The Fox television network wants its New Year's Eve broadcast to air with a five-second delay.
How do you count that down, exactly?
According to Fox television sources in Los Angeles, the network made a call last week to Rick Garson, executive producer of the New Year's Eve broadcast, and raised the issue.
Garson confirmed to VegasBeat that such a call to him had been made, but refused to provide any details.
The national broadcast originates from a stage in front of The Venetian on the Strip.
The last two broadcasts have been hosted by clean-cut "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest. The 2004 broadcast featured profanity-free performances by such entertainers as Ashanti and Puddle of Mudd.
New Year's Eve 2003 saw PG-rated performances by Ja Rule, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, Sheryl Crow and the Rolling Stones.
The delay request is the latest development since the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" involving Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson during this year's Super Bowl halftime show.
Last month the Academy Awards telecast was broadcast with a five-second delay.
CBS Executive Vice President for Standards Martin D. Franks announced in February that March Madness -- the NCAA basketball tournament -- would be aired on a 10-second delay. But after howling on sports radio stations and elsewhere, the network changed its mind.
Torch passed
It wasn't a torch that passed from Ricci Martin -- Dean's youngest son -- to Penn Jillette backstage after Penn & Teller's Rio show Saturday night.
It was a golf club.
Martin presented Penn, a huge Dean Martin fan and evolving Old Vegas trivia authority, with one of the two remaining woods from his dad's favorite old set.
Earlier, Martin was poolside at the Golden Nugget -- in a tuxedo. It was part of a photo shoot for Avery Cardoza's new Player magazine.
Free man
In case the thought crossed your mind, don't feel sorry for Robin Leach now that the perpetually tanned George Hamilton is the new host of the TV show that Leach developed, "Life of Luxury."
The show, a series of specials documenting the fabulous lifestyles of the rich and famous, first aired in December with Leach as the host.
Now, Leach is gone, in large part because of what he termed a too-restrictive contract.
"I couldn't be happier about all of this. I'm a free man again," Leach told VegasBeat on Sunday.
"I am now allowed to continue along with (the syndicated late-night variety show) 'Penthouse Vegas' ... I'm shooting an NBC series pilot about the Beverly Hills high life on March 30 ... I've been offered to be a Simon Cowell-type judge on the new 'Queen for a Day' TV series ... You will see me on 'The Tonight Show' on March 29 ... and the coffee thing."
"The coffee thing" is a promotion sponsored by Maxwell House. On April 5, the start of daylight-saving time, you can replace your buzzing alarm clock with a friendly (recorded) wake-up call from Leach.
Those interested can register by calling 1-866-MH-CALLS and entering a wake-up time.
Leach had nothing but kind words for his friend Hamilton, and added that he is not totally gone from the show.
Segments Leach taped on the Maloof family, "Lord of the Dance" star Michael Flatley and a $100 million diamond collection are still slated to be aired.
Hamilton, meanwhile, shared the news with pals James Caan and Turnberry developer Don Sofer when the three dined Friday night at Stirling Club.
Kate-tastic
As we reported a few months ago, our gossip predecessor at the Sun, Kate Maddox, is getting married. The celebration leading up to the nuptials will be chronicled by Bride's magazine.
The festivities get under way Saturday with a top-rung bachelorette dinner at N9NE (Palms).
On Sunday, Maddox, now a KLAS Channel 8 entertainment reporter and the anchor on KTUD Channel 25's (UPN) 10 p.m. newscast, and her fiance, Cab Bennett, are jetting to the Bahamas for a private ceremony and honeymoon.
Then it is back to Vegas for more parties. It all ends with a formal reception in April at Four Seasons, where the by-then Mrs. Bennett (she will be taking his name) will be decked out in her Vera Wang wedding gown for all to see.
VegasBits
Material: Clear Channel Entertainment finally announced today what we first reported on Jan. 14 -- that Madonna is going on tour. The Vegas venue is exactly where we said it was going to be, the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Ticket information for the May 29 show have not yet been announced ...
Group: Former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, former Nevada Gov. Bob Miller, Sen. John Ensign and Mandalay Resort Group President Glenn Schaeffer posed for photos in front of the headless Lenin statue outside the Mandalay Bay bar Red Square on Saturday afternoon. Gorby is in town for tonight's Barrick Lecture Series talk at UNLV ...
Stork: Steve Wynn's restaurant guru, Elizabeth Blau, and chef husband Kim Canteenwalla are expecting. She broke the news to friends at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel over the weekend. She is a partner in the hip hangout with Chef Kerry Simon ...
Do ya think? Back from a Florida vacation and looking free of stress, former UNLV hoops coach Charlie Spoonhour danced in the aisles at the Rod Stewart concert at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday night. Also spotted in the crowd: Lovee and Bob Arum, Venetian President Rob Goldstein and Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada boss Larry Ruvo ...
Group outing: KVVU Channel 5 General Manager Susan Lucas, her new news director, Mark Neerman, and several of the station's on-air personalities were at the "Rent" opening at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Friday night ...
Sluggers: Baseball Hall of Famers Duke Snider and Gary Carter had dinner Saturday at N9NE (Palms). They were in town for a high-roller meet-and-greet event at the hotel ...
Celebrate: "Star Trek" Capt. James T. Kirk is a year closer to his official birthdate. The fictional birthdate and birthplace of the commander of the Starship Enterprise is March 22, 2233, in an unspecified city in Iowa. Real-life actor William Shatner, meanwhile, turns 73 today. Trekkers can check out the new BORG Invasion 4D attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton ...
From Sun wires
Cash movie planned: Producers of an upcoming movie on the life of country music singer Johnny Cash say they may start shooting in June.
The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as the "Man in Black" and Reese Witherspoon as his wife, June Carter Cash.
The movie is titled "Walk the Line" after Cash's 1956 hit, "I Walk the Line." It is scheduled to cost 20th Century Fox roughly $28 million.
Arnold plans Israel trip: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will travel to Israel in May to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, the governor's office said.
Schwarzenegger is a longtime supporter of the Wiesenthal center, which is devoted to fighting intolerance and is named for the famed Nazi hunter.
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