Some TVs Will Go Black
Next Month Hundreds of thousands of Americans – many of whom are poor and minority – will be left out of the TV loop next month when all televisions switch from analog to digital. For lawmakers like Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), that’s unacceptable, the Feb. 17 changeover should be delayed. While the switch guarantees a much sharper picture, it would leave hundreds of thousands of folks without any picture at all, according to John Walsh, senior vice president for programming at PBS. “Currently, 99 percent of American households have television,” said Walsh, speaking to the Television Critics Association. “Are TV households in the U.S. now going to be 95 percent? Ninety-seven percent?” “Just because of the nature of digital versus analog, someone who is on the wrong side of a ridge or something like that may suddenly not be able to get a station that they always used to get analog.”

 

R. Kelly Divorce is Finalized 

For better or worse – depending on how you feel about his reputation – R. Kelly is single again. The singer, who was cleared of controversial child porn charges last year, is divorced from his wife of 11 years, Andrea Lee Kelly. During the six years it took for Kelly to see trial after widespread footage of a man resembling the singer in sex acts with a teen surfaced, he and Andrea had other drama. In 2005, she filed an emergency protection order to keep Kelly away from her after saying he physically abused her. She later dropped the claims.

Producer gets axe from Island Records

 Janet Jackson’s man appears to be out of a job. AllHipHop.com reports an Island Records insider’s confirmation that Jermaine Dupri’s dismissal is effective immediately. J.D. had been serving as president of Island’s Urban Music division. The producer and founder of the So So Def record label had joined the ranks of hit-makers, including L.A. Reid and Jay-Z, who became major corporate music execs. The Southern-based producer is responsible for such rap acts as Da Brat and Kris Kross.

R. Kelly’s kin named in barbershop shooting.  The teen nephew of singer R. Kelly has been charged as an adult in the alleged attempted murder and attempted armed robbery of patrons at a barbershop last month. Brayel Kelly, son of the singer’s brother Carey, wasn’t initially identified as a suspect because he was also shot in the incident. The teen’s brother was also at the scene of the alleged crime, but hadn’t been charged.

“Pied piper’s” nephew shot in robbery attempt. Singer R. Kelly’s 15-year-old nephew is hospitalized after a shooting in Chicago, while his brother is in custody for an alleged robbery attempt. Cops say Bryel Kelly, 15, was shot by the owner of a barbershop during the alleged attempt to take cash from the store. Read the rest here.

Actor’s son impresses dad with generosity. Actor Will Smith’s oldest son Trey is asking that guests who attend his forthcoming 16^th birthday bash bring gifts, but not for the celebration. Instead, Trey has asked that presents be donated to the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, Will explains: “About eight weeks ago, his grandmother died of cancer and he said he just realized they’re just gifts…he was there in the moment when she passed, so he got a real sense of that loss.”

R. Kelly gets second major court victory of 2008.

Coming off of his controversial and, to many, surprising acquittal of child sex abuse charges, R. Kelly’s winning streak in court continues. The singer has been awarded $3.4 million in damages from his former tour promoter after Kelly’s company claimed the owner of Rowe Entertainment failed to pay Kelly in full for previous shows. An arbitrator sided with Kelly in the dispute, and the singer is seeking help from an L.A. judge on collecting from Rowe. Ne-Yo, who was booted off the same tour with Kelly, won a $700,000 court judgment  earlier this year.

Oprah Winfrey makes awards show appearance. Talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey’s rare special appearance to open the 60th Emmy Awards is among memories from the annual television honor broadcast. New “CSI” cast member Laurence Fishburne was an award presenter, while award nominees included Phylicia Rashad, Alfre Woodard, Chandra Wilson and Vanessa Williams.

R. Kelly speaks.

Hey R., is there a contradiction in singing about Jesus one night and steamy sex another? And when it comes to relationships, do you like teenagers? In his first interview since his seven-year ordeal involving child-molestation charges, R&B star R. Kelly opened up about his controversial life. Did he answer questions to your satisfaction? Watch these clips and jump into the debate.

The judge in singer R. Kelly’s child pornography trial has ruled that jurors may review a video that shows a man resembling Kelly involved in sex acts with an apparently under-aged girl. Jurists have seen the 27 minutes of footage, but defense lawyers argued that seeing it again during deliberation would cause the members to focus too heavily on one piece of evidence — apparently the question of whether the man in the video has a mole on his back. Prosecutors produced a witness during the trial, who pointed out what appeared to be a mark on the man shown, which defense lawyers said was absent. Kelly has a mole on his back, which lawyers claim shows his innocence. Kelly faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. Closing arguments in the case are expected tomorrow.