Las Vegas Weekly

December 15, 2008 · 8:38 AM

New Year’s Eve Strip TV special America’s Party is canceled

By Robin Leach

Karina Smirnoff and Randy Jackson in party mode at Tao.

Photo: Tao

The America’s Party music show planned for a live telecast from center Strip has been postponed until next year -- a casualty of the ever-increasing cutbacks of TV advertising. Two major sponsors -- a Detroit-headquartered auto company and a soft drinks company -- yanked their support, and the last-minute cellular phone service replacement fell short to gap the losses as the lock went on their advertising budget.

One of the producers told me: “We were in good shape and then at the last minute got crippled by the economy in an unfortunate and extraordinary series of economic problems totally out of our control.” A slew of music stars and music producer and American Idol judge Randy Jackson were affected by the unexpected cancellation.

The producers still vow to go ahead with three more contractual network specials next year when economic conditions are hopefully far improved. I’m reliably told that mega-prices for Super Bowl commercials are being cut drastically this year as the auto companies also have pulled out of that sponsorship.

Photo: ABC TV

Britney Spears performs on ABC's Good Morning America.

Britney Spears won’t be appearing here on New Year’s Eve, as previously rumored, but her famed impersonator Derrick Barry will when he joins Grammy Award winner Hex Hector to lead the midnight countdown at Krave in the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood. Incidentally, inside the balloons dropping there at midnight will be tickets for Britney’s April concert at MGM along with tickets for Cher’s show at Caesars Palace!

Plans for Fox’s coverage of the Robbie Knievel jump across The Mirage volcano and ESPN’s double-stunt jumps at the Paris and The Rio are still on schedule.

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