Television News

DETROIT - Prosecutors have charged two people with threatening to sell photos of actor John Stamos unless he paid them $680,000. The actor's spokesman said Tuesday that the pictures were benign. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Procter & Gamble, the company responsible for the phrase "soap operas," is out of the daytime drama business after 76 years now that CBS is making "As the World Turns" stop spinning. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Bryant Gumbel shocked a television audience with the news that he's recovering from cancer surgery and treatment. The former "Today" show anchor, 61, said a malignant tumor and part of his lung were removed two months ago. He revealed his condition to Kelly Ripa while subbing for Regis Philbin on Tuesday's edition of "Live With Regis and Kelly." (Philbin recently had hip replacement surgery.) Full Story »

NEW YORK - CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves said Tuesday that advertisers are now paying 25 percent more for TV commercial time than they did in the spring. Full Story »

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CBS said on Tuesday it was canceling one of its longest-running daytime television soap operas, "As the World Turns", after 54 years. Full Story »

NEW YORK - In a Dec. 7 story about a planned Christmas special by "Saturday Night Live," The Associated Press misspelled a cast member's first name. Her name is Kristen Wiig, not Kristin. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Kristen Wiig's recurring character Gilly might not seemed filled with holiday cheer, yet NBC is turning to her to host a "Saturday Night Live" Christmas special. Full Story »

NEW YORK - The biggest shows of 2009 couldn't always be contained by the TV screen. There were breakout tabloid scandals with Jon and Kate Gosselin. A wannabe reality TV star crashed the White House. David Letterman's hanky-panky seized headlines. Oprah Winfrey grabbed the nation's attention as she began her long goodbye. This was TV run amok. Full Story »

NEW YORK - David Letterman, after a week off, dived right into material about Tiger Woods on the "Late Show," joking that he wishes the golfer would stop calling him to ask for advice. Full Story »

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Disney Channel and ABC have embraced FLO TV, the nation's primary provider of hand-held, portable television. Full Story »

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Elisha Cuthbert, of "24," has joined the ABC drama series "The Forgotten" in a recurring role. Full Story »

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Oxygen is developing a reality show with Russell Simmons that focuses on the women in the hip-hop entrepreneur's life. Full Story »