Reality producer, radio personality and "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest is in early talks with talent agency CAA and entertainment company AEG about jointly launching a new cable network, which is music, pop culture and lifestyle-oriented. Seacrest is likely to have some kind of on-air presence in the venture. Seacrest is expected to operate as an influential partner rather than serve as the face of the network. The network would pull programming from AEG's worldwide concert and live venue assets (such as the Staples Center, L.A. Live and The 02 in London), and leverage Seacrest's entertainment industry relationships …

Current TV, Al Gore's cable television venture that tried to create a new programming model based on short, user-generated documentaries, is launching its first scripted series with a social media twist. Working with Sims video game designer Will Wright in his first foray into television, the new show will let viewers participate in its development and vote on proposed story lines. Consisting of weekly 30-minute episodes, the tentatively titled "Bar Karma" will premiere in the first quarter of 2011. The new show marks a turning point for the 5-year-old media company, which brought in New York City-based MTV veteran …

Aegis Group's Carat has won U.S. planning and buying responsibilities for Relativity Media's film business after a review. Ad spending for the coming year's slate of up to 14 films is estimated at close to $200 million. Relativity, which is behind "The Social Network," about Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook, recently acquired the marketing and distribution operation of Overture Films, putting th hsop in the movie distribution business. Previously, the company, headed by CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, had been a major financial backer of film projects, but not a distributor. The win is another in a string …

Popular U.S. Web video service Hulu is prepared to raise as much as $300 million in an IPO likely to be led by Morgan Stanley. Hulu is ready to raise $200 million to $300 million in a deal valuing the company at about $2 billion, and could file a prospectus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before the end of the year, one source said. Tapping public markets is one of several options under consideration as Hulu, which offers shows such as "Glee" and "Modern Family" over the Web, girds for battle against fast-moving rival Netflix (and better …

Several major news organizations are lining up behind a new tablet device from Samsung Electronics Co. built on Google Inc. software, in order to broaden mobile readership beyond owners of Apple Inc. popular iPad. New York Times Co. and News Corp.'s Wall Street Journal will offer software applications for Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which goes on sale later this year, according to people familiar with the matter. Gannett Co.'s USA Today also is developing a software application. The device is one of the most highly anticipated tablet launches since the iPad, in part because it is built on …

Aiming to clear up consumer confusion about "eco-friendly" products, the Federal Trade Commission has revised its guidelines for businesses that make environmental claims in advertisements. The proposed new version of the agency's Green Guides has recommendations when to use words like "degradable" and "carbon offset," in ads and packaging, and warnings about using certifications and seals of approval that send misleading messages. The guidelines tackle confusing terms, like "Green" and "environmentally friendly," which are often claimed incorrectly. The new Green Guides generally advise companies that they will need "competent and reliable scientific evidence" for their claims. While the Green …

Aiming to win back customer trust after its string of recalls, Toyota Motor Corp. is offering American buyers of new Toyota- and Scion-brand vehicles two years of regular scheduled maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance for free. Toyota decided to make the program standard after 73% of customers who bought cars under the free maintenance program said it improved their confidence in the company. The program, which applies only to models bought in the U.S., covers models for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Only two weeks into the network's hit reality series "Sister Wives," the results of a felony bigamy investigation of the show's stars have been presented to the Utah County Attorney, who now must decide whether to file charges against Kody Brown and wives Mari, Janelle, Christine and Robyn. Bigamy is a felony in Utah, where the Brown family lives and the show is set, carrying a possible three- to five-year sentence upon conviction. However, polygamists are rarely prosecuted unless they've committed so-called collateral crimes like child abuse or welfare fraud, none of which yet has been alleged. "Sister Wives" …

Condé Nast continues to reorganize, moving its longtime, powerful HR chief into a new role that will include oversight for PR. Jill Bright, Condé Nast's head of HR since 1996, was named chief administrative officer. Condé Nast has made a number of high-level changes in the past few months as it tries to shift to a more consumer revenue-driven business. The shift has been from brands to corporate. Recent big outside hires have included Joe Simon, its first chief technology officer; and Monica Ray, who was poached from Time Inc. to be evp, consumer marketing. There have been …

AOL may buy more online media and even traditional newspapers in its bid to boost the digital content it offers customers, a senior company executive said. The move would be in line with AOL's strategy to have most of its content, including international content, from internal sources, AOL Chief Technology Officer Alexander Gounares said. The company said last Tuesday that it had acquired TechCrunch, a technology news blog. AOL already owns Engadget a Web magazine on gadgets and consumer electronics. AOL now plans to expand the content it offers to provide its audience with community news and information. AOL …