The Front Page: January 31, 2008

By Randee Dawn

Trivia questions for the day: What do "Titanic" and "Juno" have in common? And what is Shirley Jones doing on the backside of the issue? More in a moment. I know you love suspense.

And suspense is what folks in Hollywood are living under -- a kind that has nothing to do with the strike or the Oscars for once. According to Paul J. Gough's piece today, the Democratic debate at the Kodak Theatre tonight "is one hot ticket." "The debate is so hot, we're getting more requests for tickets than the Oscars are getting," Bob Mulholland, campaign advisor for the Calif. Democratic Party, told Gough. There are only 2,500 tickets available, and of course many are already reserved by the party. So if you want to go, start pulling some strings now....

And that's not the only case of politics mixing with entertainment: NARAS is planning a "Grammy Town Hall" on the eve of its Feb. 8 awards show, according to Brooks Boliek. The event, he writes, "Will give musicians and executives a chance to meet with lawmakers as they begin to consider changes in the nation's laws on how the industry makes its money." NARAS's Daryl Friedman "expects that a discussion about the performance royalty will dominate the town hall session," since "lawmakers are considering legislation that would require over-the-air broadcasters to pay performers a royalty." Which only makes sense: If you can't get any guaranteed payment from selling your music, sell the performance of it. Still, it does sound like radio stations are about to get their rules rewritten.

Also worth noting: A calendar in today's issue which points to the big dates next month where the congloms will be producing their earnings. The "look at how much money we made" parade begins today, with Sony putting out numbers, followed by NewsCorp, Disney, TimeWarner and then at the end of the monthly CBS Corp. and Viacom. The chart is attached to Georg Szalai's piece on the "r-word" in the industry -- which means February could prove to be a very bumpy ride. Take some advice from Bette Davis, folks: Strap yourselves in.

Finally, some answers: "Juno's" soundtrack hits No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week -- "the first companion to a best picture Oscar nominee to reach the top since 'Titanic' 10 years ago," says Erik Pedersen's piece. What does it take to reach No. 1 these days? Sell 65,000 units in a week. Oh, and pick some incredible tunes that mix generations: "Juno's" selection isn't a bunch of covers or B-sides from little-known indie acts; it includes Buddy Holly, the Kinks, Sonic Youth and Belle & Sebastian, among others. You know, like what a proper mix tape used to be like.

As for Shirley Jones, well, you'll have to tune into "Days of Our Lives," apparently. As an Irish woman with a chip on her shoulder the size of the Blarney Stone, Jones' appearance may turn out to be more contentious than the Democratic debate....