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Discovery attributed the decision to postpone the autopsy re-enactment to “the request of Michael Jackson’s estate” and “the commencement of legal proceedings beginning next week.”

HOLIDAY NEWS RECAP

Here’s What You Missed While You Were Decking the Halls With Boughs of Holly—or Catching Some Rays in Barbados
Following a barrage of complaints, most prominently from co-executors John Branca and John McClain, Discovery Networks International has “postponed indefinitely” its plans to broadcast the re-enactment documentary Michael Jackson’s Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson in the U.K. and Europe on Jan. 13. Promos for the special showed a sequined glove alongside a body draped in a sheet. “We were especially outraged when a sickening print advertisement for the program appeared making light of Michael's death by depicting a corpse sprawled on a steel gurney covered by a sheet with a hand sticking out wearing Michael's signature sequined glove,” Branca and McClain wrote in a Dec. 29 letter to Discover. “No doubt this fictitious, morbid image is being spread worldwide even now on the Internet, viewed by Michael's loved ones, and even accepted as authentic by those who may be unaware that Discovery made it up." Discovery attributed the decision to “the request of Michael Jackson’s estate” and “the commencement of legal proceedings beginning next week.”… If the case goes to trial, Dr. Conrad Murray’s defense team will reportedly argue that Jackson injected himself with the fatal dose of Propophyl while Murray was out of the room… Bon Jovi registered the highest-grossing tour of a historically bad year for the concert biz with $201.1 million worldwide, $108.2 million of the total in North America, according to Pollstar stats. The rest of the worldwide top five: AC/DC ($177 million), U2 ($160.9 million), Lady Gaga ($133.6 million) and Metallica ($110.1 million). In this hemisphere, Roger Waters’ remounting of The Wall was #2 with $89.5 million, followed by the Dave Matthews Band ($72.9 million), Michael Bublé ($65.7 million) and the Eagles ($64.5 million). Collectively, the top 50 N.A. tours took in $1.69 billion, roughly 15% under last year’s $1.99 billion. Total ticket sales dropped 12%, from 29.9 million in 2009 to 26.2 million last year, and decreased 7% worldwide, from 45.3 million in 2009 to 38.3 million in 2010… The British press was all over Lucian Grainge’s Christmas vacation in Barbados after it got out that the incoming UMG chieftain had invited Take That, the boy band Grainge had taken to the top of the charts in his homeland, to play his New Year’s Eve bash. Robbie Williams couldn’t make the gig, but he’ll rejoin his old group for the Brit Awards on Feb. 15… Just before Christmas, Viacom sold Harmonix Music Systems, the developer of the Rock Band videogame, to the investment firm Columbus Nova. The deal will probably contribute $100 million to $200 million to Viacom, which had a net loss of $316 million from Harmonix for the nine months ended Sept. 30… Vevo concluded its highly successful first full year of existence by releasing a list of its Top 10 Most Watched Videos of 2010. Justin Bieber had three of them: “Baby,” his duet with Ludacris (#1), followed by “One Time” (#5) and “Never Say Never” (#8). Lady Gaga had two with “Bad Romance” (#2) and “Alejandro” (#9). So did Eminem, with “Love the Way You Lie” featuring Rihanna (#4) and “Not Afraid” (#6), while Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” also made the list (#7). “Waka Waka” by Shakira f/Freshlyground was #3, and “OMG” from Usher f/will.i.am was #10)… R.I.P.: Teena Marie, Bernie Wilson of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Taylor,

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