Talk about your mix-ups: TicketMaster was recently delugedwith calls from teen-aged girls wanting tickets for the Feb. 11 'Search for the NextSpice Girl' event, thinking that they would get to see the ubiquitous stars of thefilm Spice World. Instead, their parents were chagrined to learn that the eventwas sponsored by Spice Entertainment Cos.,and it was to feature topless femalecontestants, a Spice spokeswoman relates. TicketMaster has apparently received severalcalls for event refunds.
HGTV happily faxed us a copy of an ad that ran in lastWednesday's editions of the Daily Herald, an independent paper (motto: 'Ouraim: to fear God, tell the truth and make money') in the Chicago suburbs. It seemsthat 'local resident' Vern Kiebler plunked down $140 to run a display ad thatoffered to fax the February HGTV schedule to any and all who 'do not care to hearor watch the media's saga of President Clinton's sex life.' Reached lastThursday, Kiebler said he'd had 10 responses, all 'responsive and supportive,'and he was interviewed for a story published in (what else?) the Daily Herald. Healso said a friend promised to send a tear sheet of the ad to the White House. AskedKiebler, 'Do you think he was pulling my leg?'
Last Thursday night's Fifth Annual Media Battle of theBands -- not a contest, really, but a fund-raising showcase -- was a winner forCitymeals-on-Wheels, the organization that provides meals to homebound elderly in New YorkCity. The event raised $210,000, topping the prior year's mark by about $3,000,said an A&E spokeswoman. Four bands from cable networks performed. Some highlights:Three Girls Walk Into a Bar, the Comedy Central entry, sang 'Kyle's Mom' fromthe South Park Christmas episode; The Vanishing Rembrandts (A&E) skillfullyrendered 'Me and Bobby McGee'; and Monkeybone (Court TV) performed an originalnumber, 'Let's Do It.'
It was a very Silicon Valley birth for little JackRodriques and his mom, Linda Lucero, who is also an @Home Networks marketing and PRexecutive. After Jack entered the world last week, Lucero's @Home coworkers crafted aninternal 'press release' introducing Jack as 'a new type of small, butrobust, host,' targeted at the home market, 'that comes in a mereeight-pound, two-ounce package.' The little Jack server debuted following anine-month beta-test, and Lucero 'has pledged lifetime customer support of Jack, withon-demand response 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' according to the release.Diaper-caching capacity was not discussed. 'I haven't been so happy since my optionsvested,' quipped Lucero in the release.
Hoop nightmares? That's what a possible Air Jordanretirement would inspire for more than just the Chicago Bulls. Upon hearing that JonesIntercable in Chicago and the Chicago Cable Interconnect have both been enjoying hefty adsales due to high-rated Bulls cable inventory, Jerry Machovina, senior vice president ofad sales at Tele-Communications Inc.'s TCI Media Services, told us, 'When MichaelJordan retires, we're going to have to seriously readjust our budgets for Chicago.'We think he was kidding.
By Kent Gibbons, from bureau reports.
