Evening News

Media Bistro: In the eleventh week of the WGA strike the guild is sending pencils as symbolic of their absence to Les Moonves, Rupert Murdoch, Jeffrey Bewkes, and Sumner Redstone. Tomorrow the WGA pickets move to ABC's One Life To Live (56 West 66 Street) from 11 am to 2 pm in support of striking daytime television writers writers. At 3 pm there will be a press conference and 200,000 pencils will be presented to the media moguls: "Striking television writers and their fans will take part in a 'Pencils' Press Conference at the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) headquarters, 52 Broadway. Since the strike began, fans of TV shows have been buying pencils to send to media moguls who head six major companies that dominate the AMPTP. Nearly 750,000 pencils have been purchased, to date, in the Pencils 2 Media Moguls effort, demonstrating a tremendous show of solidarity by fans." The pencils won't go to waste. The pencils willbe donated to the United Federation of Teachers for use by New York City students.

Los Angeles Times: Next season's shows could be in jeopardy with cancelation of writer contracts. Nearly 40 writer deals were canceled yesterday by CBS Paramount, NBC Universal and Fox, adding to the nearly 25 deals that were eliminated by ABC Studios on Friday. "The move," according to the LA Times, "signals that development of next season's crop of new shows also could be in jeopardy because of the 2-month-old writers strike. Typically, January marks the start of pilot season when networks order new comedies and dramas. But with writers not working, networks do not have a pool of scripts from which to choose."

Media Post: Striking writers to launch a "Strike TV" online channel in February. "Strike TV videos will not be about the strike," according to the channel's MySpace page. "This is a chance for writers to do what they do best--be original and tell stories. These shows will be self-funded and owned by their creators."

Theater Mania: Kathleeen Chalfant and Patricia Elliott (Renee, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) will star in Vita & Virginia, adapted by Eileen Atkins from the correspondence between writers Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. Pamela Berlin will direct the play, to be presented on Monday nights at the Zipper Factory, February 11-April 28. All performances are at 7pm.

TV Guide Canada: Soap Opera Spirit Awards.

Charleston City Paper: "Ugly Betty" & "Joan of Arcadia" endorse Hillary Clinton. America Ferrera is teaming up with her "Traveling Pants" co-star Amber Tamblyn (ex-Emily, GENERAL HOSPITAL) to serve as national co-chairs of the "HillBlazers," a youth outreach program that is working on behalf of Hillary.

Soap Opera Digest: Catching Up With Jessica Morris (ex-Jennifer, ONE LIFE TO LIVE). "At the time that I left, I had been on the show for four-and-a-half years and I was just needing a break. And I missed L.A., but now that I've had a few years away, I'm pretty much open to anything. I miss everybody and I miss the consistency of going to work every day. It can get old, but when you're away from it, you kinda miss it."

WAPT: PRE-EMPTION ALERT: Because of WAPT’s live coverage of the inauguration of Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Tuesday’s episode of ALL MY CHILDREN will air at 12:05 a.m. Wednesday.

Soap Opera Digest: Meet PASSIONS's Colton Shires (Little Ethan).