(E! Online, 07/13/2004 6:10 PM)
By Sarah Hall
So the FCC wouldn't let him be, wouldn't let him be he...and now Eminem is making the move to satellite radio.
On Monday, the Grammy-winning rapper announced his plans to team up with Sirius Satellite Radio to "deliver an uncut hip-hop radio station like never before" beginning this fall.
"Once upon a time not too long ago, the feds wanted all my music off the air," Eminem said in a statement. "Now we'll be on Sirius 24 hours a day, playing the best hip-hop...not just from Shady Records, but from everywhere.
"I can't wait to start dropping new material, exclusive tracks and uncensored hip-hop featuring me and everyone else freely saying whatever the hell we want."
Though Eminem has never exercised much restraint when expressing himself in his lyrics, getting his point of view on the air has long presented a problem. Since Sirius is available only by subscription, the rapper will not be governed by the regulations that restrict public airwaves.
And the real Slim Shady wants to make sure his uncut voice is heard--he and other Shady Records artists such as 50 Cent and Obie Trice are set to host occasional specialty shows on the as-yet unnamed station, giving fans the opportunity to call in and chat with their favorite hip-hop talents.
The program selection will be designed by top artists and deejays. In addition, Eminem's DJ Green Lantern is slated to host a weekly slot showcasing the latest hip-hop mixes.
Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine and Shady Records Vice-President/Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg will co-executive produce the channel with the Real Slim Shady.
"Our partnership with Sirius gives us the unique opportunity for nationwide exposure of our new and existing artist roster," Rosenberg said in a statement. "While our channel will not be solely limited to Shady artists, we plan on delivering exclusive, obscure and/or hard to find music from our acts."
While Eminem will be free to say whatever he wants on the channel, moving to satellite won't resolve the latest incident of censorship faced by the rapper. After he pulled down his pants and mooned the audience at the MTV Movie Awards last month, Em's buns were edited out of the telecast.
(AP, 07/19/2004 9:20 PM)
By Linda Deutsch
Michael Jackson 's lawyers asked an appeals court Monday to maintain the secrecy now surrounding his child molestation case, suggesting in court papers there would be no harm if information currently sealed were not released to the public until after the trial.
Although defense lawyers acknowledged appellate courts have consistently supported First Amendment rights of access to court cases, they insisted Jackson's case should be treated differently because it involves a superstar.
They also said the case is not important enough to the administration of justice to merit the attention of the appeals court, and asked the court to refuse an expedited hearing.
"The interest in this case is more voyeuristic and entertainment related than it is an interest of an audience concerned with matters of government or public affairs," said the motion signed by attorney Robert Sanger.
The motion suggested the press wait until the trial is over to gain access to the court file.
Theodore Boutrous Jr., who is representing a coalition of news media including The Associated Press, noted Jackson's lawyers have alleged an unprecedented abuse of power by the prosecution in bringing the case against their client, but most of the motions remain sealed.
"The public has an interest in scrutinizing those briefs to test the allegations," he said.
Jackson's lawyers said their client "is still entitled to the same due process rights as anyone else who comes before the court in a criminal case."
But First Amendment lawyer Douglas Mirell said the lawyers are seeking special treatment for Jackson.
Asked why the defense would be pressing so hard to keep documents secret, Mirell said, "Apparently, there's dynamite in there and they're afraid of polluting the jury pool."