Cleveland -- A wealth of notable guitar players will gather in Cleveland this weekend to pay tribute to pioneering player and inventor Les Paul.
Paul is being honored as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's 13th Annual American Music Masters Series. A tribute was scheduled for Saturday with guitarists such as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Toto's Steve Lukather, Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora, Duane Eddy and Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver veteran Slash set to perform.
"He's an amazing individual," Slash says of Paul, whose innovations include multitrack recordings and many guitar effects, as well as a popular guitar model that carries his name. "I have this feeling of gratitude and debt to him for having provided me with these convenience he invented on a regular basis."
Champaign, Ill.-- U.S. commercial television broadcasters are doing a poor job of providing quality children's educational programming, the advocacy group Children's Now says.
University of Illinois communication professor Barbara Wilson said a review of educational programming available on over-the-air television found 13 percent was rated as "highly educational" and about 23 percent was rated "minimally educational."
Most broadcast stations offered only the minimum of three hours per week of educational/informational programming, as required by federal legislation, and only 3 percent of stations offer more than four hours. More than one quarter of programs were found to contain high levels of physical or social aggression.
"As parents, I think we have a right to expect that if commercial channels are using the public airwaves, they're supplying something good for kids.
London -- The London Zoo is celebrating eight blessed events -- the hatching of a clutch of rhino rat snakes, a rare species from Southeast Asia.
This is believed to be the first time the snake has been bred in captivity in Europe, The Telegraph reported.
The rhino rat snake, Rhynchophis Boulanger, gets its name from its pointed nose, which resembles that of a rhinoceros. Scientists say the nose may have evolved to help the snake catch water in the rain forests of Asia.
The snakes, also known as green unicorns, grow to be about 3 feet long. They are a gray color at birth that changes to green when they are about a year old, and as adults they feed on frogs, geckos and rodents.
"They are one of the cutest snake you ever saw," Ian Stephen, the assistant curator of herpetology, said. "If anyone comes to the zoo who does not like snakes, they warm to the rhino snake. It is a really beautiful and interesting so it is great we have managed to breed it."
Los Angeles -- Kathy Griffin and Jane Krakowski have agreed to perform on Rosie O'Donnell's upcoming U.S. television variety special, "Rosie Live," NBC said.
The show is slated to air Nov. 26 live from New York's Little Shubert Theatre.
Griffin and Krakowski join previously announced guest stars Ne-Yo and Alanis Morissette. Additional guests will be announced soon, NBC said.
"O'Donnell will bring back the grand tradition of the variety show format to television, like such iconic series as 'The Carol Burnett Show' and 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' while including brand-new elements for a new generation of fans," the network said in a news release. "The special will feature a topical monologue, musical production numbers and hilarious comedy sketches."
New York -- Sci Fi Channel says it has greenlit production on a second season of its new series "Sanctuary," which is shot in Canada.
Thirteen more hours of the show have been ordered, it was announced Thursday by Mark Stern, executive vice president of original programming for Sci Fi and co-head of original programming for Universal Cable Productions.
"Sanctuary" is slated to begin production in Vancouver early next year for a 2009 premiere.
"Sci Fi will continue to trail-blaze the television landscape by further exploring the many worlds of 'Sanctuary' through its unique green-screen environments," Stern said in a statement. "Technology and great storytelling makes 'Sanctuary' a fantastic addition to Sci Fi's 2009 lineup."
New York -- William Shatner and Aisha Tyler are scheduled to be the first celebrity contestants to compete on the U.S. game show "Million Dollar Password, CBS said.
Shatner is best known for his roles on TV's "Star Trek" and "Boston Legal."
Tyler has worked on "Friends," "CSI" and "Ghost Whisperer."
The two are slated to appear on the update of the classic game show when it premieres Dec. 21 with Regis Philbin acting as host.
Contestants on the show will team up with celebrities in an effort to win up to $1 million.
"As the designated celebrity and contestant take turns being the clue-giver and clue-receiver, one-word hints are given to determine that round's 'password,'" CBS said in a news release. "If the player and the celebrity can work together to successfully give and receive clues in multiple rounds, the contestant may be able to guess the 'million dollar password' and win the cash that goes along with it."
New York -- U.S. R&B singer and songwriter Keyshia Cole is set to release her third CD next month, Interscope Records said.
Among her hit songs are "I Should Have Cheated," "Love," "Let It Go" featuring Missy Elliott and Lil Kim, "I Remember" and "Heaven Sent."
Cole's latest album, "A Different Me," is slated to drop Dec. 16. All of the songs were written or co-written by Cole with production from award-winning producers such as Ron Fair, Polow Da Don, the Trackmasters, The Runners, Kwame and Neffu. The CD features guest appearances by Kanye West and Nas, a duet with Monica and a posthumous collaboration with Tupac Shakur.
The third season of her hit reality show "The Way It Is" airs Tuesday nights on BET.
Los Angeles -- Scottish actor Kevin McKidd has joined the cast of the U.S. hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy," ABC said.
McKidd has appeared in the TV series "Rome" and "Journeyman," and acted in the films "Trainspotting," "Hannibal Rising," "Kingdom of Heaven," "De-Lovely" and "Made of Honor."
He first appeared as Major Owen Hunt in this season's premiere episode of "Grey's Anatomy," titled "Dream a Little Dream of Me."
Hunt has joined the staff of Seattle Grace Hospital as the head of trauma surgery after serving as a top military field surgeon in Iraq, ABC said.
Los Angeles -- Television and film actress Pamela Anderson has agreed to make a cameo appearance in an upcoming episode of the U.S. comedy series "Kath & Kim," NBC said.
The former "Baywatch" star will play herself in a scene with the show's celebrity-gossip-obsessed, mother-daughter duo played by Molly Shannon and Selma Blair.
The series is an adaptation of the hit Australian show of the same name.
Nashville -- Kenny Chesney was named entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association's awards show in Nashville.
Wednesday night was the fourth time Chesney has won the top CMA honor.
"As much as tonight is about awards I really believe that being able to stand up here is more about great songs; it's more about the fans," Chesney said. "This is my fourth time standing up here and I am really humbled."
George Strait's song "I Saw God Today" won the prize for single of the year and his CD "Troubadour" was declared album of the year.
"I love this album and I really appreciate everyone who bought it," Strait said after accepting his second award of the night. "Everyone says they've got the greatest fans. Well, I really got the greatest fans."
