(hr) Groupon’s decision last week to pull its advertising from the Celebrity Apprentice website in the aftermath of what many believe to be racially tinged political comments made by star Donald Trump has not initiated the chain reaction of sponsors deserting the NBC show that some expected. The Hollywood Reporter contacted nearly all of the companies that have recently aired advertisements on the long-running reality competition series. While many declined to comment on their ad buying or did not return phone calls, a handful clarified their plans. One of the show’s advertisers, Dean Foods, said that a campaign it ran for its Alta Dena dairy products brand had long been set to conclude after the Sunday episode of Celebrity Apprentice, and that its plans were not altered because of Trump’s controversial statements. “There were no plans to renew to begin with,” said Jamaison Schuler, spokesman for Dean.  More...

(r. sklar/dailybeast) Thought a black president would lead to more diversity on cable news? Wrong. Since November 2008, the TV landscape has only gotten whiter. Rachel Sklar on what changed between Obama’s election and the hiring of Eliot Spitzer. CNN just announced two new hosts for the 8 p.  More...

(variety) In trying to keep its hold on young and fickle audiences, MTV over the decades has undergone some fundamental programming shifts, but never before on this scale. The cabler's recent ratings declines include a 23% fourth-quarter drop in its core demo of 12- to 34-year-olds. So MTV is embarking on a major programming overhaul, with 16 new unscripted series over the next 4½ months. The series come from high-profile producers including Sean Combs, Matt Stone & Trey Parker, Donald Trump and Nick Lachey. And they represent a major thematic shift for the channel -- more toward the meta-scripted reality of MTV's "The Hills," one of the cabler's few success stories these days.  More...

(nydn) Of the 90 or so actors to grace the "Saturday Night Live" stage since its first show in 1975, only eight have been African-American. And that's a big problem for "View" co-host Sherri Shepherd. In an AOL interview posted Thursday, the daytime disher expressed her displeasure with the situation - and the fact that there aren't even enough African-Americans to do a "View" skit on "SNL. " "Couldn't they have gotten Maya Rudolph to play me?" Shepherd asked. "She is so awesome! They need more black people in their cast!" Turns out, Shepherd's point resonates loudly in the comedy world - among black and white entertainers alike.  More...

(btn) Actor, director and producer Ivan Dixon, known for his role as Staff Sergeant James Kinchloe on the 60's TV series, Hogan's Heroes," has died at the age of 76. Dixon passed away at a hospital in Charlotte, N. C. on March 16 after suffering a hemorrhage from kidney failure complications. While remembered most for his role as Kinchloe, Dixon also directed hundreds of episodes of TV shows including "The Waltons," "The Rockford Files," "Magnum, P.  More...

(lat) After spending five seasons exploring urban decay in Baltimore, the HBO series "The Wire" culminates Sunday night. The 90-minute finale reveals whether the exposure of the bogus serial killer scheme concocted by Dets. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) and Lester Freamon will take down the major drug investigation they surreptitiously financed. But for hard-core fans of the program (which seem to be the only kind), the final plotline is secondary to the larger societal questions raised by the drama's nuanced storytelling. In January, we sat down with seven actors from the large cast to get their thoughts on hope in the ghetto and other topics.  More...

(Reuters) Viacom Inc's BET Networks will launch in the United Kingdom next week as the Black entertainment network expands its global reach. BET will make its debut in Britain on February 28 to more than 8. 8 million digital satellite homes on BSkyB, with a roster of U. S. shows.  More...