News Round-up

Disney/ABC reshuffles
Responding to the changing realities of the entertainment landscape, and addressing an opportunity to streamline the creative process, ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios will be operated as a coordinated business unit entitled ABC Entertainment Group, it was announced today by Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney-Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group. This newly formed unit will be managed by President Stephen McPherson, who had previously served as president, ABC Entertainment. Mark Pedowitz, former president, ABC Studios, has moved into a new role as senior advisor to the Office of the Co-Chairman, where he will work alongside Ms. Sweeney on a myriad of evolving business, labor relations and emerging media issues.

Betty White to guest on MY NAME IS EARL
White will play "a crazy witch lady that's always lived in town and who everybody has always been scared of."

INTERVIEW: Y&R's Michael Fairman (Murphy)
"I was asked, 'Do you want to audition for a soap?' I said, 'Why not?' And I looked Jeannie up on IMDB on the website. I had never seen her on Y&R, sorry to say, and she had just won an Emmy! I knew she was Corbin Bernsen’s mom. I had worked with him several times on LA LAW, so I decided to audition. When I got there Jeanne was so warm and accommodating, and so accessible."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Cusi Cram (ex-Cassie, OLTL)
By the time she was 14, Cram was a regular on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

"I had a very hot and steamy summer and there was a lot of kissing going on," she says. "In all truth, I think my first significant, grown-up kiss was on ONE LIFE TO LIVE with someone who was significantly older."

CORRIE's Blyth becomes EMMERDALE producer
CORONATION STREET assistant producer Gavin Blyth has been appointed series producer of EMMERDALE, replacing Anita Turner.

Blyth was handed the post by EMMERDALE's new executive producer Steve Frost, who said: "He brings a wealth of drama experience plus a great knowledge of EMMERDALE to the role of series producer and is ideally suited to maintaining and developing the program."

Mark Arnold in DANGEROUS WOMEN
Arnold, a recent Scripts & Scruples guest star, and best known to soap fans for his roles on SANTA BARBARA, ONE LIFE TO LIVE and EDGE OF NIGHT in the 1980s plays Ron on the new StrikeTV series.

Laurence Lau on ATWT return
"They (ATWT) just called again," Lau said. "They want to keep stirring that story line a little longer."