NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A CBS spokesman Wednesday denied Michael Jackson was paid $1 million for his interview on the network's "60 Minutes," as reported by the New York Times. (NYSE:NYT)

The Times said Jackson's associates demanded the payment as part of a $5 million deal with CBS for an entertainment special starring Jackson next Friday. However, a spokesman for CBS, Chris Ender, told UPI's Fred Winship that the only connection between the interview and the special was that CBS had informed Jackson that "we wouldn't broadcast the special if he didn't address the charges on a CBS news program."

"CBS News does not pay for interviews," Ender said.

In its Wednesday edition the Times quoted a Jackson associate as saying the $1 million didn't actually come out of the "60 Minutes" budget, but from the network's entertainment budget. CBS had postponed airing the special after California authorities issued an arrest warrant for Jackson on multiple counts of child molestation.

Springsteen comes out on top in 2003

NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Bruce Springsteen was the top-grossing popular music concert attraction in the United States in 2003, according to a poll reported Wednesday.

The Boss (OTCBB:BSHI) took in $115.9 million from 47 shows that played to 1.6 million fans, according to concert trade publication Pollstar's annual accounting of the field's top box office draws. It said Springsteen's tour was the second most lucrative North American tour on record, topped only by the 1994 Rolling Stones tour, which grossed $121.2 million.

Canadian singer Celine Dion was second to Springsteen in the Pollstar listing. She performed 145 shows in her theater at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, grossing $80.5 million. In third place was the Eagles with $69.3 million from 55 shows.

Completing the list was Fleetwood Mac, in fourth place with $69 million from 71 shows, Cher in fifth place with $68.2 million from 102 shows, and the reunited Simon & Garfunkel in sixth place with $64.5 million from 39 shows.

Pollstar said year-end grosses for all acts should reach $2.4 billion, topping the 2002 total of $2.1 billion.

Tough guys to tell 'Shark Tale'

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, Peter Falk, Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore are ganging up for a new film.

But it isn't the kind of movie most people will expect. Scorsese and the actors are taking their tough-guy personas under the sea in DreamWorks' new animated adventure, "Shark Tale."

The movie's main character is Oscar, a fast-talking little fish (Will Smith, "Men in Black") with big dreams. DeNiro ("GoodFellas," "The Godfather, Part II") plays Don Lino, a great white shark, while Scorsese ("GoodFellas," "Gangs of New York") lends his voice to a puffer fish named Sykes.

Pastore ("The Sopranos") plays an octopus and the don's "right-hand man," Imperioli ("The Sopranos") and Jack Black ("School of Rock") play Lino's sons, and Falk ("Made," "Columbo") is the aging shark Don Brizzi.

Rounding out the cast are Renee Zellweger ("Chicago") as a beautiful angelfish with a crush on Oscar, Angelina Jolie ("Girl, Interrupted") as a femme fatale dragon fish, and singers Doug E. Doug and Ziggy Marley as Rastafarian jellyfish.

"Shark Tale" is scheduled for release late next year.

OutKast ends year at No. 1

NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Hip hop's OutKast ends the year as the top selling group, holding the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart with its "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" release.

The chart results, released Wednesday by Billboard, reflect the final retail week of 2003.

OutKast's double-disc project sold 374,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, totalling 3.1 million units sold during its 14 weeks on the shelves.

"The Diary of Alicia Keys," which held the top spot last week, fell to No. 2 with 371,000 copies sold.

Country's Toby Keith claimed the No. 3 position with "Shock'n Y'all," which sold 314,000 units, and "NOW That's What I Call Music" came in at fourth with 302,000 copies sold.

"The Very Best of Sheryl Crow," Josh Groban's "Closer," Hilary Duff's "Metamorphosis," No Doubt's "The Singles 1992-2003," Ruben Studdard's former No. 1, "Soulful" and Britney Spears' "In the Zone" round out the Top 10.

Queen taps Clapton, Davies for royal honor

LONDON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Rockers Eric Clapton and Ray Davies, founder of the Kinks, were been selected Wednesday by the queen of England to receive royal honors, Billboard reported.

The veteran British musicians are set to receive the titles of Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Earlier this month, Mick Jagger, front man of the Rolling Stones received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace.

Clapton and Davies join World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, who became a knight, and tennis star Tim Henman, made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, on the annual New Year's Honors list.

In descending order, the honors are knighthoods, CBE, OBE and MBE. Those who are awarded CBEs, OBEs and MBEs have no title but can put the letters after their names.

Lane, Broderick return to 'The Producers'

NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have returned to "The Producers," the show they helped make one of the biggest hits in Broadway history.

Based on Mel Brooks' 1968 film comedy about a pair of scheming producers who try to make a fortune by intentionally producing the worst show ever, so there will be no profits to share with its investors, "The Producers" scooped up a dozen Tony Awards in 2001.

After Lane and Broderick left the musical two years ago, however, the show remained popular, but has not been the enormous success it was while they were its stars.

Asked before the performance if he was nervous about his first night back, Broderick told the New York Post: "Yeah, a little. It'll be good to get this one done."

After the performance, a smiling Lane told the newspaper the show was "good."

Tickets for "The Producers" ranged in price from $36 to well over $100 and were reportedly hard to come by. Lane and Broderick will star in about 90 shows during their return, which is expected to last until April.