NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Clinton tried to broker Led Zeppelin reunion

NEW YORK

It’s a diplomatic failure at the highest level: Bill Clinton couldn’t get Led Zeppelin to reunite.

The CBS “60 Minutes” webcast reported Monday that the former president was enlisted to ask the British rock gods to get back together last year for the superstorm Sandy benefit concert in New York City. He asked, they said no.

David Saltzman of the Robin Hood Foundation says he and film executive Harvey Weinstein flew to Washington to ask Clinton to make the plea. Led Zeppelin’s surviving members Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page were in Washington just before the Sandy concert for the Kennedy Center Honors.

Twain announces show dates in Vegas

LAS VEGAS

Shania Twain has announced 22 new show dates this fall to round out the first year of her two-year Las Vegas Strip residency.

Twain said Monday that the show at Caesars Palace is “a dream performance scenario” that allows her to balance her roles as a mother and as a country superstar.

The 47-year-old Canadian singer known for “That Don’t Impress Me” made a grand entrance into Sin City on horseback and returned to the stage in December after nearly a decade in hiatus.

She sold out her first 24 performances of “Shania: Still the One” at the casino’s Colosseum. Twain begins another set of 12 shows next Tuesday.

Tickets for shows between mid-October and mid-December will go on sale Friday.

Church, Bryan, Lambert lead CMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

Eric Church, Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert are the lead nominees for this year’s CMT Music Awards.

The trio of country music’s newest stars are nominated for the top honor, video of the year, along with nine others.

The show airs live June 5 on CMT from Nashville, Tenn. Jason Aldean and Kristen Bell host.

Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and first-time nominees Florida Georgia Line have three nominations each. Nine others have two nominations apiece, including Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.

A news release says fan voting is open at the network’s website until June 2. Six finalists for video of the year will be announced at the top of the show, and fans will choose a winner during the broadcast.

Fox’s ‘Cops’ leaving network after 25 years

NEW YORK

The Saturday night television fixture “Cops” is leaving Fox after 25 years to move to the Spike network.

The cable network aimed at young male viewers said Monday it will begin airing the “bad boys” and girls in September.

“Cops,” which follows officers on nighttime patrol, was novel for television when it began airing in March 1989 — back when “reality TV” wasn’t even a television genre. For many years, it was paired on Fox’s Saturday-night lineup with “America’s Most Wanted,” which left the network in 2011 and shifted to the Lifetime cable network.

“Cops” cameras have been to 140 cities, and more than 900 episodes have aired.

Vindicator wire services