Recession, free sites hurt porn industry
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- The pornography business centered in California's San Fernando Valley is taking a hit because of a lousy economy and free Internet sites, a practitioner says.
Adult film star Savannah Stern, star of more than 350 hard-core pornography productions, said she has gone from working four or five days a week to one, and that the studios are asking her to take a 30 percent cut from the $1,000 that once was the industry standard, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
"At least five girls I haven't seen in a while came up to me and said, 'Savannah, are you working?'" said Stern, who uses a stage name. "I had to say, 'No, not really,' and they all said, 'Yeah, I'm not either.'"
Since 2007, revenue for most adult production and distribution companies has dropped between 30 percent and 50 percent, and the number of new films has declined as well, industry insiders said.
"It's the free stuff that's killing us, and that's not going away," said Dion Jurasso, owner of Combat Zone porn production company, which he said has seen business drop by 50 percent during the last three years.
Sites such as Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube attract more users than the TMZ celebrity gossip site and even the top illegal download portal, Pirate Bay, the Times said.
Suzann Knudsen, a marketing director for PornoTube, said the site's owner, Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network, uses the free site to attract customers for paid video on demand.
Report: Imus, Fox Business in talks
NEW YORK, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. shock jock Don Imus is in discussions with Fox Business network about simulcasting his radio show, a person familiar with the discussions said.
The radio host, booted from CBS and MSNBC two years ago after making racist remarks about black female college basketball players, was in the final phases of negotiations with the financial news network, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
If the negotiations are finalized, Imus likely would simulcast his syndicated early-morning radio show, the person told the Times. While no deal is in place yet, the contract could be effective sometime in September. Representatives for Imus did not comment.
Since late 2007, "Imus in the Morning" has been simulcast on RFD-TV, a cable network that covers rural America and agriculture. This deal would end if the Fox Business Network deal comes to fruition, the source said.
Cameron Douglas could face life in prison
NEW YORK, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Cameron Douglas, son of U.S. film star Michael Douglas, could face a possible life sentence if convicted in his latest round of drug charges.
At a minimum, he would be sentenced to a mandatory 10 years in prison if he is convicted in a New York court on the charges, People magazine reported.
The 10-page complaint against Cameron Douglas filed by the New York state Drug Enforcement Agency alleges the 31-year-old sold large quantities of crystal methamphetamine from luxurious hotel rooms in New York and Los Angeles and used shipping services to move drugs and cash across the country, People said.
The complaint said Douglas, an occasional actor and producer who worked as a DJ in clubs in New York and Los Angeles, used his former assistant for introductions to potential buyers of large amounts of methamphetamine. Both his former assistant and two of Douglas' alleged buyers cooperated with the state after being arrested on drug-related charges, the magazine said
Douglas, father Michael Douglas and grandfather Kirk Douglas did not respond to People's request for comment.
Attorney: Lester not Paris Jackson's dad
LONDON, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- British actor Mark Lester is not the father of Michael Jackson's daughter and isn't claiming paternity despite published reports, a Jackson family friend said.
While Lester -- known for his portrayal of Oliver Twist in the Oscar award-winning musical, "Oliver!" -- couldn't be reached for comment, a friend of the Jackson family told People magazine that Lester donated sperm for Jackson and is a longtime friend, but never claimed to be the father of 11-year-old Paris Jackson, the magazine reported Sunday.
"They twisted his words around. He's not claiming to be the father of Paris Jackson," says one close family source.
Jackson family attorney Londell McMillan called the published report unproven and meaningless, adding that the probate court had no reason to revisit its finding that Jackson fathered all three of his children, People reported Sunday.
Jackson made Lester godfather to all three of his children in October 2003.
"(Lester) has known Michael for many years and his children play with Michael's children," Jackson family associate and one-time lawyer Brian Oxman told People.
