CBC, union meet labour minister, continue talks in Ottawa area

The CBC and its largest union have agreed to continue talks to find a solution to their labour dispute after meeting with the federal labour minister.

Joe Fontana urged CBC management and leaders of the broadcaster's largest union to find a solution to the disruption now in its seventh week.

Fontana told negotiating teams in Gatineau, Que. - just across the Ottawa River from Ottawa - that the "current situation is unacceptable."

Senior representatives present at the meeting included Arnold Amber, president of the Canada Media Guild branch representing CBC workers and CBC president Robert Rabinovitch.

The Guild represents 5,500 employees - including journalists, technicians and other staff - that the CBC locked out on Aug. 15, after more than a year of negotiations.

Since then, managers have provided reduced coverage on the CBC's radio, TV and web services. The lockout affects all CBC centres except those in the province of Quebec and Moncton, N.B.

In a communiqué Friday, Amber said, "We need some assistance to get the contract done and we need the right people in the room. If the main decision-makers from CBC senior management are there, this thing could be settled within five days after Monday." Following Monday's meeting, CBC released a statement that it "welcomes efforts to move negotiations with CMG to a conclusion."

Fontana commented that "Both parties have demonstrated a willingness to resolve this dispute. They have agreed, at my invitation, to remain in the building and resume negotiations on the remaining issues - I will be meeting jointly with the parties later today to get a status of their talks."

Mediator Elizabeth MacPherson, the head of the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service, will assist the union and the CBC in their deliberations.

While the talks were going on, about 500 CBC workers from Toronto, Sudbury and Ottawa rallied outside Parliament as MPs returned from summer break.

Dunst Confirms 'Spidey 3' Villain Identities

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Although the Internet has been abuzz with the supposed identities of the two "Spider-Man 3" villains to be played by Thomas Haden Church and Topher Grace, Sony and Marvel have kept the names under wraps.

Now Mary Jane herself has confirmed Spidey's latest nemeses.

"We have really great people though as the villains in this film, Thomas Haden Church and Topher Grace -- Venom and Sandman," says Kirsten Dunst while promoting her film "Elizabethtown."

"Maybe I wasn't supposed to say that," she says, checking with her rep, who assures her the information has already been released.

The "Interview with a Vampire" actress is a little shaky on the information at first, saying that Church would play Venom and Grace would take on Sandman, before reversing her claim when a journalist expresses disbelief. "It's the other way around. You're right," she concedes.

Dunst can be forgiven since she has yet to receive a script for the film that will begin shooting in January.

"But I know the general story," she adds. "There's a lot that they're trying to fit into this one."

For those like Dunst who are unfamiliar with the universe of Marvel miscreants, Sandman is a career criminal whose irradiated body can turn into a sand-like substance.

In the case of Venom, an alien symbiote that once masqueraded as Spider-Man's costume takes over ex-reporter Eddie Brock -- who has a beef with Spider-Man over a journalism-related embarrassment. The symbiote gives his body and hatred strength, creating a supervillain that looks like a black-and-white version of Spider-Man with a wicked smile.

After years of playing Lowell Mather on the aviation sitcom "Wings," Church returned to the spotlight with his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Jack in 2004's "Sideways." Grace is best known as the scrawny Eric Forman on "That '70s Show." He's received acclaim for his film roles in "Traffic," "P.S." and "In Good Company."

Dunst, who plays redheaded actress Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker's love interest in the first two "Spider-Man" films, will return for the third installment, which is scheduled for a Spring 2007 release. She recently wrapped shooting Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" and next stars opposite Orlando Bloom in Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown," which opens nationwide on Friday, Oct. 14.

New Wonder Album Finally Hitting Stores

After numerous delays, Stevie Wonder's first new album in 10 years, "A Time 2 Love," will finally arrive Oct. 18 via Motown. The set was most recently due for release June 14; first single "So What the Fuss" featuring Prince has been at radio since May and a second single, "From the Bottom of My Heart" has been garnering airplay for nearly as long.

Among the guests on the 15-track set are India.Arie and Paul McCartney on the title cut, Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar on "Tell Your Heart I Love You," gospel star Kim Burrell and rapper Doug E. Fresh on opener "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" and Wonder's daughter Aisha on "How Will I Know" and "Positivity."

Another track, "Shelter in the Rain," will be available Oct. 11 from digital downloads retailers, with proceeds earmarked for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

"As an artist, you get anxious and excited -- you want to show what you can do," Wonder told Billboard late last year. "But for me, I had to make a real decision not to rush. I wasn't feeling that the timing is right. A lot of what I do when I do an album is based on whether the timing is right."

"A Time 2 Love" is Wonder's first new album since 1995's "Conversation Peace."

Here is the track list for "A Time 2 Love":

"If Your Love Cannot Be Moved"
"Sweetest Somebody I Know"
"Moon Blue"
"From the Bottom of My Heart"
"Please Don't Hurt My Baby"
"How Will I Know"
"My Love Is on Fire"
"Passionate Raindrops"
"Tell Your Heart I Love You"
"True Love"
"Shelter in the Rain"
"So What the Fuss"
"Can't Imagine Love Without You"
"Positivity"
"A Time To Love"

Hoppy 50th, Kermit

Hard to believe, but Kermit has been green for 50 years now. And while it hasn't always been easy, the Muppets' famous frog is celebrating the milestone by leaping from place to place.

"Kermit is iconic, a global character who transcends time and generational taste," says Chris Curtin of Disney, which now owns the Muppets. "It's rare to find a character who survives that kind of test of time."

The original Kermit — cut from an old coat belonging to Jim Henson's mom — appeared on his creator's first TV show, a 1955 comedy called Sam and Friends.

Among the birthday activities:

• A 15-month world tour begins Oct. 14 in Kermit, Texas, taking in 50 stops, including a USO appearance and a run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

• The U.S. Postal Service today issues a commemorative stamp collection in honor of the late Henson and his Muppets.

• The 1976 first season of The Muppet Show is out on DVD (Buena Vista, $39.99). Bonus features include the original Muppet Show pitch reel, plus a rare Miss Piggy-less pilot.

• New this month from Hyperion is It's Not Easy Being Green and Other Things to Consider ($16.95), filled with commentary from Henson and his characters, friends and family.

Springsteen Celebrates 'Born to Run' Album

NEW YORK - Bruce Springsteen is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the "Born to Run" album, which landed him simultaneously on the covers of Time and Newsweek, with a special box set this fall.

The "Born to Run 30th Anniversary Edition" will include a DVD of Springsteen and the E Street Band's 1975 performance at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, a 16-song set that featured much of the album.

A second DVD, "Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run," is a 90-minute documentary about the album that features fresh interviews from Springsteen, band members and others involved. It also features footage of Springsteen performing some of the songs solo with guitar or piano.

The package features a newly-remastered "Born to Run" disc. There's no additional music — outtakes or the like — that are often featured in box sets.

Columbia Records will put the package on sale November 15th.

Coldplay and Gorillaz lead MTV award nominations

LONDON (Reuters) - Rock band Coldplay go head to head with cartoon quartet Gorillaz at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon, after the British acts garnered five nominations each when they were announced on Tuesday.

Coldplay, fronted by actress Gwyneth Paltrow's husband Chris Martin, shot to No. 1 in the United States and over 20 other countries this year with new album "X&Y" and are competing for best group, song, album, rock and UK and Ireland act categories.

Gorillaz, the band whose public face is four cartoon characters, are vying for best group, best song, best video for "Feel Good Inc," best pop and best UK and Ireland act.

Music fans across Europe and Africa can choose the winners via MTV's websites with the exception of the best video category, which is selected by MTV Europe.

Coldplay will perform at the ceremony in Lisbon on November 3, and will be joined by the Foo Fighters, Green Day, Robbie Williams and The Black Eyed Peas.

The annual event will be hosted by irreverent British comic Sacha Baron Cohen playing his alter ego Borat Sagdiyev, the hapless Kazakh journalist.

"The emphasis of the 12th annual MTV Europe Music Awards is on spectacular live performance," said Brent Hansen, editor-in-chief of MTV Networks International.

Millions of fans are expected to tune into one of Europe's biggest pop award ceremonies.

Just behind Coldplay and Gorillaz in the nomination list was U.S. star Gwen Stefani, who is vying for best female and pop act, best album for "Love. Angel. Music. Baby," and best video for "What You Waiting For?"

Five artists were nominated for three awards apiece. Rappers 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg as well as punk band Green Day represent the United States. They are joined by Irish rockers U2 and British newcomer James Blunt.

In both the best male and best female categories, four of the five nominees are from the United States.

For the first time, the MTV awards will include a category for best African act, with 2 Face, Kaysha, Kleptomaniax, 02 and Zamajobe in the running.

Viacom's MTV Networks went live earlier this year with its new African music video channel.

Morissette Looks Back With 'The Collection'

Alanis Morissette's cover of Seal's "Crazy" will precede the November 15th release of the retrospective "The Collection."

The 19-track album will be available as an enhanced single-disc set and a double-disc package with an hour-long documentary DVD.

Aside from such hits as "You Oughta Know," "Hand in My Pocket," "Ironic," "Hands Clean" and "Thank U," the album features Morissette's contributions to soundtracks for "Dogma," "De-Lovely" and "City of Angels," plus a track she recorded for the compilation "The Prayer Cycle."

Morissette was first heard reinterpreting "Crazy" earlier this summer as part of Gap's "Favorites" campaign. The track was available on a CD distributed only in Gap stores this month.

"Ultimately, I put this collection record together to have something to show my great-grandkids one day, and to reflect with objectivity on my own evolution as a writer and singer," Morissette says.

Here is the track list for "The Collection":

"Thank U"
"Head Over Feet"
"Eight Easy Steps"
"Everything"
"Crazy"
"Ironic"
"Princes Familiar"
"You Learn"
"Simple Together"
"You Oughta Know"
"That I Would Be Good"
"Sister Blister"
"So Unsexy"
"Hands Clean"
"Mercy"
"Still"
"Uninvited"
"Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love"
"Hand In My Pocket"