Keck's Exclusives: NBC Announces All-Star Fall Into Line For Betty White's 90th Birthday Party

Betty Whitened 90 years is really a large deal, and NBC has arranged a remarkable roster of talent to assist America's sweetheart, Betty Whitened, celebrate her special milestone. One of the famous faces who definitely are attending in the historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown La for that tape: Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, William Shatner and Hugh Jackman, plus current people from the NBC family including Jay Leno, Amy Poehler and Joel McHale. Betty's former co-stars in the Mary Tyler Moore Show may also be available, with Erectile dysfunction Asner, Valerie Harper and Gavin MacLeod all RSVPing yes. (One glaring omission: MTM Show alum Cloris Leachman.) Also search for a unique tribute from Betty's current TV Land family, Hot in Cleveland ladies Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves. Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl will air Monday, The month of january 16 (8/9c) on NBC, then a sneak preview of Betty's all-new hidden-camera reality series Betty White's Off Their Rockers. The special includes musical performances and surprise looks, with Whitened using the stage toshare some reminiscences and provide because of individuals who've arrived at recognition her. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now! Per NBC, Cloris Leachman was indeed asked to Betty's gala, even though Cloris greatly desired to participate, an earlier commitment prevents her attendance.

Promote named chairman of Verve Music

Veteran producer and music professional David Promote continues to be named chairman of Universal Music Group's Verve Group. Located in L.A., Promote will are accountable to UMG chairman-Boss Lucian Grainge. Promote will mind creative procedures from the unit, having a concentrate on signing new talent and developing Verve's roster of adult and pop functions. Verve's creative team includes senior VPs of the&R Jay Landers and Jaymes Promote, producer-engineer Jochem van der Saag and Vice president of the&R Dahlia Ambach Caplin. A 16-time Grammy champion, three-time Oscar nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe honoree, Promote has labored like a producer, songwriter and arranger with Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Cher, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, among many more. Among his productions may be the top-selling soundtrack for "The Bodyguard." He formerly operated Warner Bros.' boutique imprint 143 Records, where he signed the Corrs. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Mt. Olympus isn't for redheads

William H. Macy, Dax Shepard, Matthew Morrison and Kristen Bell fundraise for UNICEF .Sean Penn honours Mike Medavoy .Changed right into a romantic winter wonderland, the Beverly Wilshire was the website from the UNICEF ball Thursday evening.In the introduction of Irena, Nick and Mike Medavoy, Sean Penn known as out a couple of of his fellow presenters."I only say this each time I arrived at this stuff, however the timing is a touch bassackwards," Penn stated of providing honours, "simply because they should do this stuff before they serve the alcohol. However in this situation Personally i think liberated because Dennis Quaid and Brooklyn Decker is going to be up here soon and they are sauced."Mike Medavoy shared his excitement at finding the Danny Kaye Award. "He was much like me, a redhead," he started. "For all of us, this group, unless of course you are residing in Ireland or unless of course you realize Greek history by which redheads were tossed from Mt. Olympus once they were born, is really a select few.InchLionel Richie carried out for any crowd that incorporated Quincy Johnson, Megan Mullally, Kate Walsh, Matthew Morrison, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

It's the perfect time for brand new deals

Even Wall Street might have an excessive amount of a positive thing. Traders are pleading large media to prevent using mountain tops of money to purchase back stock and rather outside, hurry up and perform some deals -- otherwise pay bigger returns. Time Warner has obliged, investing in another bid for Nederlander TV giant Endemol on Monday, this time around all in cash following the first mixed cash-and-stock offer was declined. There has been only two major deals this season: News Corp.'s purchase of Shine Group and Scripps' acquisition of UKTV. However the five greatest media companies -- TW, News Corp., Wally Disney, Viacom and CBS -- will buy $15.5 billion worth that belongs to them shares in fiscal 2012, predicted Evercore Partners' Alan Gould. That's up from an believed $12.5 billion this season and reps a significant chunk from the combined companies' circa $200 billion in market capital. Management buys up stock when company honchos think it's cheap or underrated. When the shares have previously rallied, if they are overvalued or heading lower, that isn't so great. Repurchases assume "CEOs are superior to other people" at knowing in which the stocks are heading, Gould stated. Buybacks, actually, "have the possibility to eliminate investor value if shares are bought above intrinsic value, the best risk poor an uncertain macro atmosphere," authored Anthony DiClemente of Barclays Capital inside a note to clients. The U.S. economy continues to be shaky, battered by worries in Europe and both at home and with little visibility to promote or anything else. DiClemente wants media congloms to create proper purchases -- of worldwide assets particularly. Companies get access to cheap financing, the dollar gets more powerful, and purchasing new assets could boost sluggish revenue growth. "It's really no secret the media sector includes a dubious record if this involves M&A," DiClemente acknowledged. However the disastrous America online-Time Warner, Viacom-CBS and Vivendi-Universal deals happened about ten years ago. The analyst stated you're ready to get in the overall game. Repurchasing stock reduces the amount of shares outstanding and boosts earnings per share. DiClemente noted that management compensation may also be associated with earnings per share. Also, since traders generally like stock buybacks, a company's share cost usually increases when the first is introduced. This is a boon for executives who hold plenty of investment. Media investor Chris Dixon stated a course of standard stock buybacks that monitors the marketplace and may begin to make the most of dips may be beneficial. However it turns into a problem when they're "used as excuse because of not following through when companies are reluctant to purchase new endeavors." If there is nothing around to purchase, congloms could purchase their current companies. "That 'there's money around and little else related to it'" is not a great motivation for purchasing back stock, Dixon stated. Another primary method to return cash to stockholders is thru returns, which are not "accretive" to earnings per share but do give traders back some money regularly. Experts today would rather dividend hikes to more buybacks. Most media companies also have elevated their returns. But buybacks have faster a lot more rapidly. DiClemente noted that last year, returns composed 67% of total capital returns, however in 2011, only an believed 15% is going to be from returns -- versus. 85% from share repurchases. Returns can leave management with less versatility, however. When you raise a payout it's difficult to work without traders creating a stink and also the stock going for a hit. Viacom Boss Philippe Dauman stated a week ago in a media conference that Viacom would return $20 billion to investors within the next 5 years -- a mixture of buybacks and dividend obligations he did not bust out. DiClemente figures Viacom may have bought back 11% of their market cap in 2012, in the top end from the group. Under its existing program, it's approved to purchase back around 28%. Share buyback programs, which construct the quantity of stock management is approved to buy on the with time, are approved with a company's board of company directors. Disney acquired $5 billion price of stock in fiscal 2011. CBS a week ago introduced one more $1.5 billion buyback on the top of their ongoing program to which it acquired $850 million in shares this season by Sept. 30. News Corp. is purchasing back $5 billion -- a few of the cash that's a slave to following the conglom threw in the towel its bid for BSkyB. Time Warner, that has the greatest dividend yield within the group, acquired $3.7 billion available this season with the finish of October within $5 billion program. Time Warner Cable introduced a $4 billion shares repurchase recently. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Boston crix fete 'The Artist'

BOSTON -- Each year without any dominant films, the Boston Society of Film Experts offered up their most eclectic slate of those who win in a long time.InchThe Artist," required best picture, while "Drive" was reported for the best supporting actor for Albert Brooks' awesome but vicious gangster. Both films were tied for the best utilization of music within the film. "Moneyball" was the only real other multiple champion with Kaira Pitt winning best actor and Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin discussing the script honors.Past champion Martin Scorsese was named best director for "Hugo," as the acting honours were broadly scattered. Michelle Williams's turn as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn" won best actress. The Society went lowbrow for the best supporting actress, giving Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids." Roman Polanski's "Carnage" -- starring Jodie Promote, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet -- was reported for the best ensemble."The Tree of Existence" won for cinematography for d.p. Emmanuel Lubezki. "Rango" won for the best animated film, the only real film to become selected in one ballot, while "Project Nim" was named best documentary and "Incendies" was named best language film.The award for the best new filmmaker, named for that late critic David Brudnoy, was handed to Sean Durkin for "Martha Marcy May Marlene." The Boston crix provide sometimes cool options which year wasn't any exception, because they gave the very best editing kudo to "The Time,Inch the twenty-four hour art installation by Christian Marclay which uses film clips showing watches and clocks from various movies and television shows to undergo a complete day.Honours is going to be passed out February. 4. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Edgar Ramirez, 'Star Trek 2' Villain? 'Carlos' Star Latest Frontrunner

That was fast. Less than 48 hours after it was revealed that Benicio Del Toro was out as the main villain in 'Star Trek 2,' Variety reports that J.J. Abrams has turned his focus on Edgar Ramirez. The 'Carlos' star may or may not play Khan in the 'Trek' sequel, due in May of 2013. Per Variety, Ramirez is the new frontrunner, with Jordi Molla ('Bad Boys 2,' 'Blow') in the mix as well. The 34-year-old actor will reportedly test for the role over Skype (technology!) and a decision could be made by Abrams as soon as the weekend. Despite the fact that Khan Noonien Singh was not Hispanic in the 'Star Trek' universe, the villain is forever connected to Mexican-born actor Ricardo Montalban. Ramirez (who was born in Venezuela) and Molla (who was born in Spain) lead one to believe that the rumors and rumblings of Khan being the 'Star Trek' villain are true. Either way -- developing! Stay tuned to see what happens with this one. [via Variety] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Chris Columbus Finds Jesus

Anne Rice's undertake him, anyway...No, we do not imply that Christopher Columbus finds the face area of Jesus inside a cake or even the seed products of the tomato: he's assisting to produce an adaptation of Anne Rice's tome Christ The The almighty: From Egypt.Cyrus Nowrasteh, who last made The Stoning Of Soraya M, is onto co-write and direct the film after Grain contacted him about dealing with the task. It had been a fast leap after that to Columbus, who decided to make the pic via his 1492 Pictures company.The plot follows a seven-year-old Jesus departing Egypt to come back the place to find Nazareth, where he finds out who his father is really which his existence includes a slightly different future to that particular of his buddies."This film has got the potential to become a motion picture classic, an image which will attract any age, all across the globe,Inch Columbus stated inside a statement acquired by Variety. "I'm proud to participate this incredible production." Considering the fact that Christmas is nearly here, it might appear that filmmakers along with other creative types are becoming ideas within their tights: additionally, there are Seth Grahame-Cruz working up a script according to his book Unholy Evening, which re-imagines another chunk from the youthful JC's existence.Columbus has not directed a movie themself since 2010's Percy Jackson, but he's been busy like a producer, backing he likes from the Help. He's also got an abundance of projects on the run, having a remake of Troll Hunter and many other novel adaptations such as the Cypress House and Charles Yu' How You Can Live Securely Inside A Science Imaginary World, that was introduced just a few days ago.