Network for conservative entertainment launches (AP)

AP - Actor Kelsey Grammer is an investor and public face supporting a new network that launched Wednesday with entertainment designed to appeal to political conservatives.

5 most explosive music documentaries (AP)

AP - There are music documentaries that are all about the music — concert films that focus solely on the artistry and thrill of live performance — and then there are juicy ones that are all about backstage ego and volatility.

Guerra, Sanz lead Latin Grammy nominations (AP)

AP - The Latin Grammy nominations spread the love between established artists and newcomers, nominating songwriters Juan Luis Guerra and Alejandro Sanz in four categories each.

Guerra, Sanz lead Latin Grammy nominations (AP)

AP - The Latin Grammy nominations spread the love between established artists and newcomers, nominating songwriters Juan Luis Guerra and Alejandro Sanz in four categories each.

Carrie Underwood gives herself good marks for film (AP)

AP - Carrie Underwood thought she'd walk away from her first movie experience vowing to stick to her day job.

Carrie Underwood gives herself good marks for film (AP)

AP - Carrie Underwood thought she'd walk away from her first movie experience vowing to stick to her day job.

Dafoe likes 'pure, personal cinema' of 'A Woman' (AP)

AP - Willem Dafoe says "A Woman," one of his latest projects, is the kind of "pure personal cinema" that he wants to keep on doing.

ROLL CALL: Is Justin Bieber Responsible For Twitter's Fail Whale? (omg!)

omg! -

By Jesse Spero

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Plus, "Southland's" Ben McKenzie hits the stage! Calls for a "Jersey Shore" Ronnie spin-off? "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" is heading back to theaters! See "The Amazing Race" watermelon incident!

Your Daily Dispatch of Celebrity Shenanigans!

Laura Bush promotes women's literacy (AP)

AP - Former First Lady Laura Bush says that teaching more women around the world to read and write can dramatically improve their lives and those of their children.

Ben Affleck brings Boston to Venice at film fest (AP)

AP - Ben Affleck brought Boston to Venice on Wednesday, presenting a reality-driven heist film "The Town" that is destined to draw comparisons to his other films also set in his Massachusetts hometown.

British TV host Piers Morgan replaces Larry King (Reuters)

Reuters - British television host Piers Morgan will replace talk-show host Larry King on CNN's prime-time lineup in January, the network said on Wednesday.

British TV host Piers Morgan replaces Larry King (Reuters)

Reuters - British television host Piers Morgan will replace talk-show host Larry King on CNN's prime-time lineup in January, the network said on Wednesday.

Rockers Disturbed dethrone Katy Perry on album chart (Reuters)

Reuters - Alt-metal rock band Disturbed claimed its fourth No. 1 album on the U.S. pop chart Wednesday despite a hefty drop in first-week sales.

CNN names Piers Morgan as Larry King's replacement (AP)

AP - CNN says Piers Morgan of "America's Got Talent" will replace Larry King on the network's prime-time lineup in January.

Stars on ice: Hockey musical opens Toronto fest (AP)

AP - The Toronto International Film Festival may be a prime launching place for big Hollywood movies and Academy Awards contenders, but it gets under way Thursday with something purely Canadian: hockey.

Shaken not stirred: 007's Aston Martin goes up for auction (Reuters)

Reuters - James Bond fans with deep pockets will soon have the chance to get their hands on the ultimate piece of 007 memorabilia, as the martini-sipping, daredevil spy's Aston Martin DB5 goes up for auction next month.

Disney hires new marketing guru for "Pirates 4" (Reuters)

Reuters - Disney has taken the unusual step of bringing in a consultant to handle the marketing of its fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, a move bound to raise questions about the marketing boss hired by the hit-starved studio five months ago.

Venice film fest fights its corner as crisis bites (Reuters)

Reuters - A dearth of big Hollywood stars, Venice's notoriously high costs, fierce competition from Toronto -- this year's film festival on the Lido is fighting to keep its place on the map as one of cinema's most prestigious events.

Toronto filmfest hopes to buck up weak Oscar season (Reuters)

Reuters - It's normally a proving ground for movies hoping to make a splash during Oscar season, but in a 2010 film season that has been thin on critical successes, this year's edition of the Toronto Film Festival could grab an even bigger share of the spotlight.

Google to start TV service in U.S. this autumn (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc will launch its service to bring the Web to TV screens in the United States this autumn and worldwide next year, its chief executive said, as it extends its reach from the desktop to the living room.

Playboy board hires advisers to weigh Hefner bid (Reuters)

Reuters - The Playboy Enterprises Inc special board committee tapped to evaluate Hugh Hefner's offer to take the company private said on Tuesday it retained Raine Securities LLC and Kaye Scholer LLP as its financial and legal advisors, respectively.

David Westin resigning as news head at Disney's ABC (Reuters)

Reuters - ABC News President David Westin said on Monday he was resigning after 13 years, according to a memo he sent to employees that was released on the network's website.

Get the celebrity scent with UK tabloid's perfume (Reuters)

Reuters - Britain's tabloid Sun newspaper launched its own celebrity perfume on Monday to provide readers with the scent of showbiz.

Brazil battles image problems amid movie boom (Reuters)

Reuters - It was the middle of the night in Jardim Tiradentes, one of Sao Paulo's rougher neighborhoods. A two-man crew was waiting to film a police raid when chief inspector Rafael Correa Lodi broke the bad news.

Clooney outdraws "Machete" at holiday box office (Reuters)

Reuters - In the battle of the box office assassins, A-lister George Clooney barely mustered more firepower with his new chart-topper "The American" than the relatively unknown star of "Machete," as the summer moviegoing season wrapped feebly during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Apple's jump into social networking not a slam-dunk (Reuters)

Reuters - For all the innovations Apple has brought to the market through the years, it's also a pretty good follower.

Jay Leno ratings dip below Conan O'Brien's (Reuters)

Reuters - NBC might have summer's most-watched show in "America's Got Talent," but the network's late-night ratings aren't so hot.

Vivid Entertainment: A new business model for porn (Reuters)

Reuters - If the new "Date Night" DVD had sold only 25,000 copies, there would have been hell to pay for studio executives. But for Steven Hirsch -- or anyone else in the adult entertainment business, for that matter -- that figure represents a blockbuster.

Time Warner Cable, Disney reach program deal (Reuters)

Reuters - Time Warner Cable Inc and Walt Disney Co said on Thursday they finally reached a new expanded programing deal, ending a dispute that threatened to black out some of TV's favorite shows and channels from millions of homes.

Apple and Google to clash in music space by Christmas (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc is in talks with music labels on plans for a download store and a digital song locker that would allow its mobile users to play songs wherever they are as it steps up its rivalry with Apple Inc, according to people familiar with the matter.