Who knew? When DJ Ryan Seacrest joined Brian Dunkleman as co-host on the first season of American Idol back in 2002 no one really thought he would go much farther than that. Fact is, many people thought it was Dunkleman who would go on to bigger and brighter things. Yet here we are, six years later, and Dunkleman is nowhere to be found while Seacrest has become a media mogul and one of the busiest personalities in the world of television. That presence will continue well into the next decade.

Seacrest has just inked a new deal with Comcast Entertainment Group that will keep him connected with their networks through 2012. This means he will remain the anchor and managing editor of E! News Daily and executive director of E!'s Live From the Red Carpet Specials. In addition to that, Comcast will get first-look rights to all of Ryan Seacrest Production's projects for not only E!, but G4, Versus, Style and The Golf Channel. The agreement also includes increased advertising for Seacrest's radio properties.

While there are those who feel that Seacrest fell into this string of good luck, I think there is much more to him than we see on the exterior. Behind those good looks and gentle joshing between himself and Simon Cowell on American Idol, Seacrest looks to be a shrewd business person who is on the road to become the next Dick Clark. Considering he has all but taken over the New Year's Eve mantel from Dick Clark, that road may be very short.

You've heard of Ryan Seacrest, right? Well, one of the most reliable news source in the world, The Globe, tells us now that the folks behind Live are courting Ryan Seacrest to replace Regis Philbin on their morning staple. It makes perfect sense. Consider that Regis, who turns 176 this year, has racked up more hours on television than anyone in history, but now has announced he'll be cutting back his television work to three days a week. Then we have Ryan, who can be seen and heard everywhere from his work on E! to American Idol to New Year's Rockin' Eve to his radio show to American Top 40. Maybe he'd give up his morning radio gig for a morning TV gig. Or maybe record one during the commercial breaks of the other.

I almost missed this story, though, because that same issue of The Globe promised to show me how to win the Lottery and I'm busy spending all the money I'm gonna win! So for now, we'll say the rumor's unsubstantiated but if the Weekly World News or The Onion picks it up, then it's official!

[via AOL]

Several months ago I made a promise that I was never going to watch the daily tabloid shows again. And I held on to that promise for a long time, and didn't watch Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Access Hollywood or the other shows. Until last night, that is. I wanted to see if there was any news on the Owen Wilson story (though these shows claiming they have "breaking news" is truly laughable in this day of the web and instant info). I just want to report that these shows are still disgusting, ridiculous, and sleazy.

Example: On The Insider, Pat O'Brien showed clips of the hospital, with Samuel L. Jackson arriving and also Owen Wilson's brothers driving in a car to or from the place. And then they show "last known photos of the actor" (taken, um, August 8), and O'Brien describes Wilson as "running his hand through his hair," and you see Wilson with a serious look on his face. O'Brien is clearly implying that they can decipher something from a quick photo taken weeks ago on some street. Give me a break.