News Brief

Jamaica Gleaner: It's no secret that ratings for soaps are at an all-time low. This is partly due to all the other choices being offered on cable and satellite television. (Back in the days when "General Hospital" was on the cover of Newsweek, there was much less competition.) Coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial can also be blamed for many people abandoning their stories, never to return again. If the writers' strike goes on and they suspend broadcasting, the results could be disastrous for the genre. I don't think this will happen. I think they will use non-union writers, and life in Llanview, Springfield and Oakdale will go on.

Louisville Courier-Journal: T.R. on "Mama" was played by Ronnie Welsh. He later appeared on two CBS soaps -- "As the World Turns" (1958-60) and "The Edge of Night" (1962-64). He did virtually no TV or movie acting after that and died of brain cancer in 1993 at age 52.

The Age: Catherine Devany writes: "I watched three hours of Days and it was a hotchpotch of cliche dialogue that could have been pulled out of a hat; "Don't you die on me", "I don't know what I would have done without you", "I'm not going to let anything happen to you" and "You're here and you've got you memory back." If someone said, "You don't really know me" or "this is hurting me more that it's hurting you", I would have run around the room yelling "BINGO!" But kill me now is what I muttered as I finished a packet of Mint Slices to anaesthetise my self-hatred."

Canada NewsWire: Rogers Cable Communications Inc. announced on Friday that it has launched the Super Channel package to its customers in Ontario and
New Brunswick. The package includes daytime drama "Passions."

Gay Socialites: Even though it hasn't officially been confirmed, "Days of Our Lives" hunk, Marcus Patrick was likely fired from his starring soap gig because he got naked for Playgirl. Until late last week, Marcus played Jett Carber on the popular daytime drama "Days of Our Lives". Now, Patrick finds himself unemployed. On Wednesday, photos surfaced from gays in West Hollywood who caught Marcus taking it off at Micky's, a popular gay bar.

WBM: Interview with Charlie Koznick of "Coastal Dreams."