Swept Away

Looks like Madonna won't get to express herself on CBS anytime soon. At its upfront presentation to advertisers this spring, the network boasted it would air a concert performance from the singer's current Reinvention Tour, marking her first concert special for network TV after having done three such specials for HBO. Taping was to take place next week when Madonna performs in Lisbon, Portugal. Now, however, Variety reports that CBS has scrapped plans to air Madonna's show. At issue, a CBS spokesperson told Variety, was Madonna's insistence that the show run two hours-plus, without commercials, just like her shows on HBO. But CBS didn't want to air more than two hours of the Material Mom's material. Left unsaid by CBS, which is facing an imminent $550,000 indecency fine levied by the Federal Communications Commission over Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, is the network's likely relief over not risking a similar fine for airing anything risqué that the bustier-clad Madonna might include in her show.

You Might Also Like

• Music Review Hard Candy | Chris Willman
• Hit List Scott Brown's Hit List | Scott Brown
• Movie News The latest news from Hollywood
• Movie News Seven days in entertainment
• Video Gallery Madonna: The music videos | Mark S. Luckie