Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced Tuesday that he has launched an investigation into revelations that Sony pictures invented a fictitious Connecticut critic to extol some of its movies in print ads and billboards. Blumenthal, regarded by many as the nation's most activist state prosecutor (he spearheaded the campaign against deceptive sweepstakes ads -- suing American Family Publishers, Ed McMahon and Dick Clark; led the campaign to ban ATM fees in Connecticut; was the most prominent state figure in the Microsoft proceedings; sued telephone companies for "slamming;" and has frequently been interviewed on network magazine shows about consumer-related issues), said that his office had received a number of complaints about movie marketing in his state. "We give this practice two thumbs down," he said. "It could be deceptive and misleading advertising."

Members of the Writers Guild of America have approved a new three-year contract negotiated with film and TV producers by an overwhelming majority. The WGA said that 92 percent of the 4,128 votes cast favored ratification of the deal. In a statement, WGA (West) President John Wells said, "Obviously, we're delighted with the record turnout and overwhelming support for the contract."

The importance of the international exhibition market to filmmakers will continually rise over the next decade with gross revenue reaching $24 billion by 2010, a 36-percent advance over this year's expected take of $18 billion, according to a survey released Tuesday. As reported by Screen Daily, the online edition of the U.K.'s Screen International trade magazine, the Informa Group survey, "Global Film: Exhibition & Distribution," also concluded that the U.S. share of the global box office is likely to drop from 45 percent to 41 percent by 2010.

The British Academy of film & Television Arts (BAFTA) is planning to award George Lucas its Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film at its 11th Britannia Awards ceremony, Carlton Communications' Popcorn website reported today (Wednesday). Most of Lucas's films have been filmed, at least in part, in the U.K., including scenes from his most recent production, Star Wars: Episode II, which were produced at Elstree Studios. (Most of the film was shot in Australia.) In a statement, BAFTA's Los Angeles chairman Gary Dartnell remarked that Lucas "has contributed immensely to our industry as an innovative filmmaker, changing the way movies are made, seen and heard."

Although it is playing on only five IMAX screens, George Butler's Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure has grossed more than $2 million since its release in February, USA Today observed today (Tuesday). It is being followed by numerous other films, TV programs, and books about Polar explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition. Among them, the newspaper said, is a planned movie by director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, The Perfect Storm) for Sony/Columbia, currently being written by Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List, Mission: Impossible, Hannibal). Petersen told USA Today that he is hoping to star Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe as Shackleton. Also in the works is a film about the expedition being produced by Britain's FilmFour, starring Kenneth Branagh.

Ratings for the first week of the summer rerun season looked a lot like ratings for many another week of summer rerun seasons, with an all-new edition of 60 Minutes heading the top-ten Nielsen list. (The long-running CBS mag, a perennial summer top favorite, was knocked off its perch last year by Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Survivor.) Millionaire also scored strongly last week, with the Sunday and Tuesday episodes tying for second place. CBS won the week with an overall average 6.9 rating and a 12 share. NBC was in second place with a 6.1/11. ABC followed with a 6.0/9, while Fox trailed with a 3.9/7.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research: 1. 60 Minutes, CBS, 10.5/20; 2. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Sunday), ABC, 10.1/16; 2. Millionaire (Tuesday), ABC, 10.1/17; 4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 9.5/16; 4. Everybody Loves Raymond (Special), CBS, 9.5/16; 6. NBA Playoff (Sunday, Milwaukee at Philadelphia), NBC, 8.7/15; 7. Touched By an Angel, CBS, 8.3/14; 8. 48 Hours (Special), CBS, 8.1/14; 8. Becker (Special), CBS, 8.1/13; 10. Funny Flubs & Screw Ups 7, CBS, 8.0/14.

HBO's "dark themed" Six Feet Under produced the highest ratings ever for a debuting show on the pay-TV network Sunday night. Accompanied by the best performance yet by Sex and the City, HBO, which only reaches a third of the number of homes that the broadcast networks do, produced what today's (Wednesday) New York Times called, "the kind of rating numbers that will only further the growing concern at the broadcast networks that HBO is becoming a tough competitor on Sunday night." The newspaper pointed out that in the 18-34-year-old female demographic, Sex and the City beat all four broadcast networks while among men in the same age group, it was exceeded only by NBC's telecast of the NBA playoffs.

In a move that is likely to reverberate throughout the broadcasting industry, the FCC has fined Citadel Broadcasting $7,000 for broadcasting the Eminem hit record, "The Real Slim Shady," on its radio station in Pueblo, CO, even though objectionable words in it were deleted. In its ruling, the commission said, "The edited version of the song contains unmistakable offensive sexual references in conjunction with sexual expletives that appear intended to pander and shock." In an interview with today's (Wednesday) New York Post, Harry Jessel, editor-in-chief of Broadcasting & Cable, commented: "If KKMG is guilty, so are hundreds . . . thousands of other stations that played [the Eminem record]."

General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner said on Tuesday that he regards his company's negotiations with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp over Hughes Electronics, which operates the DirecTV satellite service, as "our priority right now, though we will remain open to consider alternative proposals." Charlie Ergen's EchoStar Communications is also reportedly interested in acquiring Hughes, but at a news conference in Wilmington, DE Tuesday, Wagoner did not indicate whether negotiations with the Colorado-based company, which operates the rival DISH Network, have taken place.

Michael J. Fox has revealed that he has agreed to appear on Spin City again next season, but he did not disclose the extent of his involvement with the series. Appearing on Access Hollywood, Fox suggested that his character will reappear in the season debut, resolving the cliffhanger of last season's finale. In the episode, the character played by Charlie Sheen appears at the apartment of Heather Locklear's character ready to profess his love, but discovers that she already has company. "Boy, I'm saying more than I really should," Fox remarked in the Access Hollywood interview, "but if anybody saw the final episode, when he walks into her apartment, you don't see what he sees there, so ..." Although Fox, who left the show after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, had indicated that he might return to Spin City for guest shots, he has made no appearances on it since his departure a year ago.

CNBC's David Faber, a member of the panel of the channel's morning stock market analysis Squawk Box and a commentator on Power Lunch, is looking to expand into more mainstream reporting when his current contract expires in December, New York Daily News columnist Phyllis Furman reported today (Wednesday), citing a source close to Faber. Asked whether he is negotiating for a regular spot on NBC Nightly News or Dateline NBC, Faber declined to comment.

The Washington, D.C.-based Council for Excellence in Government, which two years ago lambasted the television networks for negatively portraying public officials, has issued a new report praising the networks for lifting the public's opinion of government workers, particularly with the NBC series West Wing.

Court TV chief Henry Schleiff played host to some of Madison Avenue's top execs at the first post-Tony Awards performance of The Producers Monday night. Tuesday's Electronic Media online update reported that Schleiff scored 100 tickets to the performance months ago when, during the course of a conversation with Mel Brooks, a friend, he offered to invite the "hundred biggest players in advertising, who have a ton of word of mouth" to the post-Tonys performance. Schleiff joked that after the play became a huge hit, he had the choice to "scalp [the tickets] and make budget. But we've decided to go the old-fashioned way, to use them as a form of creating our relationships ... with our friends."

John Hartford, the virtuoso musician best remembered for his appearances on the Smothers Brothers' variety programs in the late '60s, died Monday in Nashville at the age of 63. He had been battling cancer for more than 20 years. Hartford was the composer of the Glen Campbell hit "Gentle on My Mind."