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CNN Live Event/Special

Final Thought: Chill Out, Spike

Aired June 10, 2003 - 20:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight's "Final Thought" involves some strange news from the world of cable entertainment. Now, I've always assumed AOL Time Warner, the parent company of CNN, also owned TNN. I thought of TNN as our sister network, a happy member of the NN family, if you will. Well, it turns out, not only is TNN owned by some other company, but they also no longer want to be an NN. They plan on changing their name to Spike TV.
Now, I'm not sure if that's Spike, as in somebody spiked my drink, or Spike as in, Did you see that guy spike the football? But either way, the new network is doing all it can to target a very specific demographic: men aged zero to infinity. The channel's going to feature big men in little Speedos pretending to fight, as well as a show called "Stripperella" -- I'm not kidding -- a cartoon about a super-powered woman who cuts glass with her bosom. Like we didn't get enough of that in "Super Friends."

Now, I bring all this up because now Spike TV is in danger. Another Spike, director Spike Lee, whose real name is -- or birth name is actually Shelton, has gone to court to block the Spike TV name. Now, according to media accounts, his legal argument is that the party of the first part is, and I quote, "trying to Bogart my good name."

Now, I'm not sure where the law stands on the alleged "Bogarting" of good names. But I will say that someone who claims to worry about their good name shouldn't be using Bogey's name in vain -- Shelton.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 10, 2003 - 20:57   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight's "Final Thought" involves some strange news from the world of cable entertainment. Now, I've always assumed AOL Time Warner, the parent company of CNN, also owned TNN. I thought of TNN as our sister network, a happy member of the NN family, if you will. Well, it turns out, not only is TNN owned by some other company, but they also no longer want to be an NN. They plan on changing their name to Spike TV.
Now, I'm not sure if that's Spike, as in somebody spiked my drink, or Spike as in, Did you see that guy spike the football? But either way, the new network is doing all it can to target a very specific demographic: men aged zero to infinity. The channel's going to feature big men in little Speedos pretending to fight, as well as a show called "Stripperella" -- I'm not kidding -- a cartoon about a super-powered woman who cuts glass with her bosom. Like we didn't get enough of that in "Super Friends."

Now, I bring all this up because now Spike TV is in danger. Another Spike, director Spike Lee, whose real name is -- or birth name is actually Shelton, has gone to court to block the Spike TV name. Now, according to media accounts, his legal argument is that the party of the first part is, and I quote, "trying to Bogart my good name."

Now, I'm not sure where the law stands on the alleged "Bogarting" of good names. But I will say that someone who claims to worry about their good name shouldn't be using Bogey's name in vain -- Shelton.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com