Survey: HDTVs Continue to Be Hot With Consumers; Interest in 3D TV Almost Nil Despite Hype at CES

A new study from the Opinion Research Corp. shows the consumers like HDTVs, but their interest in purchasing sets that are 3D capable is practically non-existent, reports Digital Trends.

According to the report, the study said that  "nearly two-thirds of U.S. households now have an HDTV, and another 12 percent are looking to purchase one in the next two years."

That means by 2013, three out of four U.S. households will have HDTVs, the report says.

On the 3D front the article says, "despite all the hype over 3D technology at this year’s CES show in Las Vegas, only five percent of survey respondents said they plan to buy a 3D-capable television in the next two years."

--Chuck Ross

VIDEO: 'MADtv' Way Out Front With iPad Sketch

It appears that Steve Jobs' introduction of the Apple iPad this week wasn't the first time such a product was contemplated. In a very funny sketch three years ago the folks at "MADtv" had the same idea.  However, be forewarned: some may find the skit offensive. As a "MADtv" writer said this week about naming of iPad: "I don't think Apple had any women in the room when they came up with the name."

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Richard Hatch WILL Participate in All-Star 'Survivor' Anniversary Season -- Sort of

Original "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch will participate with other past contestants in the show's 10th anniversary celebration, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The catch is that he'll be on a special titled "Surviving Survivor," which CBS has slated to air on Feb. 4, a week before the competition begins.

Hatch, the season one winner who was convicted of tax evasion and imprisoned, will share his insights about playing "Survivor" in the special “Surviving Survivor.” 

Hatch had wanted to actually participate in the all-star 10th Anniversary competition, but was in jail when filming began and a judge refused to let him out early.

-- Allison J. Waldman and Chuck Ross

BET Plans Fundraiser for Haitian Relief

Queen Latifah, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Pharrell are on board for BET Networks' telethon for Haitian relief, "SOS Saving OurSelves -- Help for Haiti" which will air on BET, Centric, MTV and VHI Feb. 5 at 8 p.m., reports B&C.

The benefit concert will telecast  live from Miami. Among the organizations to receive donations from the charitable event are CARE, Project Medishare and Children's Safe Drinking Water.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Survey Says: Ad Execs Think NBC Should Not Have Let Conan Go

According to a survey of 129 advertising and marketing executives conducted by Round2 Communications, 44% of respondents said they believe the Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien "Tonight Show" controversy will hurt NBC's late-night advertising, MediaPost reports.

The survey said 37% believed it would have no effect on that advertising, while 19 percent said they thought the controversy would actually help, as in "any publicity is good publicity." 

A full 47% of the respondents said they would have kept Conan O'Brien compared to only 41% who agreed with NBC's choice of holding onto Jay Leno. The remaining 12% would have hung on to both comics.

-- Allison J. Waldman

CBS Faced With New Super Bowl Ad Dilemma

After accepting a pro-life advocacy ad for the upcoming broadcast of the Super Bowl, CBS has a new potential controversy because now Mancrunch.com, a gay-dating Web site, wants to purchase a spot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

CBS has yet to decide whether to accept the ad, although speculation is that the network may not have much unsold time left at this point.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Fox to Super-size Tuesday 'Idol'

"American Idol" is already a huge TV presence and it's about to get bigger, as Fox announced that the March 23, March 30 and April 6 Tuesday episodes will be two hours long instead of just an hour, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Also, Fox's new drama "Past Life" will have "American Idol" as a lead-in on Feb. 16; on March 9, a rerun of the "Glee" will air before it.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Popular Star of TV and Broadway to Host New CBS Game Show Pilot

CBS has a new game show pilot in the works that it picked up when Fox decided to not go forward with the project. It's based on the Britsh game show "The Cube," reports our friend Joe Adalian at The Wrap.

One of the stars of "How I Met Your Mother," Neil Patrick Harris--who also has been popular on Broadway as well as an engaging host of both the Tony and Emmy awards shows-- will host the pilot. Harris is also one of the game show's executive producers.

-- Allison J. Waldman

Leno on Oprah's Show: Of 80,000 Respondents on Oprah.com Poll, 96% Were Against Jay. Oprah: You Could Have Walked Away. Leno: That Would Have Been an Ego Decision, Telling My Staff 'Good Luck Finding Jobs.' Oprah: Really?

Here's a partial transcript from the end of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" yesterday when she had Jay Leno as her sole guest. In this portion of the interview, Oprah brings up the question of why Leno just didn't walk way from NBC after the network canceled his 10 pm show. It's a question she had asked him earlier in the show as well. You can find a complete transcript of the show at AllYourTV.com.

--Chuck Ross

OPRAH WINFREY (Recorded Voice-Over set to video footage of Jay and Conan): We asked viewers to weigh in on the Jay versus Conan controversy. About
80,000 of you responded to our Oprah.com poll. When asked whose side are you on,
Jay's or Conan's, a staggering 96% of you said Conan. And 94% of you believe Jay
should not go back to "The Tonight Show."

Winfrey (now talking directly to Leno): Honestly, you know, we're not like friends talking all the time but I think over the years we've developed a friendly relationship. So many people
were against you. We did an Oprah.com poll, and there were so many people who
were on Conan's side, that I started asking like do I have it wrong? Am I
missing something here? Because the way I understood it is the way that you've
explained it.

LENO: Right, right.

WINFREY: So the fact that so many people seem to feel that you are being the
selfish guy…

LENO: Right.

WINFREY: …who--that's why I'm asking you the questions, who stole Conan's dream?
That's why I keep, you know, hammering on is there a part of you that feels that
you should have just retired?

LENO: Well, like I say, to me, being retired seemed like the selfish thing
to do.

WINFREY: Why?

LENO: You walk out and say to the 170 people that work here, "Listen, I
don't want to get my reputation ruined, I don't want anybody talking bad about
me. So I've got enough money, I'm going to leave. You people can all fend for
yourself." I mean to me, it's sort of a team effort. Everybody's in it here
together, and as long I'm working, they're working and that seems to make sense
to me.

Is it a little selfish in that I still like being on TV? Oh, sure. But,
you know, the minute you can't do the job, they do tap you on the shoulder and
tell you to leave. I mean, nobody is around who can't do the job because you're
gone, you're gone in a half a second.

WINFREY: Did you feel bad for Conan at any point?

LENO: I did, I felt really bad for Conan. I think it's unfair, but TV is not
fair. I thought it was unfair for me.

WINFREY: You felt that for Conan, but you didn't think you caused--you were the
reason ...

LENO: No, I wasn't the reason. The reason was the ratings.

WINFREY: Mm-hmm. Do you have regrets?

LENO: Oh, yeah, I do have regrets. I regret that it wasn't handled better.
I'm just not sure what I could have done differently.

WINFREY: Lots of people say you could have walked away.

LENO: Again, by walking away, that is an ego decision. That is me going,
"No, goodbye, everybody, you know something? I'm fed up with this. You-all fend
for yourselves. Good luck finding jobs, I'm out of here. To me, that's the ego
decision, not the other one.

WINFREY: Is it, really?

LENO: Oh, yeah, I think so, I think so. Like ...

WINFREY: How is it an ego decision for you to say I've done it, I've done "The
Tonight Show," I've tried it prime time, that didn't work. Thank you, NBC. I'll
take my paycheck and go."

LENO: If I was going to do it that way I would say maybe after these two
years of being on the air, I would tell my staff, "One year from today, it's
over, guys."

WINFREY: But you could have done what--do you think now you could have done what
Conan did? When they came in and said your prime time show's canceled, you say
okay, you owe me two years, because that's what you said at the beginning.

LENO: Right, right.

WINFREY: You were guaranteed at least a year.

LENO: Right.

WINFREY: Two years if you were successful.

LENO: Right.

WINFREY: Pay me out, pay out my staff. You could have done that.

LENO: I could have done that, but I didn't. They offered me my old job back.

WINFREY: Right, I get that.

LENO: Which is the dream job. I said okay.

WINFREY: Is there a bigger lesson in all of this?

LENO: The key is not to be bitter and I think Conan said it best when he
said don't be cynical.

WINFREY: Mm-hmm. And yet you said earlier you haven't called him?

LENO: It's not the right time, because I'm not sure what I would say right
now. Let some time pass and I would hope we can talk again.

WINFREY: Will you have him on your show?

LENO: I would love to. I don't know whether he would do it or not. I think
he will have a successful show on Fox or somewhere else.

WINFREY: Wherever he goes.

LENO: And then we will all compete again and may the best man win.

Video: Jimmy Kimmel Gives His Side of the Story After Leno Tells Oprah that Kimmel 'Sucker-Punched' Jay When Kimmel Appeared on Jay's Show and Joked About the Latenight War Between Jay and Conan