into the weekend.
PETRA NEMCOVA, SUPERMODEL: Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: And it really was something reading the account in this book. Many people have heard your story, are familiar with your story, from your surviving the tsunami. But reading the minute by minute day-to-day account of what happened and the injuries you sustained, shattering your pelvis and all of the lacerations and abrasions. You look fantastic. How are you feeling?
NEMCOVA: I`m feeling great. Today a little bit of pain, I must say, but otherwise, otherwise -- otherwise, I`m healed 99 percent. And -- and I`ve been very lucky because I`ve healed in three month`s time, instead of some people they heal in two years, so I`m very thankful for that.
HAMMER: And they weren`t quite sure when you were first recovering.
NEMCOVA: Yes, I could have -- I could have been in a wheelchair or not even here, and there was virtually 30 centimeters, and it would be much different. And now -- but thank you for having.
HAMMER: Well, that`s the physical side of things, of course.
NEMCOVA: Yes.
HAMMER: Psychologically, I`m sure it`s a lot more to work through. And in 10 days -- it may be hard to believe -- but in 10 days it will be the one-year anniversary of the tsunami.
NEMCOVA: I know.
HAMMER: So what kinds of things are going through your mind as we approach that anniversary?
NEMCOVA: I can`t believe it`s almost one year, and I can feel that it`s getting more emotional for me. Like now with the last few days. And it`s going to be, of course, it`s going to be hard.
But what I`m looking forward to, to spend more time with my family and Simon`s family. We can be all of us together, and it`s going to be really important. And I have a great support from others from my friends and loved ones. And we`re just going to be, you know, keeping the memory of Simon alive and trying to enjoy every moment because that`s all we have.
And we will try to enjoy the time we have together because what you realize after going through such a thing, that you have to take these moments because the next second somebody from your family can go away, as well, and you have to appreciate that.
HAMMER: Yes. So cliche sometimes to say it, but until you`ve gone through something like this, you don`t realize tomorrow was never promised.
NEMCOVA: yes.
HAMMER: How will you be commemorating the day on the 26th?
NEMCOVA: I guess just laughing, hopefully. I mean, it`s going to be sad. We will try to laugh, because that`s how Simon would like to celebrate. Or his life. Because his favorite saying was, "The day denied (ph) laughter is a day wasted." And he wouldn`t want us to be sad. And he would want us to do something lovely and be together and laugh together and remember his silly jokes and all the naughty things he was doing. So that`s how we`re going to celebrate.
HAMMER: I know that you`re back to modeling but you`ve dedicated your time to the Happy Hearts Foundation, and you`re helping young victims of natural disasters. Is this something that will be a part of you for the rest of your life, do you think?
NEMCOVA: Definitely. And it has been a part of my life before tsunami, helping children. It just -- it was not in such a scale as now.
Strangely enough, after tsunami, there are much more opportunities that I have to help our children. And that`s one of them, was establishing Happy Hearts fund, together with Gift to Asia.
And why I did that because when I returned to Thailand, the end of April, it was very, very heart breaking to see all the children just being so -- suffering so much and that`s why the charity. And of course, it will stay with me.
HAMMER: It`s wonderful work you`re doing. And we wish you lots of strength as you approach the anniversary. Petra Nemcova.
NEMCOVA: Thank you. Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Really nice to see you.
NEMCOVA: Nice. Thank you.
HAMMER: And the book, "Love Always, Petra," is in bookstores now.
ANDERSON: It`s nice to see she`s doing so well, A.J.
It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ Showcase." Tonight, JibJab`s 2005 year in review.
You may remember the JibJab guys. They`re two brothers who create animated, musical send-ups of everything from corporate America to the government. And the year in review has a little something for everyone. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, you`ve had quite a year. Can you tell us what you`re thinking as it draws to a close?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): With hurricanes and terrorists it`s been hard to get by. Here`s hoping the year 2006 turns out better than 2005.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lovely little holiday tune there.
Well, coming up, Teri Hatcher goes from Wisteria Lane to the halls of justice and triumphs. The story coming up in the "Legal Lowdown."
ANDERSON: And Sarah Jessica Parker is trading her Manolos for new roles, and she`s not sly on "The Family Stone." She talks about her new film and her career after Carrie Bradshaw. That`s coming up in a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
HAMMER: And you might be a redneck if -- well, you`re just going to have to stick around for this guy. Jeff Foxworthy gives us the handbook on hayseeds, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight in another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Sarah Jessica Parker is enjoying the spotlight. Her new movie, "The Family Stone," has already earned the former "Sex and the City" star a Golden Globe nomination. Parker plays an uptight girlfriend going to meet her boyfriend`s family.
She talked to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNY D`ATTOMA, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: Congratulations on your Golden Globe nomination. How does it feel?
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: It was stunning. I was unaware they were being announced that morning, so as you can imagine I was completely taken by surprise and really flattered. I wouldn`t have even thought about it. I was shocked. I was shocked. It was amazing.
D`ATTOMA: You are no stranger to so many awards at this point. Is it -- does it feel different now because you`ve left the TV show, "Sex and the City" and you have returned to movies where you started. How does that feel for you? Is it a different feeling?
PARKER: Yes. I mean, it would be hard to pretend that there wasn`t some distinction between the two mediums. And it`s not that one is better than the other. I just think I didn`t expect this to happen. You know, this was -- the movie alone was such a -- such a privilege to be part of, and I think it`s such a beautiful, funny, moving movie.
They hate me. Yes, I`m being myself.
Feels different somehow to have it be, for a movie, it`s hard to articulate but it feels different. It`s amazing.
D`ATTOMA: This character, Meredith, is quite a departure from what your "Sex and the City" fans know from you.
PARKER: Yes.
D`ATTOMA: This is an uptight executive woman. Was that fun for you to do?
PARKER: It was fun but it was really -- it`s a very hard part to play, because you want to make sure that she`s real and human and not just sort of some archetype of a withholding person. So it was fun but it was a very hard part.
D`ATTOMA: Were you being offered parts that were similar to Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City"? Was that happening?
PARKER: Oh, yes. I mean, there was, you know, a nice abundance of very familiar, but you know, I felt that I left -- you know, it was a difficult decision to left the show and I left the very best of that and what it was, I felt, important for me to do is something that was very different.
And while the familiar is often the lucrative and the most comfortable, that`s maybe not the best decision. That`s not the best way for an actor to make a decision.
D`ATTOMA: How do you balance that all, being a mom to a -- he`s still a toddler your son.
PARKER: Yes. He`s just a new 3. I think I`m probably like a lot of, you know, working mothers in this country and probably other countries, as well. That, you know, put their child, you know, first. And then try to make a career work around it.
And, you know, you always feel like you`re not -- like you`re letting somebody down or somebody`s getting the short end but, you know, for me, it`s most important that my son is not that somebody.
D`ATTOMA: What will you wear to the Golden Globes? Are you starting to shop? Or is this, you know, after the holidays?
PARKER: I think I`ve got to, you know I have some work to do. I have to work up until the 21st of this month. And then I really just want to think about my family and Christmas. And I have a new niece that was just born a few days ago, so I think I`ll put that very difficult challenge off until after the new year and hope that I find the right dress.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: "The Family Stone" opens everywhere in theaters this weekend.
ANDERSON: Parker`s husband, Matthew Broderick, was a guest on "Ellen" today, along with Nathan lane. They were there to talk about "The Producers," but when talk turned to Sarah Jessica, Nathan may have felt a little left out. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: Now, and she`s the big -- the shopper. And do you still -- you like to shop with her and do that kind of stuff?
MATTHEW BRODERICK, ACTOR: A little bit. You know? She`s kind of...
DEGENERES: Why are you laughing?
NATHAN LANE, ACTOR: I have a call to make anyway.
Hi. Yes. No, it`s fine. Yes, I`ll meet you at the premier. No, Ellen seems really disinterested, yes. What can I do? He`s married to Sarah Jessica Parker. You know? All right. All right, I love you, too. Bye.
DEGENERES: Well, that seems fascinating.
BRODERICK: We have a lot to talk about tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming up, a musical legend battles a life-threatening illness. We`ve got that story just ahead.
Also ahead, Alec Baldwin says, "not without my daughter." The star is stuck in a bitter custody battle with his ex, and they`re not alone. A look inside Hollywood`s custody clashes coming up.
Plus, this revolution will not be televised. Howard Stern among those leading the charge for satellite radio. Is it the wave of the future? The story is on the way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, 31 minutes past the hour. As we launch into the Friday night, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
A.J., Alec Baldwin is speaking out about that bitter custody battle he and ex-wife Kim Basinger have been fighting for two years now. Coming up, what he`s saying and why so many people are saying it`s the nastiest custody battle Hollywood has ever seen.
HAMMER: Alec is angry, Brooke. And you`ve heard the jokes, you might be a redneck if...
ANDERSON: I have.
HAMMER: Well, the guy behind those jokes happens to be the best- selling comedy recording artist of all-time. We`re talking about Jeff Foxworthy. He`s got a brand-new "Redneck Dictionary." It`s fun for the whole family, out just in time for the holidays.
ANDERSON: Good stocking stuffer, right?
HAMMER: It is a great stocking stuffer. And we`ll have Jeff`s musings about the holidays coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, let us get to tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Adrianna Costa joins us once again live.
Hello, Adrianna.
ADRIANNA COSTA, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, A.J. Good to see you.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has confirmed that Jessica Simpson has filed for divorce from her husband, Nick Lachey. The two were married for three years and one month until they announced their separation on Thanksgiving eve. Now, Simpson cites differences for the split and the singer says she wants her name legally restored to Simpson.
And don`t count him out. Lou Rawls (INAUDIBLE) tonight as he battles cancer. The Grammy-winning singer is undergoing treatment tonight in Los Angeles. His spokesman says that Rawls was actually diagnosed a while back and has had several treatments so far. Rawls` cancer became public in an Arizona court where the 70-year-old is seeking an annulment for marriage.
Howard Stern is out of this world. Tonight, the shock jock has taken his show to satellite radio. No censorship and no fines. A.J., you know what that means, right? It`s right up Stern`s alley. Some industry watchers say that Stern could single-handedly change the face of satellite radio.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines." Hope you enjoyed them. I`m Adrianna Costa. Good to see you guys. Happy Friday night. We`ll see you soon.
ANDERSON: Happy Friday night to you, as well.
COSTA: Oh, Brooke, it`s you. Hi.
ANDERSON: It`s me. Hi there. Thank you so much for joining us tonight.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: And be sure to watch Adrianna`s entertainment reports weekdays between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. on "ROBIN & COMPANY," and that is here on CNN Headline News.
And as Adrianna was talking about, no doubt Howard Stern`s announcement to leave terrestrial radio has stirred up a lot of attention for satellite radio. So where is the business of satellite headed?
Joining me live from New York, Brett Pulley, senior editor for "Forbes" magazine. Live from Hollywood, Paul Bond, West Coast business editor for "The Hollywood Reporter."
Welcome to both of you. Thanks for being here.
Brett, I want to begin with you. Howard Stern signed a $500 million contract for five years. This is big money. What does Sirius have to do to make a profit, to break even even?
BRETT PULLEY, SENIOR EDITOR, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Well, it is big money. What they have to do is sign up a lot of subscribers. You know, since they made this announcement, they`ve gone up to about 2.2 million subscribers from around 500,000.
What`s interesting about this is that this has drawn so much attention to the entire sector that XM is growing at the same pace. Sirius expects to be at about 3 million subscribers by the end of the year. XM expects to go from 5 to 6 million. So it`s been great for the entire sector, and XM is getting a big boost from this, without spending the $500 million.
ANDERSON: Well, Paul, I want to ask you about that. So we are seeing both of them get good boosts. Is it from the Howard Stern effect that XM, that satellite radio in general is getting a lift here?
PAUL BOND, BUSINESS EDITOR, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": Well, it certainly is because of Howard Stern that it`s getting so much publicity, so much hype. But both these companies were fast-growing before Howard Stern decided to join Sirius.
XM was the leader, still is the leader. And Sirius was -- it went from zero to 600,000 rather quickly. And now it`s gone from 600,000 to 2.2 million rather quickly. So has Howard Stern helped? Sure. But did they desperately need him? Probably not. Probably satellite radio would have taken off with or without Howard Stern.
ANDERSON: Interesting.
Brett, if this is a success -- and Howard Stern says it will be -- do you think it will take more listeners away from free radio, put them in satellite radio, they`re going that way, paying for it? Because a lot of people it seems are buying those satellite radio receivers now more and more.
PULLEY: Well, no doubt. I mean, I think it`s going to take a long time before satellite radio really reaches critical mass. But certainly, this is sort of a big, big jumpstart for that sector.
But let me emphasize that the reports of terrestrial radio or free radio`s death have been greatly exaggerated. It`s still an incredibly powerful medium that reaches a tremendous number of people.
A lot of the companies with the combination of radio, radio stations, and billboards, they`re able to sell across those platforms and make a tremendous number of impressions. So satellite radio will be -- is a great product, will become one that`s widely used, but it will take some time. Thanks to Howard Stern, it`s going to get a big, big boost.
ANDERSON: All right. Paul, let`s go for the future. What is next for satellite radio? What are we going to see happen...
BOND: Well...
ANDERSON: ... technologically, in terms of content, as well?
BOND: Well, content, it`s happening every day. Bob Dylan signed with XM Satellite Radio a few days ago. And, you know, NFL football and NBA basketball and Major League Baseball, all of these huge content deals are happening now.
And you`ll also -- customers are also loving hearing their TV programs on air. You can hear FOX News, and CNN, and MSNBC on the radios, and those are hugely popular. Nobody talks about those deals, but those deals are hugely popular. At XM, they were telling me that FOX News is their number- three channel out of their 140 channels. So these are hugely popular, too.
ANDERSON: Sounds...
BOND: And technologically, you`re going to have radios that act like a TiVo, so you can rewind and program live radio.
ANDERSON: Wow. Sounds like it is just growing and growing. Brett Pulley, Paul Bond, very interesting. Thank you both so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
PULLEY: You bet. Thank you.
BOND: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And that leads us again to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Stern to satellite radio: Will you go, too? Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight and write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e- mails are coming up at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: Well, it has been called the nastiest custody battle in Hollywood. Well, now Alec Baldwin is blaming the California legal system. His custody crusade`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, "Desperate Housewives`" Teri Hatcher cleans up in court. The rumors she just won`t tolerate. How she took on a British tabloid and won, in tonight`s "Legal Lowdown."
HAMMER: And you might be a redneck if -- well, we`ll just let Jeff Foxworthy answer that for you. The brain behind "Blue Collar TV" joins us for an interview that you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. You`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
Tonight, Alec Baldwin is speaking out about the bitter custody battle he and ex-wife Kim Basinger have been fighting for two years, and it`s unclear if we`ve seen the end.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: It`s been horrible.
ANDERSON (voice-over): A saddened Alec Baldwin on the "Today" show this morning speaking out about the raging custody battle with his ex-wife, Kim Basinger. It`s been called the nastiest custody battle in Hollywood, and he revealed with honest and raw emotion how bitter the fight has been.
BALDWIN: The problem really has been that the system is an incredibly dysfunctional system, that conflict resolution for people is the last thing on the agenda. Sometimes, if you have one litigant is someone who can`t move on and they like to argue, they like to fight, and they`ve got the wrong lawyer, the thing is just interminable and never ends.
ANDERSON: The couple share joint custody of their 10-year-old daughter, Ireland. They married in 1993, separated in 2000, and divorced in 2003. They have been fighting over custody issues for an epic two years.
Many of those custody issues have been played out in the press, with harsh accusations, like emotional instability, making celebrity magazine headlines as they negotiated e-mail and phone time with their only daughter.
Celebrity custody battles can play out in the court of public opinion, as well, as intimate details become common knowledge, which is just what happened with the Baldwin-Basinger battle. Here`s celebrity legal analyst Harvey Levin.
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: She basically describes him as a raging lunatic. And he is describing her as one step short of a kidnapper who`s trying to keep Ireland away from him and somebody who has all sorts of emotional and other problems. In this case, if anything, the way these papers are written, it screams for news organizations to do stories on them.
ANDERSON: This week, Kim Basinger was a court custody hearing for hopefully the last time. Her publicist told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in a statement, quote, "The court sealed the hearing, so we aren`t able to comment on specifics, but we are pleased with the outcome." No future hearings have been scheduled.
And it`s certainly not the first time celebs have battled over custody issues. Jude Law and wife Sadie Frost fought over custody of their three children after their marriage dissolved. Eminem even sang about the tough custody battle with his wife, Kim, over their daughter, Hallie.
EMINEM, MUSICIAN (singing): Halley, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad when I`m gone. But I`m trying to give you the life that I never had.
ANDERSON: And reports say it took a while for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman to sort out custody of their two kids, not an easy task with their busy celebrity filming schedules. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight to Beverly Hills family lawyer Joe Langlois for more.
JOSEPH LANGLOIS, BEVERLY HILLS DIVORCE LAWYER: Custody battles tend to be nasty, just by nature, because people use personal information against one another, so that tends to be nasty. But when you have two celebrities that are in the limelight and have all the resources, both of them love their child, and the child is one of the most important things in their lives, they`re willing to spend any amount of money to fight.
So, I mean, it keeps us in business as family law lawyers, but it`s certainly not in the best interest of the child to keep fighting. It`s not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now, while no more custody hearings are currently scheduled in the Baldwin-Basinger battle, legal analyst Harvey Levin told us he thinks the war of the roses will go on until Ireland turns 18. She`s only 10 right now. Alec Baldwin is in the middle of making a book deal about father`s rights or, as he says, parents` rights, because he says he thinks many are abused by the system.
All right. In other legal news, Teri Hatcher has won a libel settlement against a British tabloid. "The Daily Sport" said the "Desperate Housewives" star had sex with men in a van outside her home and that she neglected her daughter. According to Hatcher`s attorney, the tabloid has agreed to pay, quote, "very substantial damages." The paper will also print a front-page apology.
HAMMER: Tonight, another "Showbiz Sitdown." This time, it`s with comedian Jeff Foxworthy. He`s the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time. And a lot of that has to do with his whimsical observations that begin with, "You might be a redneck if..."
Well, I had a chance to sit down with Foxworthy. And we talked about his cultural insights, the holidays, and I even got a little taste of what it must be to be like to be a standup comedian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Jeff, first of all, it`s a pleasure to have you here. And I`m really happy to meet you, because I`ve always considered you somewhat of a humanitarian.
JEFF FOXWORTHY, COMEDIAN: Well, thank you.
HAMMER: No, I think you`re out there doing good work. You`re helping people identify if they, as you say, possess the glorious absence of sophistication. And I think somebody has to be out there doing that.
FOXWORTHY: And most people do possess it. And a lot of people don`t even realize that they do. I mean, people come up to me at book signings and they`re like, "Listen, I`m not a redneck, but I have a friend that is." I don`t even get up. I`m like, "Here. Start reading." And they get like three pages in, and they`re like, "Oh, my god. I`ve done that."
HAMMER: "Oh, that`s me."
FOXWORTHY: Yes.
HAMMER: Well, and that`s the way that, you know, for those who do know you or perhaps for some people may not be familiar with you or need a little reminder, your jokes are based on, "You might be a red neck if..."
FOXWORTHY: Well, you know what? A lot of them came from my family, like, if your working television sits on top of your nonworking television, which was my grandparents. They had the console and it died. They go buy another TV and put it on top of the console.
HAMMER: There`s a good example.
FOXWORTHY: If you`ve ever stared at a can of orange juice because it said "concentrate."
(LAUGHTER)
I just wrote one for Gretchen Wilson, you know, doing the redneck woman song. I was trying to think, "All right, redneck women. If you can smoke a cigarette, breast feed a baby, and drive a stick shift at the same time"...
HAMMER: All of those things indicative of the fact...
FOXWORTHY: You might be, not definite, but you might be.
HAMMER: You might be -- you might be a redneck. And as you indicated, a lot more people out there who may fall under that description than we would think, and you being the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time, by the way.
FOXWORTHY: Is that not bizarre?
HAMMER: Well, no, so the question is: Is that because a lot of people are actually rednecks or they`re trying to figure out if they are?
FOXWORTHY: You know what? I remember when I first started doing this. Somebody said, "Well, you`re talking about the lowest common denominator." And I said, "No, it`s the most common denominator," because I have been to all 50 states numerous times. And I`ve found, 10 minutes outside of any city, we`re all alike. I mean, the scenery changes and the accents change, but we`re all alike, you know?
HAMMER: Well, we`re coming up on the holidays. I imagine holidays at the Foxworthy household has to be quite a treat. Of course, you have two daughters.
FOXWORTHY: I have two daughters. And my wife is from Louisiana, so you can`t understand half of them, because they`re part Cajun.
HAMMER: Heavy Cajun accents.
FOXWORTHY: Yes. And, you know, and they come in the house, and they`re like, "(INAUDIBLE) you think that`d be all right, huh?" And I`m like, "Yes, OK."
HAMMER: Why not, right?
FOXWORTHY: And an hour later, my wife`s like, "Did you tell them they could jump off the garage roof?" I`m like, "Hell, I don`t know. I can`t understand a thing they`re saying."
HAMMER: But that`s not what you were doing at all.
FOXWORTHY: But great food. They bring fabulous food, as long as you don`t ask too many questions, you know? Louisiana, as long as there`s a ditch on the side of the road, nobody`s going hungry down there.
HAMMER: All right, everybody`s taken care of. Well, continuing in your humanitarian efforts -- and I really have to applaud you for Jeff Foxworthy`s "Redneck Dictionary: Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of," because, for me, it really has cleared up a couple of things that I was under a misconception about.
FOXWORTHY: You thought you knew.
HAMMER: Yes, I mean, can I run down a couple and maybe you can straighten people out?
FOXWORTHY: Sure.
HAMMER: Innuendo is one I picked out, which, you know, people think of as an oblique allusion. I think that`s how the dictionary -- what innuendo is.
FOXWORTHY: It`s incorrect. It`s like, "Hey, dude, I saw a bird fly innuendo."
HAMMER: Oh, OK.
(LAUGHTER)
FOXWORTHY: See? You had a wrong definition.
HAMMER: Right there.
FOXWORTHY: Waterfront, w-a-t-e-r-f-r-o-n-t. Now, you probably think that`s by the ocean.
HAMMER: You would think so.
FOXWORTHY: No. She looks good from the back. I don`t know waterfront looks like.
HAMMER: Oh, all right.
(LAUGHTER)
Well, what about -- here`s one I ran across, because I was little surprised. You know, "pimple." I mean, they happen to kids, they happen to adults. We all know what a pimple is. But apparently we don`t.
FOXWORTHY: No, no. If you flirt with that girl, her pimple kill you.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: A little note about that pimple.
FOXWORTHY: And I will say this about this book. This is the one of the most fun things I ever did, because it had an audience before it was a book, because when we started doing "Blue Collar TV," I had done some of those in the first "Blue Collar" movie, like, you know, "mayonnaise." Mayonnaise a lot of people here tonight. And aorta. Aorta, cut the grass down by the ball field so them kids don`t get hurt.
Well, when we started doing this show, they wanted some quick hitters for them. So we were taking the words and filming them. And we had this fake book cover, and it was like a hit from the beginning. And people started inundating us, going, "I`m going to the bookstore. I can`t find this book." And we`re like, "Well, because it doesn`t exist. We`re making them up." And so, at the end of the season, well, "See how many you can write."
HAMMER: The book wrote itself.
FOXWORTHY: It wrote itself, yes.
HAMMER: As seen on "Blue Collar TV." Take me out with one more, because this is of particular interest, having grown up in a household where my grandmother was constantly speaking Yiddish to me (INAUDIBLE) Yiddish, in your dictionary, but I apparently been wrong about the meaning of this.
FOXWORTHY: The word Yiddish? Is the word Yiddish in there?
HAMMER: It`s in here.
FOXWORTHY: Help me. You read the definition. I want to see if you can make this work with your accent.
HAMMER: Yiddish: A vessel designed for the holding and carrying of food, especially such an object of a particular person. Well, here`s a quote that maybe will help me out on this. "Where are your manners?" "Take Yiddish to the kitchen when you`re finished."
FOXWORTHY: See? There you go.
HAMMER: OK. Thank you very much. Jeff Foxworthy, it`s a pleasure to have you on.
(LAUGHTER)
FOXWORTHY: I thank you.
HAMMER: How`d I do with your material?
FOXWORTHY: Oh, that`s beautiful.
HAMMER: I killed.
FOXWORTHY: I love it. You`re doing great. We`re going to have you on a tractor next week.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Proper credit to David Letterman for the crash sound effect, too. You can pick up Jeff Foxworthy`s "Redneck Dictionary: Words You Thought You Knew the Meaning Of." It`s in bookstores now.
ANDERSON: Somehow, I can`t picture you on a tractor, A.J.
All right. There is still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Stern to satellite radio: Will you go, too? Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: First, here comes your "Entertainment Weekly" must-list, five things "EW" says you`ve got to check out.
Tilda Swinton in "Narnia." "EW" says her role as the white witch will send shivers down your spine.
Next, "EW" says to check out Bravo`s second season of "Project Runway." Sixteen new fashionistas compete in hopes of breaking into the business.
Then, pick up your copy of Winsor McCay`s new book, "Little Nemo in Slumberland." It was a comic strip drawn in the early 20th century.
"EW" also says to check out "Party of Five: Season Two." It`s now out on DVD. You get to check out how "Lost" star Matthew Fox got his big start.
And finally, Golden Globe nominee "Brokeback Mountain." It`s Ang Lee`s drama about two cowboys who fall in love. For more on the must-list, grab your copy of "Entertainment Weekly," which is on newsstands now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time now for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT birthday shoutout. This is where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight, it`s a shoutout to William "The Refrigerator" Perry. He`s celebrating his 43rd birthday today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Barry Freeman. I want to give a little shoutout to Refrigerator Perry for his birthday. "My name is Fridge, and I`m the rookie. I may be large, but I`m no dumb cookie." Happy birthday, Fridge Perry. Go Bears.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Stern to satellite radio: Will you go, too?
The vote so far: 19 percent of you say, yes, you will; 81 percent of you say, no, you won`t.
Some of the e-mails we`ve received. Michael from Connecticut writes, "The show has made me laugh out loud for over 20 years. I already have a lifetime subscription to Sirius."
Eric from North Carolina tells us, "I`m going to buy Sirius satellite radio in time for the show on January 9th."
Thanks for your e-mails. Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: It is time now to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT next week. For that, we put the lights up on our "Showbiz Marquee."
Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, WWE lays the smackdown in Afghanistan. Stars of the WWE hit the ground running with U.S. troops, bringing a little holiday cheer to the Armed Forces. John Cena and Carlito join us for a "Showbiz Sitdown."
And Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, he`s fighting crime in the upcoming "Miami Vice" flick and tackling the music charts with a new album. Jamie Foxx is just "Unpredictable." The Oscar-winner joins us for an interview that you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`ll be Wednesday, live.
Brooke, have a lovely weekend.
ANDERSON: You, too, A.J. That Jamie Foxx, certainly multitalented. Looking forward to it. That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
