Billy Mays tribute July 9 on Discovery; his commercials return next week

When the world's most visible pitchman dies at the height of his fame, it's the obvious, yet painful question: What to do with all the commercials?

Billy Mays' unexpected death Sunday made that question a serious issue for the direct-response marketing industry's top names. Mays was so successful and widely used -- one tracking firm said he has up to 15 different commercials airing on TV stations across the country at the moment -- that his passing could affect the fate of companies worth many millions of dollars.

According to Bill McAlister, owner of the company that makes Mighty Putty and Mighty Mendit household adhesives, more than a dozen marketers who had commercials featuring Mays got together on a conference call organized by his partner Anthony Sullivan Tuesday to discuss the issue,  joined by an attorney representing the pitchman's wife and his adult son. McAlister said the group decided to resume airing his commercials next week, after Mays' funeral and burial near Pittsburgh.

The Discovery Channel has scheduled a full-length tribute to Mays at 9 p.m. July 9, but they also made note of his death during the final episode of the series he and Sullivan filmed for the channel, Pitchmen. Brief memorial messages played leading into and out of commercial breaks during the show, and the last 10 minutes or so served as a short, powerful memorial to the 50-year-old sales dynamo.

Most of the show was a surprisingly satisfying wrap-up to the season, featuring Sullivan and Mays facing off in a battle of pitches at a Philadelphia home show. Sparked by a challenge during a radio appearance, the two agree to pitch different products at different booths in a sprawling home show; but Sullivan finds a couple of friends to throw on disguises and disrupt Mays' patter.

Despite the disruption, Mays still earned about 30 percent more money than Sullivan; later segments highlighted how many inventors featured in the series saw their products rack up millions in sales behind Mays' spirited commercial spots.

Mays' son Billy Mays III is also providing regular updates on his activities through his Twitter page while preparing for the tributes to his father and struggling with grief. "Watched the finale surrounded by cousins and friends," he messaged last night. "About two minutes of silence after the tribute at the end..."

Indeed, the show's final minutes may have been the most fitting tribute possible: showing the impact the world's best-known pitchman had on so many lives before the passing of his own.

   Here's a clip from the finale: *

Twitter, Facebook prove invaluable as Michael Jackson story exploded in media

Twitter and Facebook have emerged as valuable tools in tracking stories where access is tough; consider the unrest in Iran and terrorist attacks in Bombay as recent examples.

But as news of Michael Jackson's death unfolded Thursday, these online tools offered ways to track the exploding story closer than the continuous coverage offered by cable TV news and more conventional outlets.

The race started when Jackson was taken to the hospital, said to be in cardiac arrest, which is fatal unless treated immediately, but no one had many details on his condition -- at least, until the entertainment Web site TMZ posted an entry at 5:20 p.m. Eastern time stating that Jackson was dead.

It was a declaration the Los Angeles Times wouldn't confirm for nearly an hour, forcing cable TV outlets and news Web sites to cite TMZ's reporting. Accounts that Jackson wasn't even declared dead until 5:26 p.m. leave lots of questions about how TMZ got its info. ("Everything starts with a tip," TMZ managing editor Harvey Levin told the Associated Press Thursday.)

The news raced across the microblogging service Twitter, making subjects such as RIP MJ and #michaeljackson among the most popular topics. A half hour before the Los Angeles Times would confirm Jackson's death, radio personality Ryan Seacrest tweeted "I am hearing from a source at ucla medical center, michael jackson has died. I am checking other sources right now."

Given the visibility of celebrities on Twitter, it makes sense that so many would express their condolences online. Even as cable TV channels scrambled to find big names for their shows, Paris Hilton told her followers on Twitter  "  :( I can't believe Michael is gone." Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, noted "It just feels like the end of an era for so many reasons." And MC Hammer said "I will be mourning my friend, brother, mentor and inspiration."

As a prank rumor began to spread that actor Jeff Goldblum might have died in New Zealand, a tweet from actor Kevin Spacey, who had spoken with Goldblum's manager, knocked that down (even CBS News passed along the message to its followers).

According to the Los Angeles Times, the explosion of interest doubled Twitter's update frequency and tripled Facebook's activity, as friends traded lists of favorite Jackson songs, links to treasured videos and commiserated on the unfolding media circus.

 By the time the big TV networks could offer prime time retrospectives Thursday night, fans with Twitter feeds and Facebook accounts had already seen loads of quotes, lists and video clips, traded and retweeted by a growing community of users who reacted more intensely than when Iran erupted after its recent elections and swine flu spread across the world.

"Already been asked several times if I'm 'disappointed' in Twitter for going much crazier over MJ than Iran election or Swineflu," tweeted Laura Fitton, author of the book Twitter for Dummies. "But see, Twitter's about 'What do we have in common.'  500 million have just Thriller in common, let alone the rest of his life/career."     

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Should Barack Obama's prime time health care discussion belong solely to ABC News?

Barack Obama is a president who has no problem playing the media game.

From allowing two dozen NBC cameras access for a slavering, two-night profile, to a lighthearted cameo in Stephen Colbert's week of shows from Iraq, Obama has shown a willingness to appear on camera in ways more traditional presidents have not.

But news that President Obama will discuss his new initiative to create a government-run health care program during a daylong series of programs on ABC June 24 takes a universal concern and makes it into a highly-promoted ABC News event.

 Which raises a question: Is that really appropriate?

For President Obama, it's a nice deal. ABC News plans to air Good Morning America, World News Tonight and a special edition of Primetime from the White House itself, with the 10 p.m. Primetime show featuring the President answering questions from people “selected by ABC News who have divergent opinions in this historic debate,” along with questions submitted via its Web site, ABCNews.com, according to a press release.

ABC officials, with the elevated ratings of Brian Williams' White House special dancing in their heads, will turn almost every ABC News platform over to the event, with Diane Sawyer interviewing the president for GMA, Charlie Gibson anchoring the evening news from the White House, both Gibson and Sawyer teaming up for the town hall on Primetime, Nightline continuing the discussion at 11:35 p.m., ABC.com soliciting questions starting Wednesday, ABC News Radio airing segments from the event and their radio magazine Perspective offering coverage.

Given the light touch of Williams' specials, will ABC News offer the kind of tough questions this debate deserves? Shouldn't the White House have organized its own town hall for broadcast on all major networks in prime time, to give this issue the attention it deserves? Will networks which offer critical coverage of the heath care initiative have to worry about getting locked out of the next big Obama media event?

Those involved would likely shrug off such hand-wringing, but it is disturbing to see the nation's first stab at real health care reform in more than a dozen years start off with such a cynical partnership between a politician and a network news division.

Here's hoping the debate we get is truly worth it.

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Having problems with the Digital TV switch today? Tell us here

It's a modern day paradox: At a time when we're more connected than ever, the people most likely to be affected by the switch to digital television are those least likely to show up in a place like this.

Still, we're on the cusp of momentous change. By 1 p.m. today, most local stations will have ended their analog broadcasts forever, turning over the frequencies to the government for use or leasing. As of Thursday, an estimated 28,000 households in the Tampa Bay area were expected to lose TV service completely -- homes with no cable or satellite TV service or television sets capable of picking up digital signals.

The Tampa Bay area is among the nation's most wired communities, with 93 percent of our homes receiving satellite or cable, so the impact is expected to be minimal. But if you're having problems dealing with the change, feel free to sounds off here.

I've been covering the impending switch for over a year, so I may have some information which can help. Click here to check out a guide to the switch I pulled together back in December. Here's my story on the Maytag repairman of the digital switch, Chris Hendrix.

Look below for a list of last-minute tips I pulled together for today's newspaper.

And feel free to chime in here with any problems or issues you may be experiencing:

Remember:

• Only viewers who receive TV signals through an antenna connected to a TV that does not receive digital frequencies will be affected. Most newer TVs can receive digital signals; check your owner’s manual or look up the model online if you remain unsure.

• If you have an analog TV, you can purchase a digital-to-analog converter for about $60 at an electronics retailer such as Best Buy, RadioShack or Wal-Mart. The government will provide coupons worth $40 toward these purchases until July 31 or supplies run out. See www.dtv2009.gov to apply.

• There is free help available to connect digital-to-analog converters in your home and help with reception. You must already own a converter and technicians are not allowed to sell you equipment or services. They are allowed to connect up to two converters, scan for available channels and make minor adjustments to your antenna. See www.dtv.gov and enter your zip code in the Get Help Locally menu for multiple numbers. The FCC also has a hotline: 1-888-CALL-FCC (225-5322).

• If you already have a digital-to-analog converter, you should scan for available channels after the switch today. Several broadcasters will change frequencies or frequency strength after ending analog service; rescanning ensures you won’t lose channels.

• Portable analog TV sets used for emergencies, camping or boat trips will no longer operate, unless connected to a converter. There are a few battery-powered portable digital TVs on the market, priced at about $150 and at least one battery-powered converter kit, priced at about $90.

• High definition TV is different from digital TV. You can purchase a standard-definition TV set that receives digital signals, though some viewers have used the switch as an excuse to purchase televisions with greater features. Similarly, cable systems will continue carrying the same array of stations they always have. But if viewers want to see the extra digital channels offered by broadcasters, they will likely need a different cable tuner. Contact your cable provider for details.

• To see what new programming is available locally on digital channels, go to tv.tampabay.com. You’ll need to pick your cable provider and scan pretty far down in the listings, but you’ll know it when you come to the listing for WEDU-DT, the first of local channels listed

Politico reports at least one suitor remains for Times Publishing's Congressional Quarterly

Michael Calderone, media writer for the politics Web site Politico, is reporting that at least one suitor remains for Congressional Quarterly, the Capitol Hill publication owned by the Times Publishing Co.

According to Calderone, rival publication Roll Call remains interested in CQ, with a possible "ballpark price" estimated at $100 million. The exploration of a sale of CQ was announced, as Times Publishing executives stressed a need to direct resources toward the company's properties in Florida, including the St. Petersburg Times.

Last year, the company sold the publishing house connected to CQ, CQ Press, to the independent academic publisher SAGE for an undisclosed amount. Calderone reports that CQ staffers have been told a sale is expected in the third quarter.

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Who is your pick for the most awful celebrity of our time?

The wonderfully catty gossip columnist for E! online, Ted Casablanca, recently held a vote on his blog The Awful Truth for showbiz’s Most Awful Celebrity of All Time.

Of course, attention spans being what they are in the gossip world, the list of contenders read more like Showbiz's Most Awful Celebrities in the last week or so.

Which inspired me to try a little harder. So I've included Ted's finalists in a post listing my contenders for Most Awful Celebrity of OUR Time -- cutting out the obvious historical heavyweights like Hitler, Mussolini and Anita Bryant, but allowing for a little context beyond last week's edition of Us Weekly.

For pity's sake, I also factored out people whose awfulness mostly springs from conventional substance abuse issues -- so Lindsay Lohan, Courtney Love, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and the cast of all editions of Celebrity Rehab are in the clear.

Here's my list. Who would you nominate, and who do you think won Ted's poll?

Nadya “Octomom” Suleman: Took fertility drugs when she already had six kids.

Kirstie Alley: Seemingly unable to distinguish between fearless honesty and unhinged, self-centered gushing.

Jon and Kate Gosselin: Built a living for their family of eight on a TV show about their lives, then complained when their marriage breakup became big news on TV and tabloids.

Naomi Campbell: Volatile model has assaulted underlings with a cell phone, more than once.

Michael Jackson: Duuh!

The Hogan Family (Hulk Hogan, Brooke Hogan, Linda Hogan, Nick Hogan): Status as reality TV mainstays and local celebrities keeps us riveted to their ongoing family dramas.

Donald Trump: Allows Miss California to keep her crown in his beauty pageant despite her failing to live up to appearances required by the pageant and flouting of rules for disclosure about past activities; apparently, thinks beauty pageant should run on same rules as Celebrity Apprentice.

Rihanna: Sings songs about her independence, than takes back boyfriend who beat her bloody.

Spencer Pratt: Can’t stop looking like a creep on The Hills, even with the best editing MTV provides.

Gwyneth Paltrow: Is a movie star married to a rock star, but can’t help squabbling with Iron Man 2 co-star Scarlett Johansson.

Rush Limbaugh: Because he's smart enough to know that much of what he says is a) hurting the country, b) not true and c) hurting the causes he claims to support. But he does it anyway to line his own pockets and build his own legend.

Bill O'Reilly: See above.

Bret Michaels: Because daring to perform at the Tony Awards earned the Poison frontman and Rock of Love star some serious Karmic blowback (at least he gave new meaning to the term "Headbanging!" see below)   

As Emmy voters consider picks, Deggans recommends a few dark horses

You may have noticed the ads touting various TV shows plastered with the phrase "for your consideration."

It's that time of year again: the Emmy voters are making their choices.

Every year, some names are obvious. House star Hugh Laurie always gets a nod for managing acerbic one-liners while pretending to limp and hiding his British accent. 30 Rock's Alec Baldwin always gets props for shining on one of TV's best comedies at a time when there's not much competition.

But there are a few names bound to be missed in all the hoopla. Here's a few folks I hope the Emmy academy doesn't forget come nomination time (announced July 16):

Best Supporting Actress, drama: Allison Pill, In Treatment -- It doesn't get the attention of some basic cable shows, but HBO's series about a tangled therapist and his patients is a serious seminar on acting. And no one has nailed their moments better than Pill, as a student in denial about her advancing cancer.

Best actor, drama: Charlie Hunnan, Sons of Anarchy -- The industry seems to have overlooked this amazing FX series about a family-run motorcycle gang and their various criminal enterprises in a California town. But in a show stocked with great performances, Hunnan stands out as the gang's second-in-command and leader in waiting, Jackson "Jax" Teller. Doesn't hurt that Hunnan is another Englishman hiding his accent in a note-perfect portrayal of a California dude.

Best guest actor, comedy: Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live -- As the only consistently funny element of a venerated comedy franchise, pop star Timberlake should get something for his achievement. The Motherlover video alone should be eligible for some kind of "most likely to make milk shoot out your nose" award, or something.

Best actress, drama: Parminder Nagra or Angela Bassett, ER -- I  know; before the finale, you pretty much stopped watching this show completely. But take it from one of the five or six ER fans who watched religiously, Nagra notched an amazing arc as overstressed student turned surgery ace Neela Rasgotra. And St. Pete homegirl Bassett's work nailing tough ER boss Cate Banfield was also a highlight.

Best actor, drama: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad -- Star Bryan Cranston gets all the attention on this AMC series as a cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who starts making meth to pay his bills. But Paul also shines as his knuckleheaded former student and business partner, playing Jesse Pinkman as a clueless, self-destructive loser without ever veering into parody.

And here's the best comedy short of the year: *  

Tampa Tribune and WFLA-Ch. 8 owner Media General eliminates 85 more full-time positions

(UPDATED VERSION)

The Media General subsidiary that oversees the Tampa Tribune, NBC affiliate WFLA-Ch. 8 and several other bay area news platforms, today announced the elimination of 85 full-time positions in its Tampa platforms.

John Schueler, president of Media General's Florida Communications Group, would not specify names until he was sure every affected employee had been notified. But he said the reductions included more than 20 newsroom positions; the FCG Web site TBO.com reported 25 full-time newsroom positions eliminated.

This news comes two months after the company eliminated 65 jobs in Tampa, leaving some industry observers to wonder how FCG can keep all its platforms going. Schueler said that attempts to boost their advertising share were working, but not well enough to stave off the cutbacks.

"We're working hard to keep as many feet on the street as we can," he said, expressing hope this might be the last job reduction implemented at the company. "We're doing it like everyone else is -- (asking) staff to pick up duties when we let others go." 

The only confirmed name among the departures is morning anchor Bill Ratliff (left), who announced his June 25 retirement from the company weeks ago.

There are rumors about some veteran Tribune reporters who may be involved, but until I can confirm them, I won't publish any speculation.

According to the Web site, the cuts included 17 people from the Tribune newsroom, six from WFLA and two open positions.

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New Politifact theme song features me on bass and drums, Barack Obama on backing vocals

Come December, I'll have been a musician for 30 years, starting on drums and progressing to bass guitar about 10 years ago.

But I rarely get a chance to practice my craft outside the practice room, these days. So I was really jazzed when Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact editor Bill Adair allowed me to help with a rerecording of the site's theme song, originally made into a music video by former St. Petersburg Times staffer Adrian Phillips.

I got to play drums in the original video but not the actual song. So it was wonderful to team up with producer Ryan Shields and former Times music critic Tony Green to create a new version of the song -- much more slickly produced -- that I wound up playing bass AND drums on.

Ryan takes the song into the stratosphere with some amazing production work -- including layering in some speech sound bites from President Barack Obama to help acknowledge the site's post-election focus on verifying how many of the 500-plus election trail promises he made are actually being fulfilled.

So click here to download audio of the new tune. And click on the video below to hear the original version, written by a former editor at the Times, Chris Ave.

Who knew all this undiscovered musical talent was chasing news around the Tampa Bay area? *  

Celebrities who Tweet: Tips to keep them from ruining Twitter for us all

The idea came after reading Twitter messages between actors Steve Buscemi, Kirstie Alley and Melissa Gilbert — where a compliment from Buscemi (later unmasked as a fake), sparked a horrifying joke from the real Alley about group sex:

Celebrities must be taught how to use this thing.

Why? Because, as media scuffle for the next hot Twitter piece, boldfaced names have become the biggest ambassadors of this new medium — the first thing most newbies check when they fire up a new account.

And because so many of them are so awful, they’re giving the microblogging service a bad rap.

It’s a sad fact: Celebrities on Twitter often live down to their stereotypes as self-absorbed, superficial figures (“twitwits,” one editor here called them). Much as I dig John Mayer’s music, if I read another tweet about what club he’s in or what T-shirt he’s wearing, I’ll break up with him, too.

In fact, I’m convinced celebrity abuse of Twitter has almost single-handedly led some to dismiss the service. Any columnist or crank with an iPhone can call up inane tweets from Ashton Kutcher (“I’m excited to go trap shooting today”) or Oprah Winfrey and conclude this is a fad worse than pet rocks and the Macarena combined.

But that’s like walking into the world’s biggest cocktail party and leaving after you’ve talked with five people. 

So here are a few tips for famous folks on Twitter. Look closely, and you may find a few hints that help you become a better Twitter citizen (Twitizen?), as well.