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CNN Student News

Aired February 13, 2002 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUSAN FREIDMAN, CO-HOST: "CNN STUDENT NEWS" get down to business Wednesday, the business of finance as we explore Enron, the energy giant, struggling in the ruins of bankruptcy, the business of security as we focus on a new terror alert and news of possible attacks, the business of sports as we take you once again to Salt Lake City.

MICHAEL MCMANUS, CO-HOST: I'm Michael McManus in Salt Lake. Coming up, it's time for a math test Olympic style.

FREIDMAN: Welcome to CNN STUDENT NEWS. I'm Susan Freidman.

Enron's former CEO isn't talking. Ken Lay told a Senate committee yesterday that he was invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. His decision came as no surprise but drew heavy criticism. Enron's fall from corporate power was followed by reports of shady accounting and questionable partnerships and practices. Lawmakers were hoping Lay would shed some light on those accusations.

Here's a closer look at the latest developments from Jonathan Karl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear that the testimony that you give to this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing you but the truth so help you God?

KEN LAY, FMR. ENRON CEO: I do.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As predicted, Ken Lay took the Fifth, but he said his silence doesn't mean he has anything to hide.

LAY: Mr. Chairman, I come here today with a profound sadness about what has happened to Enron, its current and former employees, retirees, shareholders and other stake holders. I have also wanted to respond, to the best of my knowledge and recollection, to the questions you and your colleagues have about the collapse of Enron. I have however been instructed by my counsel not to testify, based on my Fifth Amendment constitutional rights.

KARL: But before leaving the hearing, Mr. Lay had to sit quietly while Senators publicly berated him. SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: Mr. Lay, I know you're not going to talk to the committee. You have a right to. But I have a chance to talk to you, so that's what I'm going to do, is talk to you.

SEN. PETER FITZGERALD (R), ILLINOIS: I'd say you are carnival barker, except that wouldn't be fair to carnival barkers. A carny will at least tell you up front that he's running a shell game.

KARL: Mr. Lay sat stone-faced, his hands on his knees, making eye contact with each speaker as the committee took him to task.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: A new terrorist alert has authorities around the world on the lookout. The FBI said a Yemeni man and more than a dozen associates may be planning an attack on U.S. interests. The warning is based on information obtained from detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The FBI knows when an attack might come: today or over the next few days. The big question, where? And what kind of attack could it be? The Justice Department taking the threat very seriously.

ASHCROFT: While this alert is not specific to any particular locality, I want to encourage all law enforcement officials and frankly, all Americans everywhere to be on the highest state of alert in regard to these individuals.

FEYERICK: The FBI believes an attack could take place in the United States, or against U.S. interests in Yemen. Thirteen pictures are posted on the FBI Web site, a list of 17 men agents want to find. At the top of the list, the alleged point man, Fawaz Yahya Al-Rabeei. His name turned up after a detainee in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, told investigators about the plot. Investigators followed up with a detainee in Afghanistan, who pointed out Al-Rabeei.

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The information was derived from multiple sources and it was deemed to be credible. It was deemed to be specific by name. A photo was available. In several cases, there were more than one photo.

FEYERICK: Al-Rabeei has more than a dozen known aliases, most different spellings or variations of his name. One that stands out: Furqan the Chechen. Al-Rabeei is about 22 years old. The FBI believes he is a Yemeni national born in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is the country where 15 of the 19 suspected September hijackers came from. The attorney general says Al-Rabeei may have ties to the al Qaeda terror network.

The FBI also wants to find some of Al-Rabeei's friends who could be involved in the possible attack. What do they share in common? They're between 24 and 34 years old. Almost all are from Yemen, with several born in Saudi Arabia. The FBI warns the men are considered extremely dangerous.

JAMES STEINBERG, FMR. DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Getting these names out, identifying individuals, gives us a better chance of trying to interrupt some of these potential terrorist actions.

FEYERICK: Since the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, America's been put on the alert three times. This warning is extraordinary because of the exact date, and because the information came as a result of the capture and questioning of Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.

(on camera): Several police and FBI sources around the country say they were surprised to first hear about the alert through the press. As for security at the Olympics in Salt Lake City, with 10,000 security people, it's arguably one of the safest places to be. And in New York City, one police source says security there couldn't be any higher than it already is.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: We turn now to The Hague, Netherlands and the landmark trial of Slobodan Milosevic. As we told you yesterday, the former Yugoslav president is accused of masterminding years of genocide in the Balkans. The trial is splitting views in Serbia and Yugoslavia where Milosevic reigned for nearly a decade.

CNN's Alessio Vinci has more on that from Belgrade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is concern in Serbia that the trial of Slobodan Milosevic at The Hague may find the whole nation on trial in the eyes of the world. So while opinion polls and analysts say the majority of the people here believe Milosevic is guilty, mainly for what he has done against his own people, only one-third thinks he has committed war crimes, and more than a half of the citizens here are not able to list a single war crime carried out by Serbs.

DR. SRDJAN BOGOSAVLJEVIC, SMMRI: People are not really convinced about the whole bulk of the war crimes that he has committed, at least they're not ready to accept that this is only crime which is committed by Serbs.

VINCI: Opinion polls also show that an overwhelming majority of people here believe The Hague Tribunal is biased against Serbs, mainly because the high-profile case against Milosevic, analysts say, has made him appear to be the only culprit of a decade of Balkan wars.

Milosevic supporters, there are a few thousand left, are isolated in their belief Milosevic is a hero, but they do share similar feelings. IVICA DACIC, SOCIALIST UNITY OFFICIAL (through translator): It is not a matter of one individual or one party, it is a matter of the whole Serb nation that have gathered here to express our support to Milosevic and to all those illegally indicted by The Hague Tribunal.

VINCI: But most Serbs also understand that cooperation with The Hague Tribunal is essential to ensure economic recovery. Billions of dollars worth of international aid are linked to the extradition of not just Milosevic but of some of his former, closest allies as well.

ZORAN DJINDJIC, SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The point of cooperation with The Hague Tribunal lies in the transfer of the indicted to The Hague and there is no cooperation without that happening. That means that without future cooperation, some of the main suspects will surely end up at The Hague.

VINCI: If there is one place in Serbia where there is no doubt whether Milosevic is guilty, that is Kosovo.

AVTIL AHMETAJ, KOSOVO RESIDENT: Many members of my family also were killed during the war, so I think that he has to face the consequences and also his regime, not just him.

VINCI (on camera): Milosevic's trial will finally open a serious debate in this country over the issue of war crimes, but a lot of people here would feel better if that debate were not the response to action taken by an outside court.

Alessio Vinci, CNN, Belgrade.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: The 2002 Olympics has the sad distinction of taking place during a time of heightened security fears in the United States, the result of the September 11 attacks.

Rusty Dornin reports on the effort to protect the safety of those at the Olympic Games.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To keep an eye on the skies over the Olympics, sometimes you just have to climb up close. At 10,000 feet, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Brian Strong and Lance Corporal Jake Truman are making sure this mobile mountain-top radar station stays up and running.

GNNY. SGT. BRIAN STRONG, USMC, RADAR MAINT.: Basically, in this area, the FAA has very poor radar coverage, so they brought us in to bring our radar and give them some additional coverage that goes to the security operation center. And our mission is to keep this radar running 24/7, until the end of the games.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There he is. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

DORNIN: Last week, the radar picked up a private plane over Park City Olympic venues. The plane was then intercepted by this U.S. Customs helicopter and forced to land -- a sophisticated mobile radar system, normally used in a war zone. Here, five Marines do 8- to 24- hour shifts, sleeping and eating in windowless metal containers. Right now, you can see forever from up here, but just wait.

STRONG: This mountain can really fool you, because sometimes at night, we get 100-mile-an-hour winds. We've had negative 35 wind chill. We've had two feet of snow drop in six hours.

SGT. ROBERT ROW, USMC, GENERATOR MAINTENANCE: We've had some pretty rough wind up here, and our shelters kind of rocked a little bit. Otherwise, it's -- it's boring.

DORNIN: Today, it's NASCAR. They would love it to be the Olympics, only they can't get it on their dish.

Every half hour, they go to the transmitter and check the readings. At night, in a freezing, howling wind, a walk can not only be tricky, but deadly.

(on camera): What about at night? Do you have concerns about people coming out here at night?

LNC. CPL. JAKE TRUMAN, USMC, RADAR MAINT.: Our concerns at night are trip hazards. We try to keep people inside the poles. And this -- our second concern is mainly the wind chill factor. We try not to keep people out here more than 5 or 10 minutes, unless they're with somebody else, and then even if they're with somebody, we try keep them out here at a minimum.

DORNIN: Safety is not the only reason they want the troops to stay inside the perimeters, inside these poles. If an intruder tries to sneak up on the installation, they'd be able to see his footprints outside in the snow.

(voice-over): So far, no intruders, no threats. For these guys, when things are boring, that's good news for folks down below.

Rusty Dornin, CNN, Park City, Utah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: Stay tuned, we'll have more on Olympic security coming up in our "Perspectives" segment. And head to the Web to catch all our reports from Salt Lake City this week. We'll have all of our CNN STUDENT NEWS reports from Mike McManus streamed on our site. That's CNNstudentnews.com.

ANNOUNCER: Exploring our world, here now is CNN STUDENT NEWS "Perspectives."

MCMANUS: Hello, and welcome back to Salt Lake. Just when you thought it was time for some fun, take out a pencil and a piece of paper, we're about to give you a math lesson of Olympic proportion.

Joining us to help make sense of all this enumeration is Gary Boles. He's the Senior Vice President at AT&T Broadband here in Utah, and they are one of the contributors to this year's Olympics.

Gary, let's start with our host state, Utah. Take a look at this graphic here. Utah's median age is 26 years old. That's the youngest in the U.S. Ninety percent of the people in Utah have completed high school. That's one of the highest percentages in the nation. And Utah has the highest literacy rate in the nation. What does this say about our host city, Salt Lake, as well as the state of Utah?

GARY BOLES, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, AT&T BROADBAND: Well I think it says that there's very strong family values in Utah as well as very large families, there's a dedication to education as well as things like computer literacy, bilingualism as well as the development of high tech businesses here bringing in a lot of younger people to the state of Utah.

MCMANUS: And would that seem a perfect fit for an Olympic committee to choose Salt Lake for the Games?

BOLES: Absolutely. I think it's a hidden jewel, the state of Utah, and it allows people to see the development that's occurred here and allow us to develop this Olympic infrastructure.

MCMANUS: All right. Now on to the 19th Winter Olympic Games. The costs are staggering. Check this out. About 2,345 athletes, give or take, are participating in these Games. The estimated total cost of $1.34 billion with a B and simple math tells us that's almost $6,000 per athlete. Now those costs are really, really hard to comprehend. Has it really gotten this expensive to put on Olympic Games?

BOLES: Well this one's a little bit different than the -- a traditional Olympic Games. First of all, it's in the largest city to ever host an Olympic Winter's Games. Additionally, it's in multiple sites, in multiple towns over 1,000 square miles. So to build an infrastructure, to have security of the level that's needed at an Olympic Games, it does cost money.

MCMANUS: It does cost money and that's one of the reasons you're here. Your company is a sponsor to the Olympic Games. So let's keep in mind that there are several communication companies here. AT&T is one of them, and you have installed well over 100 miles of cable in addition to 3,379,000 feet of fiber optics and over 7,500 television sets.

Gary, what is all this about?

BOLES: Well we wanted to have information at the fingertips of the spectators, the athletes, and frankly, the citizens of the community. So we built a broadband network of interactive high-speed data television as well as telephone service so as spectators come to visit us, they're able to see events at other locations while they enjoy other events.

MCMANUS: Now I was at the pavilion last night in the Olympic Village and you have TV sets there with Olympic events going on all over the pavilion, you have telephones there, people making phone calls and computers set up so people could check their e-mail. And so I'm wondering, is this what people want? Do they want a little taste or a little -- the -- some comforts of home?

BOLES: Absolutely. I think you and I, anybody else wants information at our fingertips when we want it at any time that it's available. And this is what we're trying to provide here in Salt Lake City.

MCMANUS: Absolutely. Well it's expensive, it's hard work, but I'm sure many would agree it all goes toward a good thing and that's the Olympic Games, and it's been a lot of fun so far, hasn't it?

BOLES: It's been tremendous. Probably the best opening ceremonies, some of the most exciting events and I think the technology has been with it as well.

MCMANUS: Absolutely right. Absolutely right, and that's because of you so thanks a lot.

BOLES: Thank you, Mike.

MCMANUS: OK. Well that's all for this segment today but don't miss tomorrow, we're going to head down to Park City, Utah for a chat with the grandfather of snowboarding. Don't miss it.

For now, I'm Michael McManus, reporting from Salt Lake City, Utah.

FREIDMAN: As we mentioned earlier in the show, security at this year's Olympics is tighter than ever. Officials are especially keeping a close eye on the skies above the Games. We have more on the effort to protect Salt Lake City from above.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): There will be a lot more private planes flying into McCarran International Airport over the next few weeks, but it won't be their final destination. To make sure the Salt Lake City Olympics are as safe as possible, all private planes flying to the Games will first have to land outside of Utah for security inspections.

The FAA and the Secret Service have created a 45-mile Olympic ring around the Salt Lake City Airport. The only way private planes can get into that airspace is by first landing at one of four so- called "gateway airports" in Las Vegas; Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs and Grand Junction, Colorado. The FAA says it's the only way to make sure passengers on private planes are who they say they are.

Here's how the inspections will go once the private planes land at the gateway airports. All passengers and cargo will be checked and screened. If they're cleared to go on to Salt Lake, the pilot must then file a flight plan. The pilot will be given a secure frequency and must maintain two-way communication with air traffic controllers until on the ground in Utah. The planes will be watched on radar the entire way. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he gets off that flight path or does something out of the ordinary that he's not supposed to do, they will probably be able to tell their grandchildren they flew formation with the Department of Defense.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge toured Salt Lake City. He wants the Olympics to be -- in his words -- "the safest place on the globe," and that means unprecedented security inspections of hundreds of private planes and the passengers aboard them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Cait Morris from Burlington, Vermont asks: How will security be enhanced to make the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City safer?

JEFF BEATTY, PRESIDENT, TOTALSECURITYSERVICES.COM: Well, Cait, you can believe that even before the events in New York City and at the Pentagon, the officials responsible for security at Salt Lake were very, very aware of the difficult challenge ahead of them, particularly in the light of the fact that the last American Olympics was successfully targeted by a terrorist who's still at large.

However, they will be looking at an across-the-board review. I mean everything from what goes on at the Salt Lake Airport, from people who are in fact getting on planes bound for Salt Lake all the way through your accessing the venues. You'll be going through metal detectors, airport type screening, and just be prepared for a lengthy process of physical inspection if you're going to access the Games.

They're also going to rely on you and the other citizens who are at the Games. I mean half of public safety is the public. They're going to need your eyes and ears to be alert to the thing that sticks out as unusual or suspicious. Error on the side of caution, report it to the nearest authority.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: Now we switch gears and look ahead to Valentine's Day. Our topic today: what you look for in a date or mate. Plenty of people list looks, personality, intelligence. But if you're between the ages of 18 and 29 and searching for something a little deeper, you may be craving a soulmate.

Our CNN Student Bureau has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You may kiss your beautiful brides.

ARIANNE PRICE, CNN STUDENT BUREAU (voice-over): Looks, personality and intelligence are all characteristics people notice when looking for a potential marriage partner. But if you're between the ages of 18 and 29, you may be looking for something a little deeper. You may be searching for a soul mate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My definition of a soul mate would be a person that could mate to my soul, the person that my creator created me for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My definition of a soul mate is someone who I don't find boring, I think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're on the same page as far as morals and values go, and you can think ahead to the future and you're going to have the same big picture.

PRICE: Although many are optimistic of finding their soul mates, there is still skepticism on lasting marriages.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People a lot of times don't go into it thinking forever, they think for right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People get together and they hit a problem and they -- and they divorce each other instead of work through it or stick together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People don't realize that when you're married you have to really, like, work at it, it's not just going to happen naturally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am in the process of a divorce because I was not married to my soul mate. And when you're not married to your soul mate, then those problems can occur where your marriage can't stick together.

PRICE: Why can't some marriages stick together. Some argue that the expectations of 20-somethings are too high.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think our expectations are too high, I think that nowadays women are more independent now and they expect, you know what I'm saying, certain things from guys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you look at the MTV generation that's coming up and they're showing what people wear, how much money they make and so that's what people are looking for instead of looking at the values that people have to offer.

PRICE: So what are some of those values 20-somethings are looking for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, do we have an hour?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Physically I like tall and skinny, like a basketball player.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I'm looking for is my mother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I prayed for blonde hair, I prayed for -- I prayed for an athlete. I prayed for really specific stuff.

PRICE: If high expectations aren't the problem, what is the hardest part about finding your mate?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The games that men play.

PRICE (on camera): So what happens if your love affair doesn't last, should you throw in the towel or will you get another shot at true love? If one soul mate fails you, will you get a second chance with another?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, there's billions of people on the planet, there's more than one soul mate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that there can be more than one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I think there's just one...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... soul mate, but there's probably a lot of just good enough. Most people meet just good enough. Only the fortunate get to meet their soul mates.

PRICE (voice-over): So whether you believe there is a special someone for everyone or you're skeptical about the accuracy of cupid's arrow, one thing is certain: everyone loves someone sometime.

Arianne Price, CNN Student Bureau, Atlanta, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ONSCREEN: "Where in the World?"

Most people are farmers or herders.

Official language is Arabic, famous for its Mocha coffee.

Can you name this country?

Yemen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: Roll out the red carpet, the Oscar race is on. Lots of familiar names but also a few surprises in this year's Academy Award nominations, which were announced yesterday. First up, the campaign for the Oscars. Later, the lucky nominees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINGER ROGERS, ACTRESS: I don't know how it happened but I have it in my hand.

ANNE MCDERMOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ginger Rogers is talking about Oscar. So how does it happen?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you want him, come and claim him.

MCDERMOTT: Well studios claim Oscar nominations by publicizing movies like "Ali" and "Lord of the Rings."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What must I do?

MCDERMOTT: Well, you must give thousands of interviews while the studios must spend thousands and thousands on ads. All done to reach Academy voters like this guy who says picking best picture this year is a toughie.

ERIC GOLDBERG, ANIMATION DIRECTOR: Nothing went, you know, just to that next level.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds like a lot of them stunk.

GOLDBERG: Those are your words not mine.

MCDERMOTT: Nothing new about romancing the Oscar, they've been doing it since Chaplin's day with wooden dolls, paper dolls, special recordings, vanity billboards and sometimes, according to one old timer, a studio might even get you drunk, but the system works. Only the best of the best win nominations, right Hollywood reporter Bob Thomas?

BOB THOMAS, (ph) HOLLYWOOD (ph): The list of nominees that were unworthy would take an hour of your airtime.

MCDERMOTT: On the other hand, this film was never nominated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got a tattoo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So do you, dude.

MCDERMOTT: Does movie marketing make any difference? Well studios think enough domination can boost box office business.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, one for "In the Bedroom" please.

MCDERMOTT: But some like Kevin Costner think that promotion is getting a wee bit shameless.

KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: I think those monies could go to a charity or something.

MCDERMOTT: Well much of Hollywood might agree with Nicole Kidman in "The Others." But other others say pour the money into popcorn so it doesn't cost a billion dollars a bucket. Anyway, once the nominees are named, the studios can just relax, right? Heck no, now they've got to go for the gold.

JULIE ANDREWS, ACTRESS: Oh this is lovely.

MCDERMOTT: Well she can relax, but the losers have to start all over.

EDDIE MURPHY, ACTOR, "SHREK": Let's do that again.

MIKE MEYERS, ACTOR, "SHREK": No, no.

MCDERMOTT: Anne McDermott, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BLANCHETT, ACTRESS, "LORD OF THE RINGS": This task was appointed to you and if you do not...

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This proved to be a good year for just about anyone connected with "The Lord of the Rings." The first installment of the trilogy captured 13 nominations, including Best Picture. "A Beautiful Mind," "Gosford Park," "In the Bedroom" and "Moulin Rouge" also got Best Picture nods from the Academy.

Australian Russell Crowe, winner of last year's Best Actor award, again gets nominated for a leading role. He is joined by Sean Penn, Tom Wilkinson, Denzel Washington and Will Smith, for his role in "Ali."

WILL SMITH, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: I'm really honored and excited to be a part of this point in history.

FELDMAN: Nicole Kidman, who could have been nominated for her roles in either "Moulin Rouge" or "The Others," got the Best Actress nomination for the unusual musical. Also nominated: Judi Dench, Sissy Spacek, Renee Zellweger and Halle Berry, for "Monster's Ball."

(on camera): This was a very important day for African-American actors. The nominations of Halle Berry, Denzel Washington and Will Smith marked the first time in almost 30 years that three African- American actors have been nominated for leading roles.

HALLE BERRY, BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE: Woman of color aren't often there, so to be there and not only represent myself, but I represent all of us in a way, you know, all women of color. So, it feels great.

FELDMAN (voice-over): In the Best Director category, Ron Howard got his very first nomination for "A Beautiful Mind." He was joined by nominees Ridley Scott, whose "Black Hawk Down" failed to get a Best Picture nomination, Peter Jackson and surprise choice, David Lynch, for "Mulholland Drive." Robert Altman was also nominated for "Gosford Park." Altman has been nominated four previous times for Best Director, but has never won.

A lot of money was spent this year by various studios to promote their films for Academy Awards -- by some estimates, a record amount. But some critics say this year's nominees show Hollywood rejecting more experimental films, such as "Memento," in favor of more traditional movies like "Gosford Park."

Charles Feldman, CNN, Los Angeles. (END VIDEOTAPE)

FREIDMAN: That's all we have time for. We'll see you back here tomorrow. Have a great day.

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