NBC introducing new singing competition format

NBC introducing new singing competition format
The network said Monday that it will debut “The Voice of America” in the spring. Its format is based on a popular show in Holland where celebrities are paired with amateur singers in competition. The twist is the celebrities must pick their teams based solely on hearing their voices without seeing what the contestants look like. “Survivor” producer Mark Burnett and “Big Brother” producer John De Mol will work together on the series. NBC says it’s not yet...

NBC Challenging 'American Idol' With 'Voice Of America'
Live Feed: NBC is teaming with Mark Burnett and John de Mol to launch a new singing competition program that takes aim at Fox's American Idol and its upcoming series The X Factor. The broadcaster has acquired the rights to The Voice of Holland, a format created by Reality TV pioneer and media mogul de Mol. Since debuting earlier this year, The Voice has become a top-rated show in the Neatherlands, with one report claiming its 3 million viewers make it the most-watched talent show ...

Fox News Flip Flops Fast
Fox News is behaving like a basket case. First they say that RNC Chairman Michael Steele is expected to resign. On Sunday the network reported: “A handful of well-placed and influential RNC insiders tell Fox News they expect Steele to announce he is not running for re-election.” See URL here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/12/rnc-chairman-michael-steele-expected-resign/. Though the network changed the Sunday headline and story, the URL still reveals what was originally repor...

Another Teabagger Arrested for Bomb Threat
A 26-year-old Virginia man is being held in federal custody after he allegedly threatened to set off bombs on the D.C. Metro system. The FBI was alerted to the threats, allegedly sent on Facebook’s instant messaging system, by an informant before any plot was developed. Awais Younis, who also goes by the names Sundullah “Sunny” Ghilzai and Mohhanme Khan, was arrested on Dec. 7. According to federal authorities, he described how to build a Pipe Bomb and said he’d place bom...

Muslim Charged in DC Metro Bomb Plot
Jihad attacks daily -- but dare not speak of it, you greasy islamophobe. Man Charged in Facebook Threat to Bomb DC Metro by IPT News Authorities have unsealed a Criminal Complaint against a Virginia man who threatened to bomb the D.C.-area Metro Subway System in postings on Facebook. Awais Younis, also known by his online identities Sundullah "Sunny" Ghilzai and Mohkhanmed Khan, was charged December 6 for making the threats. FBI agents first learned of Younis on November 28, after s...

Jimmy Carter Talks The Biggest Failure Of His Presidency (VIDEO)
During an interview with Big Think, former President Jimmy Carter answered a question from HuffPost readers: "What was your biggest failure as a President, and what did you learn from it?" Check out his answer below and be sure to watch the rest of the wide-ranging interview at Big Think. Question: What was your biggest failure as a President, and what did you learn from it? Jimmy Carter: I guess my biggest failure was not getting re-elected. And I learned two things; one is that you ought no...

Megyn Kelly, Bill Hemmer Team Up Again For Fox News' New Year's Coverage
Fox News announced Monday that Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer will team up once again to ring in the New Year from Times Square for the network. The pair also hosted in 2009. Their "All American New Year" special will start at 11 PM on New Year's Eve. Scheduled guests include Rick Springfield and Katharine McPhee. Get HuffPost Media On Twitter and Facebook! Know something we don't? E-mail us at [email protected] ...

Julian Assange: Readers' Choice for TIME's Person of the Year 2010
The man behind Wikileaks has won the most votes in this year's Person of the Year poll. Readers voted a total of 1,249,425 times, and the favorite was clear. Julian Assange raked in 382,020 votes, giving him an easy first place. He was 148,383 votes over the silver medalist, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey. But Assange wasn't the winner in all aspects -- Lady GaGa trounced him on Facebook, receiving 65,417 "likes" on Facebook to Assange's 45,643. See the top 10 readers' choices be...

Upton Wants FCC to Expedite Review of Comcast, NBC Merger
In a letter to Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski dated December 10, U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) inquired into the FCC’s commitment to a fair, fact-driven review of the Comcast-NBC Universal Merger. The merger would call for the transfer of assets to a new Joint Venture for NBC Universal.  The Joint Venture combines NBC and Telemundu as well as 26 NBC television stations and national Cable Networks with Comcast’s regional sports networks and ...

Regulators Concerned About What Comcast-NBC Merger Means For The Internet
Here's hoping Waxman manages to plug up the worst Loopholes before this deal gets rammed through, because they're right: the future of the Internet will be greatly affected by this Merger. Is there no merger too large that the Justice Department won't rubberstamp? .Although there has been a lot of talk in media circles about what Comcast's ownership of NBC Universal would mean for viewers' choice of news and entertainment, the two branches of the Federal Government reviewing the merger — ...

Barack Obama Address Cold Open
Show Clips The President addresses the nation about his recent dealings with GOP leaders and Tax Cut extensions. > Dec. 11 - Paul RuddAirdate: 12/11/2010 Dec. 4 - Robert De NiroAirdate: 12/04/2010 Nov. 20 - Anne HathawayAirdate: 11/20/2010 Nov. 13 - Scarlett JohanssonAirdate: 11/13/2010 Musical guest Paul McCartney performs his classic song, "Band On The Run." In anticipation of its upcoming 45th anniversary, sign up for unprecedented access to the stars and books in the Days line. D...

Upton: No net-neutrality rules for NBC-Comcast
Incoming House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) wrote to the Federal Communications Commission on Friday urging them not to impose net-neutrality conditions on Comcast as part of the proposed acquisition of NBC Universal. Upton said the only thing the commission should be reviewing is whether or not the new entity would be able to unfairly influence the markets for video content creation and distribution to the detriment of consumers. He warned against using the merg...

Sanders tells FCC to block NBC-Comcast merger
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote to the Department of Justice on Tuesday urging them to block Comcast's proposed acquisition of NBC Universal on the grounds it would damage the media landscape by reducing competition and increasing prices. "Because this Merger would lessen competition in three separate markets, and because it would put our media landscape in grave danger, I urge you to deny approval," Sanders wrote to assistant Attorney General Christine Varney. Sanders has been one of the mo...

Congress: Hoyer's call
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the second-ranking Democrat in the House, in a 9:30 am ET Speech at the National Press Club will urge Congress to look beyond Elections, which happen every two years for the House, and take “on the long-term, structural problems that defy quick answers.” He’ll say, according to prepared remarks, “Our politics may run on two-year cycles—but our problems do not. We won’t get to Full Employment in two years. We won’...

OVERNIGHT TECH: Opposition building to Genachowski's net neutrality proposal
Net Neutrality advocates come out against Genachowski's plan Opposition to Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski's open Internet proposal is building on both the left and the right ahead of a potential vote on the proposal at the Commission's December 21 open meeting. A group of net neutrality advocates declared their opposition to the plan during a meeting with Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps on Thursday. A number of prominent individuals and organizations in...

A look at possible conditions in Comcast, NBC deal
Federal Regulators are considering a number of conditions to ensure that Comcast Corp. cannot use its control over NBC’s vast media empire to stifle the growth of online video. Their key concerns: — The darkest fear of companies in the Internet video market is that Comcast could withhold or ratchet up prices for popular NBC Universal programming, including hit shows such as “30 Rock” and “The Office.” So Regulators may force Comcast to abide by the Federal Com...

Virginia: Muslim arrested after making bomb threats on Facebook
Yet more Facebook Jihad. "Facebook chats alert authorities to Va. man's Bomb Threats," by Emily Babay for the Washington Examiner, December 12 (thanks to Patrick): An Arlington man is accused of threatening to set off bombs around D.C., including in the Metro system, but was caught through messages he sent on Facebook before a plot was developed. Awais Younis, who also goes by Sundullah "Sunny" Ghilzai as well as Mohhanmed Khan, was charged in Federal Court in Alexandria with making threateni...

Israeli wearing tefillin on NZ ferry causes panic
An Israeli tourist visiting New Zealand caused a minor panic on a New Zealand ferry on Sunday after the captain reported to Police that a passenger was carrying a "suspicious article," NZTV reported. Some media in New Zealand even reported a hostage situation aboard the ferry, even though the passenger was cooperative with police, according to the report. RELATED: US flight diverted after tefillin causes Bomb Scare Ban on ritual Poultry slaughter nixed in New Zealand The man was described as wea...

Israeli tourist causes bomb scare on New Zealand ferry
A religiously devout Israeli tourist has sparked a Bomb Scare on a New Zealand ferry when he strapped boxes to himself as part of a Jewish prayer ritual....

New Massena trustees urge green space at fire site
MASSENA — The Village Board of Trustees' two newest members are wondering if an empty parcel of downtown land could be turned into a green space — even though the village doesn't own the property. It has been nearly three years since a massive fire destroyed 13, 15 and 17 Main St. Trustee Timothy J. Ahlfeld and Mayor James F. Hidy floated the idea for a small park at the Village Board of Trustees meeting this week. They wondered whether topsoil, grass and flowers could be ...

Big Brother, small government: Texas shows how
The following segment from Rachel Maddow on Friday was the perfect demonstration of what Small Government Conservatism is all about: I'm sure Rick Perry's First Amendment rights are being violated here, if only Carrie Prejean or Sarah Palin were here to explain how. Paul Rosenberg :: Big Brother, small government: Texas shows how ...

Hey, Big Brother
From this... To this: Citizen Concepts announces the launch of PatriotAppTM, the world's first iPhone application that empowers citizens to assist government agencies in creating safer, cleaner, and more efficient communities via Social Networking and mobile technology. This app was founded on the belief that citizens can provide the most sophisticated and broad network of eyes and ears necessary to prevent Terrorism, crime, environmental negligence, or other malicious behavior. Simply downlo...

Governor, probe target rehiring of state retirees
On the same day that Gov. Chris Gregoire proposed closing a Loophole that allows some state Retirees to be rehired, a whistle-blower investigation spotlighted the problem at one state agency. The investigation, which was triggered by a whistle-blower, found problems with the personnel files of 47 people who'd retired from — and then been rehired by — the state Employment Security Department. Some of the problems were paperwork glitches, but at least six rehires had worked more hour...

Officials warn of potential spike in pension spending
The Pension appropriation in next year’s state Budget will need to rise by almost $700 million unless the Legislature and Gov. Deval Patrick agree to push back their timeline for addressing huge unfunded liabilities in the system, Pension system overseers testified Tuesday. The potential spike in Pension system spending has not been mentioned by Beacon Hill leaders as a factor behind the projected fiscal 2012 Budget gap of up to $2 billion and would appear to push that estimated g...

Israel one step closer to stripping former Arab MK of pension
Knesset approves first reading of bill that would revoke stipend from any current or former lawmaker who skipped criminal trial; Bishara fled to Jordan when under Probe for passing information to Hezbollah....