Kimmel moves into thick of late-night TV competition

Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show will shift in January from its 12:05 a.m. time slot to the 11:35 p.m. slot held by late-night newscast ‘Nightline.’ ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

LOS ANGELES -- Jimmy Kimmel Live is moving into the thick of the late-night fight against Jay Leno and David Letterman, ABC said Tuesday, bumping Nightline from its longtime perch.

Starting in January, Jimmy Kimmel's talk show will shift from 12:05 a.m. to the 11:35 p.m. time slot long held by the news magazine, taking advantage of Kimmel's ratings growth and the potential for greater ad revenue, the network said.

"The most exciting thing is having a bigger audience," Kimmel said. "You work all day on the show and you want as many people to see you as possible."

Nightline will swap places with Kimmel's show, airing at 12:35 a.m., and will get a weekly prime-time hour starting in March, ABC said.

Kimmel's show will move to 11:35 p.m. Jan. 8, with Nightline starting an hour later on the next night, Jan. 9, and debuting in prime time on March 1.

"Given the passionate fan base Jimmy Kimmel Live has built over the past decade, and the show's ratings and creative momentum this season, the time is right to make this move," Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, said.

Nightline has been a strong performer in its 11:35 p.m. slot, averaging 3.9 million viewers to best both NBC's Tonight Show with Leno and CBS' Late Show with Letterman.

What became Nightline originated in November 1979 as 15-minute updates on the Iranian hostage crisis airing nightly at 11:30 p.m. Titled The Iran Crisis -- America Held Hostage, this late-night newscast was greeted by many viewers as a welcome alternative to NBC's Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News, said the news magazine welcomed the chance to produce a prime-time hour for a new audience and expressed confidence it will "enjoy many successes for years to come."

Last season, Letterman averaged 3.22 million viewers; Leno, 3.71 million; Nightline, 3.89 million; and Kimmel, 1.8 million. The talk-show figures include the second half-hour that includes drowsy audience drop-off.

Grammys go country

LOS ANGELES -- The Grammys are heading to Nashville, the capital of country music, for the first time to announce nominations for the biggest awards in the music industry, organizers said.

The Recording Academy said the show, which intersperses the naming of nominees with performances from leading musicians, will air live on the CBS television network Dec 5.

Grammy organizers began televising the nominations in a live show five years ago in a bid to boost TV viewership for the annual Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles in February.

The nominations concert previously took place in Los Angeles. But the Recording Academy president, Neil Portnow, said it was time to celebrate Nashville's musical heritage.

"Nashville's rich musical and cultural history is so important and vital to our industry, and indeed to the world," Portnow said.

Nashville, home to the Grand Ole Opry and dozens of recording studios, is considered the cultural center of country music, which has spawned dozens of young cross-over Grammy-winning artists in recent years such as Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and the group, Lady Antebellum.

The 55th annual Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.

'Lucky to be here'

NEW YORK -- Rosie O'Donnell says she suffered a heart attack last week and is "lucky to be here."

The 50-year-old comedian detailed the experience on her blog Monday, saying sudden nausea, aches and other symptoms pushed her to do an online search for "women's heart attack symptoms." She took a few aspirin and went to a cardiologist the next day.

She says an artery was 99 percent blocked and a stent was inserted.

The comedian recently hosted The Rosie Show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. It was canceled in March.

Life achievement

LOS ANGELES -- Dick Van Dyke will receive the Screen Actors Guild's highest honor: The Life Achievement Award.

Screen Actors Guild & American Federation of Television and Radio Artists co-President Ken Howard called Van Dyke "an enormously talented performer whose work has crossed nearly every major category of entertainment."

The 86-year-old entertainer will receive the honor at the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on Jan. 27. He has already won a Tony, a Grammy, and five Emmy awards.

Van Dyke is being honored for his 60-year career, which includes his hit TV show and film credits such as Bye Bye Birdie and Mary Poppins, and his commitment to philanthropic causes.

Video awards golden

NEW YORK -- Six-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift will perform at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards next month. But she won't be the only gold winner in the room.

The U.S. Women's Gymnastics team -- known as the Fierce Five -- will be presenters at the Sept. 6 show. Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, Kyla Ross, and Jordyn Wieber won the women's team gold medal at the Olympics this month and have been on a whirlwind tour ever since that included the couches of Jay Leno and David Letterman. Douglas, Maroney, and Raisman also won individual medals.

Drake and Rihanna lead with five nominations each. They'll battle Katy Perry, M.I.A., and Gotye for video of the year.

Swift said she will perform a new song from her upcoming fourth studio album at the awards show.

Comedian Kevin Hart will host the VMAs live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Performers include Green Day, Alicia Keys, Pink, and One Direction.