Paris, Apres Emprisonnement

Representatives of ABC News said yesterday that they’d lost out to NBC for the first interview with Paris Hilton after her release from jail because ABC was unwilling to make a “high six-figure deal” with Hilton’s family. According to ABC representatives, who were not at liberty to reveal details of the negotiations, the network had agreed to pay $100,000 to the Hilton family for the interview. The deal would have included access to the family’s private photographs and videos of Paris (haven’t we already seen the best ones from her storage facility?). Barbara Walters told ABC executives that Hilton’s father, Rick Hilton, after getting the ABC offer last Sunday, called back Wednesday to say that the interview would go to a competitor because, at $100,000, ABC was “not even in the same galaxy” in terms of what was being offered. When pressed, Rick Hilton acknowledged that NBC was the other network involved and that Today cohost Meredith Vieira would conduct the interview. But last night the Hiltons’ representative said that despite ABC’s account, the family had not received nor requested any payment for an interview with their daughter. A crisis manager hired by the Hiltons, issued a statement saying, “Contrary to media reports, Paris Hilton is not being paid for any television interview nor is Paris Hilton being paid for any collateral material, including videos or photos.” But now that Paris Hilton has vowed to drop her dumb “act,” don’t rule her out her being the new lady on The View, a bigger coup which would allow ABC to thumb its nose at NBC. (NY Times; and there’s this)