News Round-up: FTC, Chappell, Ross, Zucker, Brown

What Will Be Jeff Zucker’s Future at a Comcast-Controlled NBCU?
The Hollywood Reporter dissects how NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker could fare if General Electric and Comcast come together in a deal for the media company. The article says Zucker has “much to lose” given the last three years, when NBCU greatly expanded its cable business and successfully broadcast the Olympics, but had no breakout primetime broadcast hits.

Rich Ross To Head Walt Disney Studios
In a major shift for the Mouse House, Disney Channels Worldwide president Rich Ross has been named chairman of Walt Disney Studios. A successor to Ross at Disney Channels Worldwide will be named in thenext few weeks, according to a company spokesman.

INTERVIEW: DAYS' Crystal Chappell (Carly)
"I'm mostly coming back to the show with a new cast, so I look forward to sharing scenes with a lot of new people. With Peter, it's like trying on a pair of comfortable shoes, I enjoy sharing scenes with him. And I have never gotten to work with Kristian, so I look forward to working with her. Then we have Louise Sorel coming back as Vivian and I expect some great stuff with her and that will be a blast."

Sharyland actress on DAYS OF OUR LIVES tells about return of long-lost character
Ashley Moss’ role as a flight attendant on Days of Our Lives would have been a considered little more than an extra had it not been for the fact she was working with the returning Crystal Chappell.

“There are people who follow her from show to show because she’s such a great actress,” she said.

FTC Cracks Down on Blogger Payola, Celebrity Tweets
The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on blogger payola. The agency, which protects consumers from fraud or deceptive business practices, voted 4 to 0 to update its rules governing endorsements, and the new guidelines require bloggers to clearly disclose any "material connection" to an advertiser, including payments for an endorsement or free product.

Specifically covered in the new rules is the use of social media, such as Twitter, by celebrities to endorse a product. That's now a no-no unless the commercial relationship is disclosed. So, too, are celebrity mentions of products in other media, such as talk shows.

Ausiello wants Sarah Brown on TRUE BLOOD
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello suggests Sarah Brown as a possible actress to play a season 3 werewolf, Alcide’s psycho ex-girlfriend, Debbie Pelt.