Cellar victim Kampusch raped, starved in film of ordeal

VIENNA (Reuters) – A new film based on the story of Austrian kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch shows her being repeatedly raped by the captor who beat and starved her during the eight-and-a-half years that he kept her in a cellar beneath his house.

Kampusch was snatched on her way to school at the age of 10 by Wolfgang Priklopil and held in a windowless cell under his garage near Vienna until she escaped in 2006, causing a sensation in Austria and abroad. Priklopil committed suicide.

Kampusch had always refused to respond to claims that she had had sex with Priklopil, but in a German television interview on her 25th birthday last week said she had decided to reveal the truth because it had leaked out from police files.

The film, “3,096 Days” – based on Kampusch’s autobiography of the same name – soberly portrays her captivity in a windowless cellar less than 6 square metres (65 square feet) in area, often deprived of food for days at a time.

The emaciated Kampusch – who weighed just 38 kg (84 pounds) at one point in 2004 – keeps a diary written on toilet paper concealed in a box.

One entry reads: “At least 60 blows in the face. Ten to 15 nausea-inducing fist blows to the head. One strike with the fist with full weight to my right ear.”

The movie shows occasional moments that approach tenderness, such as when Priklopil presents her with a cake for her 18th birthday or buys her a dress as a gift – but then immediately goes on to chide her for not knowing how to waltz with him.

GREY AREAS

Antonia Campbell-Hughes, who plays the teenaged Kampusch, said she had tried to portray “the strength of someone’s soul, the ability of people to survive… but also the grey areas within a relationship that people don’t necessarily understand.”

The British actress said she had not met Kampusch during the making of the film or since. “It was a very isolated time, it was a bubble of time, and I wanted to keep that very focused,” she told journalists as she arrived for the Vienna premiere.

Kampusch herself attended the premiere, looking composed as she posed for pictures but declining to give interviews.

In an interview with Germany’s Bild Zeitung last week, she said: “Yes, I did recognize myself, although the reality was even worse. But one can’t really show that in the cinema, since it wasn’t supposed to be a horror film.”

The movie, made at the Constantin Film studios in Bavaria, Germany, also stars Amy Pidgeon as the 10-year-old Kampusch and Danish actor Thure Lindhardt as Priklopil.

“I focused mainly on playing the human being because… we have to remember it was a human being. Monsters do not exist, they’re only in cartoons,” Lindhart said.

“It became clear to me that it’s a story about survival, and it’s a story about surviving eight years of hell. If that story can be told then I can also play the bad guy.”

The director was German-American Sherry Hormann, who made her English-language debut with the 2009 move “Desert Flower”, an adaptation of the autobiography of Somali-born model and anti-female circumcision activist Waris Dirie.

“I’m a mother and I wonder at the strength of this child, and it was important for me to tell this story from a different perspective, to tell how this child using her own strength could survive this atrocious martyrdom,” Hormann said.

The Kampusch case was followed two years later by that of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian who held his daughter captive in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.

The crimes prompted soul-searching about the Austrian psyche, and questions as to how the authorities and neighbors could have let such crimes go undetected for so long.

The film goes on general release on Thursday.

(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan, Editing by Paul Casciato)

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Cellar victim Kampusch raped, starved in film of ordeal

VIENNA (Reuters) – A new film based on the story of Austrian kidnap victim Natascha Kampusch shows her being repeatedly raped by the captor who beat and starved her during the eight-and-a-half years that he kept her in a cellar beneath his house.

Kampusch was snatched on her way to school at the age of 10 by Wolfgang Priklopil and held in a windowless cell under his garage near Vienna until she escaped in 2006, causing a sensation in Austria and abroad. Priklopil committed suicide.

Kampusch had always refused to respond to claims that she had had sex with Priklopil, but in a German television interview on her 25th birthday last week said she had decided to reveal the truth because it had leaked out from police files.

The film, “3,096 Days” – based on Kampusch’s autobiography of the same name – soberly portrays her captivity in a windowless cellar less than 6 square metres (65 square feet) in area, often deprived of food for days at a time.

The emaciated Kampusch – who weighed just 38 kg (84 pounds) at one point in 2004 – keeps a diary written on toilet paper concealed in a box.

One entry reads: “At least 60 blows in the face. Ten to 15 nausea-inducing fist blows to the head. One strike with the fist with full weight to my right ear.”

The movie shows occasional moments that approach tenderness, such as when Priklopil presents her with a cake for her 18th birthday or buys her a dress as a gift – but then immediately goes on to chide her for not knowing how to waltz with him.

GREY AREAS

Antonia Campbell-Hughes, who plays the teenaged Kampusch, said she had tried to portray “the strength of someone’s soul, the ability of people to survive… but also the grey areas within a relationship that people don’t necessarily understand.”

The British actress said she had not met Kampusch during the making of the film or since. “It was a very isolated time, it was a bubble of time, and I wanted to keep that very focused,” she told journalists as she arrived for the Vienna premiere.

Kampusch herself attended the premiere, looking composed as she posed for pictures but declining to give interviews.

In an interview with Germany’s Bild Zeitung last week, she said: “Yes, I did recognize myself, although the reality was even worse. But one can’t really show that in the cinema, since it wasn’t supposed to be a horror film.”

The movie, made at the Constantin Film studios in Bavaria, Germany, also stars Amy Pidgeon as the 10-year-old Kampusch and Danish actor Thure Lindhardt as Priklopil.

“I focused mainly on playing the human being because… we have to remember it was a human being. Monsters do not exist, they’re only in cartoons,” Lindhart said.

“It became clear to me that it’s a story about survival, and it’s a story about surviving eight years of hell. If that story can be told then I can also play the bad guy.”

The director was German-American Sherry Hormann, who made her English-language debut with the 2009 move “Desert Flower”, an adaptation of the autobiography of Somali-born model and anti-female circumcision activist Waris Dirie.

“I’m a mother and I wonder at the strength of this child, and it was important for me to tell this story from a different perspective, to tell how this child using her own strength could survive this atrocious martyrdom,” Hormann said.

The Kampusch case was followed two years later by that of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian who held his daughter captive in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.

The crimes prompted soul-searching about the Austrian psyche, and questions as to how the authorities and neighbors could have let such crimes go undetected for so long.

The film goes on general release on Thursday.

(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan, Editing by Paul Casciato)

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The Staple Singers’ Cleotha Staples dies at age 78

(Reuters) – Cleotha Staples, a founding member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame R&B and gospel group The Staple Singers, has died after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, the group said on Friday. She was 78.

Staples, who died on Thursday at her Chicago home, is best known for singing on the group’s 1970s hits, including “I’ll Take You There,” “Respect Yourself” and “Let’s Do It Again.”

“We will keep on,” Mavis Staples, the group’s lead singer, said in a statement. “Yvonne and I will continue singing to keep our father’s legacy and our sister’s legacy alive.”

Mavis, who is known for her raspy voice that gave the group its distinct personality, said she would dedicate her forthcoming album to Cleotha’s memory.

The oldest of five children, Staples was born in Drew, Mississippi, to Roebuck “Pops” Staples and Oceola Staples. The family moved to Chicago when Staples was 2 years old in 1936, where sisters Mavis and Yvonne were born.

The Staple Singers, known as “God’s greatest hitmakers,” were formed in 1948 with Pops on guitar and siblings Mavis, Cleotha, Pervis and Yvonne singing.

The group first played churches in the Midwest and put out their first recording in 1953. Their gospel hits included “On My Way to Heaven,” “With the Circle Be Unbroken” and “Pray On.”

The family became active in the civil rights movement in 1962 after hearing Martin Luther King Jr. speak while the family was on tour. They are thought to be the first black group to cover Bob Dylan’s song “Blowin’ in the Wind” in 1963.

The Staples Singers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and were honored with a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2005.

Cleotha Staples is survived by her sisters Mavis and Yvonne and brother Pervis.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Lisa Shumaker)

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Rapper Ja Rule set to leave NY prison in gun case

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Platinum-selling rapper Ja Rule was set to leave an upstate prison on Thursday after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession but head straight into federal custody in a tax case.

The rapper, who had been in protective custody at the Mid-State Correctional Facility because of his celebrity, has some time remaining on a 28-month sentence for tax evasion, correction officials said. His sentences were expected to run concurrently.

Ja Rule may have less than six months left and may be eligible for a halfway house, defense attorney Stacey Richman said. An order to pay $ 1.1 million in back taxes is one of the main reasons he wants to get back to work, she said.

“Many people are looking forward to experiencing his talent again,” Richman said.

Ja Rule scored a Grammy Award nomination in 2002 for the best rap album with “Pain is Love.” He also has appeared in movies, including “The Fast and the Furious” in 2001 and “Scary Movie 3″ in 2003.

Ja Rule, who went to the prison in Marcy in June 2011, is getting out at his earliest release date, state correction spokeswoman Linda Foglia said. He had two misbehavior reports for unauthorized phone calls in February 2012 and had work assignments on lawn and grounds crews and participated in education programs, she said.

In the gun case, New York City police said they found a loaded .40-caliber semiautomatic gun in a rear door of Ja Rule’s $ 250,000 luxury car after it was stopped for speeding, and he pleaded guilty in 2010.

He admitted in March 2011 in federal court that he failed to pay taxes on more than $ 3 million he earned between 2004 and 2006 while he lived in Saddle River, N.J.

“I in no way attempted to deceive the government or do anything illegal,” he told the judge. “I was a young man who made a lot of money — I’m getting a little choked up — I didn’t know how to deal with these finances, and I didn’t have people to guide me, so I made mistakes.”

Richman said the 36-year-old rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, is looking forward to his daughter’s graduation.

“He’s a devoted father,” she said.

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A Minute With: Billy Crystal, former host of the Academy Awards

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Few people have more experience hosting the Academy Awards than actor Billy Crystal, who was the master of ceremonies for the movie industry’s highest honors for the ninth time last year.

As “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane prepares to host the Oscars for the first time on Sunday, Crystal, 64, spoke to Reuters about his own experiences and offered some tips.

Q: What is the secret to being a good Oscar host?

A: “Anytime I’ve been asked by new hosts – Chris Rock called me, Jon Stewart called me – I always say the same thing: ‘Whatever your approach, the world is a rough room. And it’s a big room. Not everybody is going to like what you have to say. But when you’re up there, look like you want to be there. You’re the captain of show business that night. That’s your job.’”

Q: Is there a particular way to handle the audience?

A: “You’ve got the first five rows of people who are all nominated actors. They are really nervous. The women are in uncomfortable dresses. The men aren’t used to wearing tuxedos. For most of them, it’s the end of a really long awards season. The lights are bright, it’s usually really cold in there and there are cameras running everything to get reaction shots. So make them feel relaxed. And you have to be funny.”

Q: In those conditions, that sounds like a pretty tall order.

A: “It’s a really difficult job because it goes against everything you want to do as a performer and I always found that hard. As a performer who loves his job on stage, I don’t really like to see the audience, I like to feel them. So I try to encourage (new hosts) to understand that it’s not going to be what they’re used to.”

Q: Do you have a favorite year of all the ones you hosted?

A: “Definitely my first one (in 1990) because it was the first and it went really, really well. Then the one I almost didn’t do (in 1992) because I had pneumonia. I had a 104 temperature and was so sick. I came out as Hannibal Lecter in a mask and was wheeled out on a gurney and went out into the audience and talked to Anthony Hopkins. It was the year Jack Palance won for ‘City Slickers‘ and did the one-arm push-ups. That set me up for an evening of just running jokes about him.”

Q: Any mishaps that you recall needing to step in and save?

A: “At the (1992 ceremony) I introduced Hal Roach from the stage. It was his 100th birthday. He wasn’t supposed to speak, only wave. But he started speaking, holding himself up by the seat in front of him. You could barely hear him. It went on and on. You could feel people getting restless. Lines were racing through my head and I thought, ‘How do you get out of this?’”

Q: And how did you?

A: “I hit on a line and just looked at the audience and said: ‘It’s only fitting, he got his start in silent films!’ It got a big cheer. For me, I could look at that one little moment and say, ‘I was okay then. I was a good comedian that night.’”

Q: Did hosting the Oscars ever get old for you?

A: “If it ever gets old hat, you shouldn’t do it. The nervous part for me was when we had a good show, trying to top it the next year. It was putting that self-imposed pressure on myself. We were fortunate enough to have some good shows and some not as good as others.”

Q: Do you have one particular moment that will always stay with you?

A: “I came up with this idea of putting me in the nominated films. The last piece was ‘The English Patient‘ where I’m walking in the desert. David Letterman had a rough time (when he hosted the Oscars in 1995), so I said, ‘What if Letterman is in the plane and he’s coming after me because I’m hosting?’ So we did that and I thought, ‘What if I come through the screen?’ So they built a screen and I ran on film and then popped right through the screen and suddenly I was live (at the theater).”

Q: So was that your favorite moment?

A: “Here’s my singular favorite moment: My mother was in the audience that night. It was the only time she saw me host the Oscars in person. When I popped through the screen, she and I made eye contact. We just looked at each other … so that was the greatest moment.”

Q: Would you host again if asked?

A: “Today with social media, everybody who can press ‘send’ is a critic. There’s a lot of good ones, but the mean ones are really mean. If you have a thin skin for that it makes it hard … For me if the show is good, it’s expected. If it’s a bit off, you get creamed. And I don’t feel like getting creamed anymore.”

(Editing by Jill Serjeant, Patricia Reaney and Stacey Joyce)

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Hollywood actors face new worry as reality commercials rise

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – For a recent TV commercial, H&R Block’s advertising agency passed on using actors and instead chose Riley Holmes, who works at the tax preparer’s Chicago office, to pitch the company’s free “second look service” that claims it can find new deductions from prior returns.

“People bring in old tax returns and I’m like, ‘Who did this to you?’” says Holmes in the 30-second TV commercial.

With hit reality shows luring viewers to just about every channel, H&R Block is among a growing number of companies, including Bayer, Best Buy Co Inc and Ford Motor Co, which are jumping on the trend and casting their own “real housewives” and other folks who don’t act for a living in spots.

Advertisers’ growing use of “real” folks in commercials is among a growing list of challenges facing actors as the union representing 165,000 actors and media professionals, begins bargaining on Thursday on a new three-year-contract. Industry negotiators are expected to resist efforts to raise actors’ rates for the increasing number of commercials that appear online.

“People want the real cancer survivor, the real doctor, real fire eater,” said Carol Lynn Sher, who works for the CESD Talent Agency in Los Angeles. “Fewer actors being used for those roles and its taking away jobs.”

Many already chafe as they watch a growing number of A-List actors – Robin Williams in a Snickers bar commercial or Sofia Vergara for Pepsi – take jobs that used to go to them.

“My 13-year-old daughter Francesca has been auditioning for commercials for five years, and it’s harder than ever because now they want kids to be real ballerinas, real violinists or real gymnasts,” said Toni Farina, mother of a Los Angeles-based young actress.

The issue of real life people taking actors jobs isn’t likely to be formally addressed in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) advertising negotiations.

Those talks, the first since the two guilds merged, will be focused mostly on higher pay for ads shown online and larger contributions to the union’s health and pension funds.

SAG-AFTRA declined to comment on the negotiations.

Still, the trickle of real folks in commercials has intensified, since actors signed their last contract in 2009.

In better days, actors used to get as much as $ 50,000 in residuals for a commercial that played nationally for a year, said Mike Abrams, partner with AKA Talent Agency in Los Angeles.

The appeal – not to mention price tag – of some actors are driving ad agencies elsewhere, especially as reality stars like Bethenny Frankel from “The Real Housewives of New York City” or “Jersey Shore” star Nicole Elizabeth “Snooki” Polizzi start showing up on magazine covers and hawking products.

Walt Disney Co’s ESPN went even one step further and searched for real “dead” people for a campaign last summer of 15 to 30 second commercials titled, “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” featuring real-life stories about fans who took their love of their sports teams with them to the grave.

“We did a nationwide search of funeral parlors for sports fan stories and how people took their love of their teams to the grave with them,” said Dan Bell, a Los Angeles casting director who specializes in real people casting.

Chuck Kaczorowski, chairman of Kaczorowski Funeral Home in Dundalk, Maryland, was among the stars in the ad campaign, in which he talks about a Baltimore Orioles casket his funeral home offers.

Many companies now even want “real life” couples and families to make their ads authentic, said Bell. The downside is that sometimes they clam up. Other times, they catch the acting bug, and start performing for the cameras.

Bell said he also helped find a real mother and her special needs child for a Mass Mutual ad that aired last summer as part of its campaign to drive awareness of challenges facing families with children with special needs.

As negotiators for actors and advertisers gather around the table for talks, LA actors likely have their attentions divided.

“I don’t think anyone’s worried about a strike at this point, but they are worried about this trend to more reality commercials,” said Sher, the talent agent from CESD, which is a major talent agency for young television and commercial actors.

(Reporting By Susan Zeidler and Frank Simons in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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Romanian film “Child’s Pose” wins Berlin Golden Bear

BERLIN (Reuters) – “Child’s Pose”, a Romanian drama about a domineering mother using her social position to try to save her son from jail, won the Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin film festival on Saturday.

The movie, directed by Calin Peter Netzer and starring Luminita Gheorghiu in the central role, had been among the favorites for the coveted prize, which extends the remarkable success of Romanian filmmakers on the European festival circuit.

The awards ceremony brought to a close the 11-day cinema showcase, where hundreds of movies were screened across Berlin and stars including Matt Damon, Nicolas Cage, Anne Hathaway, Jude Law and Catherine Deneuve walked the red carpet.

In “Child’s Pose”, Gheorghiu shines as the wealthy 60-year-old Cornelia, who attempts to buy off the poor family of a boy killed by her son in a road accident.

The veteran actress also appeared in Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”, a grisly abortion drama that put Romanian cinema firmly on the international map when it won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival in 2007.

“I’m still shell-shocked,” Netzer told reporters after the ceremony. “I haven’t quite woken up to this new reality. It will probably take a couple of days for it to sink in.”

The big surprise on the night was the best actor award for Nazif Mujic, a Bosnian Roma who had to be convinced to play himself in “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” about his own experiences on the fringes of society.

The movie, a docu-drama directed by Danis Tanovic and made for 30,000 euros ($ 40,100), captured hearts in Berlin for its straightforward storytelling and moving account of the impoverished Mujic’s desperate attempts to pay for his wife’s emergency operation.

“FEELS LIKE NEIL ARMSTRONG”

Tanovic, an Oscar winner for his 2001 war movie “No Man’s Land”, read about the story in a local newspaper in 2011 and was so angry at Bosnian society’s apparent lack of humanity that he determined to make a film about it.

“I think he (Mujic) feels like Neil Armstrong when he went to the moon, seriously,” Tanovic said of his star. “And I really do hope it is going to change his life for the better.”

Arguably the most popular winner at the 63rd Berlin film festival was Paulina Garcia, the Chilean actress whose portrayal in “Gloria” of a 58-year-old divorcee in Santiago was the highlight for many festival-goers and won her best actress.

Refusing to retire quietly into the background, Gloria drinks, smokes, parties and enjoys sex, all the while holding down a full time job and keeping in touch with her children.

The powerful older woman was a constant theme throughout the main competition of 19 films eligible for prizes, and Garcia was up against Gheorghiu and French actresses Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche for the acting Silver Bear.

Best director went to U.S. filmmaker David Gordon Green for his touching road movie “Prince Avalanche”, in which Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch play a pair of misfits who go to work in a remote forest where they embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Iranian entry “Closed Curtain” picked up the best script prize for directors Kamboziya Partovi and Jafar Panahi. Panahi made the movie in secret in defiance of a 20-year filmmaking ban and was not allowed to travel to Berlin to collect his award.

“Tradition and culture remain, politicians come and go,” Partovi told reporters after receiving the honor.

Kazakh cinematographer Aziz Zhambakiyev was honored for outstanding artistic achievement for his painterly work on “Harmony Lessons”, set on the harsh steppes of Kazakhstan.

($ 1 = 0.7490 euros)

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Nora Ephron to be honored at Writers Guild East Awards

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Nora Ephron helped craft the modern romantic comedy, leaving an indelible mark on the genre by chronicling love-lorn, mildly neurotic urbanites in hits like “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle.”

The director and screenwriter was hailed as a latter-day Ernst Lubitsch for her sparkling dialogue when she died last June after battling cancer. Now the Writers Guild of America, East will add its own tribute.

The guild will honor Ephron, a member of its union, at its 2013 awards ceremony February 17 in New York City.

Author Meg Wolitzer, whose novel, “This Is My Life,” was adapted and directed by Ephron in 1992 will head up the tribute, which will include of Ephron’s work and interviews, the guild said.

“Nora Ephron’s life and body of work were those of a quintessential New Yorker, but not only did she embody the sophistication, wit and energy of our city, she was also a loyal union member who walked the picket line and talked the talk on behalf of all her fellow writers,” Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America, East, said in a statement.

In addition to her films, Ephron was a journalist and memoirist. Her novel “Heartburn” was a thinly disguised roman a clef about the dissolution of her marriage to reporter Carl Bernstein; her play, “Lucky Guy,” stars actor Tom Hanks and debuts on Broadway in March 2013.

Ephron received the union’s Ian McClellan Hunter Award honoring her body of work as a writer in motion pictures in 2003.

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Peter Sarsgaard booked for “The Killing” season three

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Now that “The Killing” has landed a new season, the AMC drama has also added a notable new cast member.

“Kinsey” star Peter Sarsgaard has joined the series in a recurring role, a spokeswoman for the network told TheWrap on Tuesday.

Sarsgaard will play Tom Seward, a death row inmate and lifelong convict who’s been in and out of the justice system for violent crimes since he was 10. Born into poverty and crime, Seward never wants to appear weak, and views every interaction as a challenge that he must dominate.

Last month, AMC renewed the series for a third season, saying that Veena Sud would return as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the 12-episode season.

Actors Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman are also returning for the third season, which begins production February 25 in Vancouver.

This will mark Sarsgaard’s first recurring role on a television series.

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Music kingpin Jimmy Iovine: “Most tech companies are culturally inept”

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will launch a new paid subscription music service this summer branded under the successful Beats headphone brand, Iovine said on Tuesday.

Speaking at AllThingsD’s conference in Laguna Beach, the chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M sought to explain why his service will be better than the ones currently available. One reason? It’s being designed by creative people instead of geeks.

“Most technology companies are culturally inept,” Iovine said. “The way content companies never get tech right, never get culture right. They can hire anyone they want to sing in front of advertisements, but they never get curation right.”

Iovine then said that everyone offers the same service except for Apple, for which he reserved high praise. Steve Jobs was able to create a great service because he mirrored the current generation, boasting a background in both culture and technology.

However, this new Beats service will be “completely different” from iTunes, focusing on curating playlists for its users. Iovine spent a lot of time talking about how the order of songs matters, how Bruce Springsteen spent six months determining the eight-song order of “Born to Run.”

The Beats service customize what songs plays next for each user, relying on tastemakers like Nine Inch Nails leader turned composer Trent Reznor.

“My daughter plays Patsy Cline and Beyonce on the same playlist,” Iovine said. “We can’t just give them albums. They are telling us now. How loud do they have to scream it?”

Iovine, who helped launch both Eminem and Lady Gaga, has a vested interest in helping artists profit, too. While he seemed to praise Spotify, many musicians have complained that they do not get enough money from the service. Iovine said his service would enable artists to see who was listening to their music so they could get a better sense of their fan base.

Members of the audience thought that might raise privacy issues, but Iovine just flashed his smile and said he remained optimistic.

Beats bought music service MOG last summer and revealed in January that it is planning a new subscription service. Ian Rogers, former CEO of Topspin Media, will run the new service, code-named Daisy.

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Why Netflix has “no motivation” to release ratings for “House of Cards”

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – Netflix has ‘no motivation’ to disclose viewership numbers for its original shows regardless of their success, chief creative officer Ted Sarandos said on Tuesday. Speaking at AllThingsD’s conference in Laguna Beach, Sarandos both mocked Nielsen numbers and insisted that Netflix has no need to toot its own horn.

“I honestly have no motivation to do it,” Sarandos said of releasing numbers. “I don’t sell ads, so ratings don’t matter in that way.”

The question has surfaced repeatedly since Netflix released “House of Cards,” an expensive and well-received original show created by Beau Willimon and starring Kevin Spacey. While Sarandos said the show has been the most watched show on Netflix in every country where the service is available, he would not go much further.

Entertainment executives are particularly curious about the show’s performance to gauge Netflix’s foray into original programming and to compare its audience to that of shows on regular TV. Netflix will soon release other new series from successful Hollywood talent, including a new season of “Arrested Development.” The show’s creator Mitch Hurwitz and cast member Will Arnett joined Sarandos on stage during the session as well.

Sarandos gave several explanations for why Netflix has no reason to get into the numbers game. For one, they don’t sell advertisements against specific shows, so ratings have no impact on their bottom line. They don’t sell their shows to cable operators either, so they don’t need ratings to justify charging a certain fee. They make money from subscriptions and ratings have no impact on those numbers.

Netflix customers also watch the shows differently than they do normal television since they can watch them at any time on many devices. Sarandos said comparing Netflix ratings and TV ratings would be like apples and oranges.

When a reporter pressed Sarandos on the issue, he remarked that actors don’t believe in Nielsen numbers anyways. Arnett then commented that creative people just want to tell stories and welcome a new way of doing so.

When asked what he does when Spacey calls to ask about numbers, Sarandos replied, “I don’t tell him. I just tell him I’m thrilled.”

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After Whitney death, Clive Davis gala presses on

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — A year after Whitney Houston‘s death, music executive Clive Davis remembered her in words — and video.

Houston died last year just hours before the annual Clive Davis Gala was to start. On Saturday, Davis said his world continues “to be so shattered by her passing” and that Houston‘s death still feels “unreal.”

Then Davis played what he called a rare performance of Houston belting “All The Man That I Need” on Saturday the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Houston‘s brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Pat Houston, attended the gala, where Davis thanked them “for being here tonight.” He also called Houston the “greatest, greatest singer of our lifetime.”

Dutch electronic artist Afrojack kicked off the performances with a DJ set, but it was Gladys Knight who got the crowd up out of their seats with a closing number.

Her voice — still crisp and loud — felt at ease on “Neither One of Us” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

“You’ve been waiting here for a while and we all have to go, and I’m catching a train,” the 68-year-old singer said before going into her popular hit that had Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire dancing around his chair.

And Knight wasn’t the only performer to leave an impression during Davis’ nearly four-hour event.

Scottish singer Emeli Sande was well-received when hitting the right notes on “Heaven.” Miguel, who is nominated for five awards at Sunday’s Grammys, was energetic when he performed his R&B hit “Adorn.” He danced in the middle of the tables in the audience, and at one point sang to Taylor Hawkins’ wife Alison — as the Foo Fighters drummer watched on.

Usher, too, brought R&B flavor to the stage when he performed in honor of music executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who received the president’s merit award. Usher sang some of “Burn” and “Climax,” which featured the acoustic guitar.

The event was full of A-listers there to enjoy the live music: Johnny Depp, Quincy Jones, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Diddy, Miley Cyrus, Frank Ocean, Dave Grohl, Magic Johnson and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick were in the crowd.

“I’ve read the papers and I know you’ve been spending time with,” Davis said when announcing that Katy Perry and John Mayer were in the audience.

Usher also drew laughs when he told an old story about Reid signing the then teen to his record label.

“If I never can thank you for anything, it would be for not letting me go with the name Cha Cha,” Usher said of his previous stage name.

The pre-Grammy event also featured performances by Patti Smith, best new artist nominees the Lumineers and Jennifer Hudson, who paid tribute to Knight and performed with the singing veteran.

Ne-Yo, Carly Rae Jepsen, Brandy, David Guetta, Babyface, Wiz Khalifa, Jordin Sparks, Tyra Banks and dozens of others attended Davis’ gala.

___

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin

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The Wanted take music to television with E! reality show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After storming the U.S. pop charts with their infectious dance songs last year, British-Irish boy band The Wanted are set to invade television screens with a new reality show on the E! channel this summer, the network announced on Wednesday.

“The Wanted Life,” co-produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, will follow the band members as they move into a house in the Hollywood Hills and work on their anticipated album, due for release later this year.

The Wanted – Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker and Jay McGuiness – formed in 2009 in England, and was signed by Justin Bieber‘s manager Scooter Braun for its U.S. endeavors.

The five, aged 19 to 24, are known for their raucous behavior and are often pictured out drinking and partying with girls.

“We’ve always tried to show who we are. We haven’t hid much,” band member George said in an interview with E! Online.

“I don’t think there’s anything off limits to be honest … We’ll let everything be exposed,” Kaneswaran added.

The band have accumulated a strong following of fans on Twitter after hit singles such as “Glad You Came” and “Chasing the Sun” became radio and pop chart staples last year.

The band also opened for Bieber at various tour dates including his sold-out Madison Square Gardens gig in New York last December.

They will be embarking on their own headlining tour in the United States and Britain in the fall, with details to be released in summer.

George has also grabbed headlines for his friendship with troubled actress Lindsay Lohan, who has been traveling to the UK with the band in the last few months.

George did not say whether Lohan would appear on the show, which is set to premiere in June.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Eric Walsh)

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“Game of Thrones” writer George R.R. Martin lands overall deal with HBO

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – There just might be a lot more dragons and swords in HBO‘s future.

George R.R. Martin, whose “A Song of Fire and Ice” fantasy novel series served as the basis for HBO’s hit drama “Game of Thrones,” has entered an overall deal with the network.

The two-year agreement will retain Martin as a co-executive producer of the series, which begins its third season March 31, but will also have him developing and producing series for the network.

In addition to “Game of Thrones” – which he’s written a few episodes for – Martin served as a producer and writer on the 1980s series “Beauty and the Beast,” and penned a handful of episodes for the 1980s revival of “The Twilight Zone.”

News of Martin’s overall deal with HBO was first reported by Deadline.

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NBCU’s Bonnie Hammer to run Cable; Joe Uva to run Telemundo

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – NBC Universal‘s executive lineup underwent a shift of responsibilities on Monday, with Bonnie Hammer, NBCU‘s chairman of cable entertainment and cable studios, taking control of NBC Universal’s full cable portfolio, and executive Lauren Zalaznick being promoted to a new role, and former Univision president and CEO Joe Uva taking over NBCU’s Spanish-language network Telemundo.

Under her new expanded duties, Hammer (pictured) will oversee Bravo, Oxygen, Style, Sprout and TV One adding to her existing duties of overseeing USA Network, SyFy, E!, G4, Cloo, Chiller and other properties. The newly consolidated collection of networks will be renamed Cable Entertainment Group.

Zalaznick, who has been serving as chairman of NBC Universal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated media, has been promoted to the new position of EVP NBCUniversal, where she’ll focus on “innovation, digital, monetization and emerging technology across the company,” NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke told employees in an internal email.

Uva, meanwhile, has been tapped for the newly created position of NBCU’s chairman of Hispanic Enterprises and Content, a position that will include running the company’s Spanish language networks Telemundo and mun2. Uva stepped down as president and CEO of Univsion in June 2011.

Hammer and Zalaznick will assume their new responsibilities immediately, while Uva will come aboard April 3.

Burke, who’s enacted similar restructurings for NBCU’s sports and news divisions, said that the restructuring will help streamline things while allowing for better exploitation of the company’s assets.

“Our business is more dynamic and challenging than at any point in its history,” Burke wrote in a memo to his staff. “Now, more than ever, we need to simplify our organization and take advantage of the breadth of our assets. At the same time, we need to focus more on innovation and emerging technologies. These organization changes are designed to do just that,” Burke wrote.

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Bolshoi ballet chief heads to Germany after attack

MOSCOW (AP) — The artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet said he knows who ordered an acid attack that left him with severe burns to his eyes and face but won’t say, voicing hope that investigators will soon name the perpetrator.

Sergei Filin checked out of a Moscow hospital Monday and headed to Germany for further rehabilitation.

Filin, 42, wore shades and a bandage on his head, and skin on his face was red and swollen from burns. But he spoke energetically and seemed to be in a good mood as he walked out of the hospital accompanied by his wife.

“My body is full of strength and energy,” he told reporters.

Filin earlier told Russian state television that he knew who ordered the attack but wouldn’t give names. “My heart tells me who did it,” Filin told Rossiya 24 television in an interview broadcast late Sunday.

He said that investigators would visit him in Germany as part of the continuing probe.

An attacker threw sulphuric acid in Filin’s face in Moscow on Jan. 17, as he was returning home from work.

“I felt enormous, unbearable pain,” Filin recalled in the television interview. “I fell face down in the snow and started rubbing my face and eyes with snow.”

His colleagues said the attack on Filin could be in retaliation for his selection of certain dancers over others for the prized roles.

The Bolshoi has been plagued by intrigue and infighting that have led to the departure of several artistic directors over the past few years.

Filin told reporters Monday as he was leaving the hospital that he’s still seeing as if through a mist as his eye treatment is continuing, and added that he will have to undergo further eye surgery in Germany.

“I don’t care about my face, my hair, my looks,” he said in the television interview. “I’m ready to be completely bald, look like a Frankenstein. It will have no impact on my heart, on my soul. All my inner self, all my energy is focused on recovering eyesight.”

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NBC News President Capus to leave network

(Reuters) – NBC News President Steve Capus will be leaving the network in the coming weeks after struggles at the unit, including lower ratings for its flagship morning TV show, “Today.”

No replacement has been named for Capus, president of NBC News since 2005, according to a company memo obtained by Reuters. In a statement, Capus said it was “now time to head in a new direction.”

Three sources close to NBC said his departure had been rumored around the halls after parent Comcast Corp reorganized the news division in July, bringing in Patricia Fili-Krushel to head the news unit’s business operations. After that change, these sources said, Capus’ departure became a matter of when, not if.

Prior to Comcast’s takeover, the three heads of NBC‘s news operations — Mark Hoffman at CNBC, Phil Griffin at MSNBC and Capus — all reported directly to Jeff Zucker, who was not only NBC’s chief executive but also well-versed in hard news.

“There was a natural flow to the news division under Zucker. They all spoke the same language,” said one of these sources. “No disrespect to Pat, but she’s not viewed as a news person.”

Indeed, both Capus and Zucker basically grew up with each other at NBC, spending about 20 years together at the network. Capus did not say what his next move would be. Zucker, the executive who promoted him seven years ago at NBC, is now the worldwide president of CNN, owned by Time Warner Inc.

The sources said it would not be a surprise if Capus eventually resurfaced in a new position under Zucker at CNN. Earlier this week, Mark Whitaker, the managing editor at CNN, announced his resignation to make room for Zucker to install his own team. Prior to his joining CNN, Whitaker worked at NBC News under both Capus and Zucker.

Fili-Krushel said in a memo to staff on Friday that until a replacement for Capus is found, NBC News will operate under an interim structure with various executives reporting to her. She will start the search for a successor in coming weeks, with Capus helping with the transition.

Two other sources said that the recent view internally has been that Antoine Sanfuentes, an executive who oversees NBC News‘ Washington bureau and the Sunday political talk program “Meet the Press,” was being groomed to replace Capus. Fili-Krushel said in her memo that Sanfuentes will report to her and serve as interim managing editor responsible for editorial decision-making.

The first three sources said they had expected Capus to announce his departure at the end of last year to coincide with the announcement that Jim Bell was leaving as executive producer of the “Today” show to assume the newly created role of full-time executive producer of the Olympics.

Ultimately, Capus decided to trigger his departure by exercising an “out” clause built into his most recent contract, according to one of the first three sources.

Capus commanded the loyalty of NBC News staff, particularly the on-air talent and producers, all of the five sources agreed. Some of the major news events he worked on included the September 11 attacks, the discovery of anthrax in the NBC newsroom, the death of Britain’s Princess Diana and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His resignation came as an unexpected blow to NBC News staff, despite the apparent grooming of Sanfuentes.

Savannah Guthrie, installed by Capus as “Today” show host after the departure of Ann Curry, tweeted on Friday that Capus was “a great leader and tireless advocate for NBC News” who will be missed.

NBC News made deep job cuts in 2006 after wider layoffs at the parent company. Rivals ABC News and CBS News have also made hundreds of layoffs in the past few years.

Capus said in his memo that he “tried to shield journalists from the tough economic pressures hoping that would give each of you the running room to focus solely on a commitment to outstanding journalism.”

RECENT STRUGGLES

NBC News has been the one part of the network’s news operations to show slippage in the last year. CNBC is far and away the leading business news network, as measured in ratings. MSNBC has not only surpassed CNN to become a strong No. 2 among general cable news networks, but has also closed the gap with long-time leader Fox News, owned by News Corp.

“Pat Fili-Krushel has a strong vision of the integration that is required to make the full array of NBC programming fire on all cylinders in unison. She also understands the need to complement both the owned station and Comcast cable group goals to leverage all to best advantage,” said Magid & Associates consultant Steve Ridge.

NBC News has ranked as the leader among network news broadcasts in both the morning and evening for much of Capus’ eight-year run as president. Two of the first three sources said he deserves credit for maintaining the “Today” show as the dominant morning news program, “NBC Nightly News” as the leading evening news broadcast, and “Meet the Press” as the marquee Sunday news program. But over the last year, Capus’ fiefdom has taken a few hits, most notably at the “Today” show.

NBC News, for example, was criticized for ousting Ann Curry as “Today” co-host after only one year.

The “Today” show has been in a back-and-forth ratings war with ABC’s “Good Morning America” ever since ABC snapped NBC’s 16-year unbeaten streak last year. “NBC Nightly News” is averaging 8.76 million total viewers, ahead of “ABC World News” and “CBS Evening News.” It has seen less ratings success with the news magazine “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” which debuted in 2011 and after being bounced around the schedule, will move to Friday nights on Feb 8.

NBC News also came under fire last spring when it decided to edit a call to police from George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. The editing made it appear that Zimmerman told police, without being prompted, that Martin was black when, in fact, the full tape revealed that the neighborhood watch captain did so only when responding to a question posed by a dispatcher.

NBC has since been sued for defamation by Zimmerman.

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Andrew Hay and Matthew Lewis)

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Washington wins 3 trophies at NAACP Image Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kerry Washington was a triple threat at the NAACP Image Awards.

The star of ABC’s “Scandal” picked up a trio of trophies at the 44th annual ceremony: outstanding actress in a drama series for “Scandal,” supporting actress in a motion picture for “Django Unchained” and the President’s Award, which is given in recognition of special achievement and exceptional public service.

“This award does not belong to me,” said Washington, who plays a slave separated from her husband in “Django Unchained,” as she picked up her first trophy of the evening for her role in the film directed by Quentin Tarantino. “It belongs to our ancestors. We shot this film on a slave plantation, and they were with us along every step of the way.”

Washington, who plays crisis management consultant Olivia Pope on “Scandal,” serves on President Barack Obama‘s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Don Cheedle was awarded the outstanding actor in a comedy series trophy for his role as a slick management consultant in Showtime’s “House of Lies.”

“This doesn’t belong just to me, but I am taking it home tonight,” joked Cheedle.

A few winners weren’t present at the Shrine Auditorium to pick up their trophies, including Denzel Washington for outstanding actor in a motion picture for “Flight,” Viola Davis for outstanding actress in a motion picture for “Won’t Back Down” and Omar Epps for supporting actor in a drama series for Fox’s “House.”

“Red Tails,” the drama about the Tuskegee Airmen, was honored as outstanding motion picture.

“Look! I beat Quentin Tarantino,” beamed “Red Tails” executive producer George Lucas as he accepted the award.

LL Cool J, who was honored as outstanding actor in a drama series for CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles,” dedicated his trophy to fellow nominee Michael Clarke Duncan, “The Green Mile” and “The Finder” actor who died last year.

“I wish his family well,” said LL. “Let’s give it up for him.”

Gladys Knight sang during the in memoriam segment, but the beginning of her performance wasn’t heard on the live NBC broadcast because of a technical glitch.

Sidney Poitier presented Harry Belafonte with the Spingarn Award, which honors outstanding achievement by an African American. His honor was followed by a serenade from Wyclef Jean and Common.

Other winners at the ceremony hosted by talk show host Steve Harvey included Loretta Devine as supporting actress in a drama series for “Grey’s Anatomy,” Cassi Davis as outstanding actress in a comedy series and Lance Gross as outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for TBS’ “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.”

The Image Awards are presented annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the group’s members select the winners.

___

Online:

http://www.naacpimageawards.net

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang

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Beyonce admits Inauguration Day pre-recording

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Beyonce answered critics of her Inauguration Day performance the best way she could — with another sterling performance of the national anthem.

The difference?

On Thursday, it was live: She admitted during her Super Bowl news conference that when she performed for President Barack Obama and the nation, she decided to sing to a prerecorded track because she didn’t have time to practice. Calling herself a self-proclaimed “perfectionist,” she said wanted the day to go off without a hitch.

“I practice until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra,” she said, adding that she was also emotional that day. “Due to no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a risk. It was about the president and the inauguration, and I wanted to make him and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry. And I’m very proud of my performance.”

It was the superstar’s first public comments on what has become known as “Beyonce-gate.”

Her rendition of the anthem was critically praised, but was scrutinized less than a day later when a representative from the U.S. Marine Band said Beyonce was lip-syncing — merely mouthing the words to a pre-recorded track — and the band’s accompanying performance was taped. Shortly after, the group backed off its initial statement and said no one could tell if she was singing live or not.

With the controversy growing each day, and everyone from politicians to other entertainers weighing in, the inauguration performance threatened to overshadow her planned Super Bowl halftime show. So the 31-year-old, wearing a tight, cream mini-dress, addressed the issue as soon as she took to the podium Thursday afternoon.

She asked everyone to stand, and, with an image of the American flag behind her, performed a live rendition of the national anthem that mirrored the one on Inauguration Day. After, she said with a laugh: “Any questions?”

Despite her performance, there were.

When pressed about whether any sound was coming from her voice when she sang for the president, she said she was singing along to the track and not mimicking (though it’s unclear how audible her voice was). And when asked if she would be singing live at the Super Bowl, she said: “I will absolutely be singing live.

“This is what I was born to do.”

She added later: “I always sing live. … The inauguration was unfortunately a time where I could not rehearse with the orchestra, actually because I was rehearsing for the Super Bowl. So that was always the plan.”

Beyonce also got a chance to talk more in detail about the reason why she was in New Orleans — to perform at the halftime show. Calling it one of her career aspirations, she said when she arrived at the Superdome, she was so moved by the experience she took her shoes off and ran on the field, taking in the history at the famed venue.

“It really makes me emotional,” she said. “When I am no longer here, it’s what they’re gonna show.”

Beyonce has teased photos and video of herself preparing for the show, which will perhaps be the biggest audience of her career. Last year, Madonna’s halftime performance was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance ever, with an average of 114 million viewers. It garnered more viewers than the game itself, which was the most-watched U.S. TV event in history.

But she would not give anything more away about the performance. While a Destiny’s Child reunion was shot down by Michelle Williams, who is starring in a production of “Fela!”, the third Destiny’s Child member, Kelly Rowland, is in town. Beyonce laughed off questions of whether Rowland or Beyonce’s husband, Jay-Z, would join her on stage.

“I can’t give you any details, sorry,” she said.

She also would not reveal her set list, though acknowledged she was having a hard time trying to “condense a career into 12 minutes.”

Before the news conference, Beyonce’s “Life is But A Dream” was shown to the media. The documentary about the star’s life features her talking in-depth about intimate details of her life, including suffering a miscarriage; it will air on HBO on Feb. 16.

In it, she also reveals more of her 1-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, whom she called her inspiration.

“I feel like my daughter changed me and changed my life and has given me so much purpose,” she said. She added that she was counting down until 9 p.m. Sunday, when her performance would be over — and she could be reunited with Blue Ivy.

___

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Justin Timberlake launches music comeback with Grammy performance

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Justin Timberlake, making his pop music comeback with a new single and album, will perform at next month’s Grammy Awards for the first time in four years, Grammy organizers said on Wednesday.

Timberlake, 31, will take the stage at the music industry‘s biggest night in Los Angeles on February 10, ahead of the scheduled March release of his first album since 2006.

“The 20/20 Experience” marks Timberlake’s return to music after several years in which he has focused more on acting and business ventures, including a clothing line and a partnership in social networking site Myspace.

At the Grammy Awards ceremony and show, Timberlake will join performers and country music nominees Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley, singers Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, and bands Mumford & Sons and FUN.

Elton John will also duet with rising British singer Ed Sheeran, and the Grammy ceremony will be hosted by rapper LL Cool J. Other performers will be announced in the next 10 days.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Will Dunham)

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