DMX pleads guilty to drug, animal charges
PHOENIX, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Rapper DMX pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Phoenix court to one count each of animal cruelty, theft, marijuana possession and possession of a narcotic.
E! News reported the hip-hop artist, whose real name is Earl Simmons, faces a minimum of 90 days in jail when he is sentenced Jan. 30 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
"I am pleased that this defendant will be held accountable for both his drug and animal cruelty offenses," E! quoted County Attorney Andrew Thomas as saying.
'Spaces' decorator arrested for DUI
DECATUR, Ill., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- "Trading Spaces" interior designer Doug Wilson was arrested Tuesday for allegedly driving under the influence in Decatur, Ill., TMZ said.
Wilson reportedly was pulled over about 1 a.m. after failing to yield to a police car, which had its lights on and siren wailing.
The star of the television home improvement show "Trading Spaces" was arrested for aggravated DUI, driving with a suspended license, failing to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle and illegal transportation of alcohol, TMZ said.
Wilson was jailed briefly, then released on a $1,000 bond.
Wikipedia.org said the decorator, who also has worked on the shows "Moving Up" and "America's Ugliest Rooms," is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Time Warner may drop Viacom channels
NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Viacom says Time Warner Cable is overreaching for profit at the expense of its viewers by threatening to drop some of Viacom's channels.
As the two U.S. media giants are trying to hammer out a renewal agreement, Viacom warns Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV may go dark as of 12:01 a.m., Jan. 1, when its contract with Time Warner expires.
Among the shows Time Warner customers may no longer get are "Dora the Explorer," "SpongeBob SquarePants," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report" and "The Hills."
"The renewal we are seeking is reasonable and modest relative to the profits TWC enjoys from our networks. We have asked for an increase of less than 25 cents per month, per subscriber, which adds up to less than a penny per day for all 19 of MTV Networks' channels," Viacom said in a statement.
"We make this request because TWC has so greatly undervalued our channels for so long. Americans spend more than 20 percent of their TV viewing time watching our networks, yet our fees amount to less than 2.5 percent of what Time Warner generates from their average customer," Viacom added. "Throughout the country, we have negotiated equitable license agreement renewals, or are in the final stages of renewals, with virtually every cable and satellite carrier. Nevertheless, Time Warner Cable has dismissed our efforts at a fair compromise and has effectively chosen to deny its customers some of the most popular TV shows on the air."
Pattinson rips comic over Heath impression
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- British actor Robert Pattinson booed and yelled at a comedian who poked fun of Australian actor Heath Ledger's death, a source told Usmagazine.com.
Ledger died in January of an accidental prescription drug overdose at the age of 28.
Usmagazine.com said Pattinson, the star of the vampire blockbuster "Twilight," was in the audience of a show at The Improv in Hollywood Dec. 16, when a performer reportedly said, "Here's my impression of Heath Ledger," then collapsed into pretend convulsions.
"Robert and his friend went nuts yelling at him," a source told the magazine, adding that Pattinson screamed: "(Expletive) you! You suck!"
"The comic didn't know who it was, but I'm sure he found out later!" the insider said.
The magazine did not offer the name of the performer.
