Entertainment news is a new growth field

LOS ANGELES, June 11 (UPI) -- America's growing appetite for news about the entertainment industry is leading to several spinoffs of the syndicated TV show "Access Hollywood," possibly including an entertainment business report for the cable business news channel CNBC.

The show -- which is produced by NBC and distributed by NBC Enterprises Domestic Syndication -- will soon appear in a variety of different forms, to capitalize on the brand identity it has established in seven years on the air.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, plans call for a game show and a "tween" version of the show -- focusing on teen celebrities, and possibly featuring a teen host. "Access Hollywood" executive producer Rob Silverstein told United Press International the brand will show up on CNBC, as well as other NBC operations, including "Today" and the prime-time newsmagazine "Dateline."

Silverstein said the time is right for "Access Hollywood" to expand its reach, given the public's enduring fascination with celebrities.

"It's part of our culture," he said. "The entertainment industry is as big as any other industry."

It is probably only natural that Silverstein touts his own show as the exemplar among the spate of celebrity news-based shows on the TV landscape. He said the show derives its strength from its discipline of only reporting on matters that have a genuine connection to Hollywood -- movies, TV and music.

"We're the only show out there that you completely know what it is when you tune in," he said. "We don't do the royals."

For example, Silverstein said his show only joined the current rush of media coverage on Sen. Hillary Clinton's new memoir when it became a Hollywood story -- with the A&E cable network announcing plans for a TV movie about the former first lady.

"If Hillary just had a book coming out we would never do something on the book," he said. "Our way into that story is A&E, the Barbara Walters interview, stories on the ratings for the interview -- then it becomes our world. If it's just a book, we're not going to do it."

Silverstein is well aware that a regular "Access Hollywood" segment on CNBC will mean that his product is seen by a significant number of relatively influential business leaders. He's also upbeat about the prospect of regular exposure on "Today" and the "Dateline" newsmagazine.

"There's not a better morning show than 'Today' and not a better newsmagazine than 'Dateline' to be affiliated with," he said. "It exposes us to viewers who might not ordinarily watch 'Access Hollywood.'"

Silverstein is pretty busy producing the show each day, so he doesn't have much time for contemplating why the public is so hungry for entertainment news. He just knows the demand is there -- and getting stronger all the time.

"There's such a huge thirst out there for this information," he said. "I think it comes in waves, but people can't get enough of it. If you ask some psychiatrist, they can analyze that for you. I couldn't. It's just interest in people. It's the Hollywood life, movie stars and big cars and people vicariously live through that. It's been going on forever and it's not going to stop."