Awards ceremony in the balance

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will announce on Monday its decision on hosting the 65th Golden Globe Awards.

"The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has been placed in an extremely difficult position with the ongoing Writers Guild strike," said President Jorge Camara.

"We are making every effort to work out a solution that will permit the Golden Globes to take place with the creative community present to participate. We hope to announce a resolution to this unfortunate predicament on Monday."

On Friday the Screen Actors Guild, which has been closely aligned with the WGA, announced its members would not cross picket lines.

NBC holds fast that the HFPA is contractually bound to it and Dick Clark Productions to provide the event. It pays $5m in license fees and sees the event as a lucrative advertising forum.

In Australia the event is due to screen live on Arena 12pm Monday January 14.

The SAG has been granted a dispensation for its own SAG Awards due Jan 27, because of the union's on-going support of the WGA.

Golden Globe Nominees.

Source: HFPA, LA Times Read more...

Vale: Clinton Grybas

Sports Commentator Clinton Grybas has died, aged 32.

Gribas covered sports for FOX Footy and Radio 3AW. He was found in his apartment this morning after failing to return to work, was rushed to hospital, but was declared dead.

Clinton began with the ABC in September 1995 at the completion of a public relations/journalism degree at RMIT. He broadcast his first AFL season in 1996 at the age of 21.

He joined ABC radio in Melbourne, broadcasting AFL for ABC radio and television, plus including anchoring events such as the NBL and WNBL, Hopman Cup, Stawell Gift, Coolum Classic, Austral Wheelrace, international lawn bowls events and the National Soccer League. In 1998 he was a member of ABC Radio's Commonwealth Games team in Kuala Lumpur, broadcasting diving, cricket and ten-pin bowling as well as providing interviews from the team village.

Grybas joined 3AW in 2001 where he covered the Australian Open, F1 Grand Prix and AFL.

Manager Graham Mott said, "He's just one of those genuinely brilliant people who is very good at what he did and a terrific bloke as well.

"At a time like this, while you can think about the wonderful things he did it's still hard to get over the fact he's gone, no longer with us.

"We wish his family and friends the best at a most difficult time for everybody," Mott said.

With FOX Sports, Grybas commentated the Sunday Twilight match with Gerard Healy and Glen Jakovich.

AFL commentator Robert Wall added, "We're all devastated."

UPDATED: The sports world is in shock following the apparent sleepwalking death of young gun footy caller Clinton Grybas. Friends and family of the 32-year-old found dead in his city apartment today said they understood he had died after hitting his head while sleepwalking.

They recounted incidents where the 3AW and Fox Sports figure had frightened himself by waking on his 15th floor balcony.

In another sleepwalking incident, Grybas thought an intruder had given him a headwound after hitting his head.

Sources: ABC, 3AW
Herald Sun
news.com.au
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Airdate: Conviction

Network TEN will air the Dick Wolf-created drama Conviction from Wednesday January 23.

It airs at 8:30pm.

Conviction is another legal series from the man behind Law and Order, looking at young District Attorneys who struggle with a demanding case loads that challenges their lack of experience.

The cast includes Stephanie March reprising her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit role as Alexandra Cabot. But the series, which launched a year after Wolf's failed Law & Order: Trial By Jury did not last more than one season, being beaten by Numb3rs.

Conviction replaces Starter Wife's run which ends on January 16.

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Top (Gear) PM?

Top Gear co-host Jeremy Clarkson is the subject of an online campaign to make him Britain's next Prime Minister.

The official website for 10 Downing Street hosts a section devoted to ePetitions. One started by a fan of the motoring show calls for Brown to step down and make Clarkson, 47, prime minister instead.

Some 30,000 people have signed the petition, making it the sixth most popular posted on the site.

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make Jeremy Clarkson prime minister" reads the Clarkson petition.

Clarkson has become popular in Britain for his forthright opinions on everything from immigration to fashion, but so far hasn't commented on the online campaign.

Some sections of the British media have rallied behind the idea, with the conservative Daily Mail newspaper running a full page of suggested policies Clarkson should adopt if he were to suddenly find himself running the country.

Source: pm.gov.uk Read more...

BBC presenter arrested on murder

BBC children's television presenter and pantomime star Mark Speight has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead at a north London house, police said on Friday.

Speight, who hosts the show SMart, was arrested at the scene.

Sky News reported that Speight's girlfriend Natasha Collins had been found dead in a bath.

A BBC spokesman had no immediate comment. Speight's representative at the theatrical agent Billy Marsh Associates could not be reached immediately. But his lawyer denied any involvement.

"Mark was the only other person present in the flat and has therefore been questioned by police as a matter of course," said lawyer Nabeel Sheikh, of London law firm Sabir Selby.

"He is assisting police with their enquiries and had nothing to do with Natasha's death.

"Mark is absolutely distraught at the loss of Natasha and hopes that everyone will appreciate what a very sad time this is for both Mark and Natasha's family."

Speight has hosted the series Beat the Cyborgs and SMarteenies, and has made appearances on Blue Peter, The Saturday Show, The Heaven and Earth Show, and also the Saturday morning show Scratchy and Co.

Source: Reuters
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