Plan B in works for Oscar show

LOS ANGELES — An Oscars contingency plan that would include history, film clips and out-of-the-ordinary concepts for the awards show is in the works, academy President Sid Ganis said Wednesday.

With the writers' strike dragging dangerously close to the Feb. 24 telecast, the film academy is planning two Oscar shows: "The show we would love to do and ... a show that we would prefer not to do," Ganis said.

The traditional, star-studded glamour-fest is in the works in case an agreement is reached. If not, organizers are working on a second show that will include "history and packages of film and concepts that are not normally ones that we would have for the show if we were moving straight ahead."

The show will go on regardless of talks status, he said.

Madonna's the richest female singer

NEW YORK — Madonna is the richest woman in music.

The 49-year-old entertainer leads Forbes.com's list of the top 20 "Cash Queens of Music," earning $72 million between June 2006 and June 2007.

The pop star's "Confessions" world tour grossed $260 million, Forbes said. She also made money from album sales, her fashion line with H&M and a deal with NBC to broadcast her concert performance at London's Wembley Stadium.

Barbra Streisand is No. 2 with $60 million, thanks to her comeback tour of North America and Europe.

Celine Dion ranks third with $45 million, largely from her successful "A New Day" show in Las Vegas, which she wrapped up in December after a five-year engagement at Caesars Palace.

Britney Spears ranked 14th on the list, earning $8 million from music royalties and sales of her fragrances with Elizabeth Arden.

Tyra Banks plans new reality show

Forget aspiring models. Tyra Banks intends on putting more realistic people on the air.

The former supermodel and producing partner Ken Mok are reteaming to create an as yet untitled reality series set in the behind-the-scenes world of fashion magazines, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The series, described as "The Devil Wears Prada" meets "The Assistant," will allow ambitious assistants to taste what it's like at a fashion magazine. In each episode, the contestants will meet two challenges: an individual and team competition. Each group will submit a page for "The Book," a mock-up of the proposed magazine. The losing team's page will be dumped, and one member will be eliminated.

The winning team's page will be included in "The Book." The ultimate winner of the show will land a job in the fashion industry.

So far, The CW has ordered eight episodes that will begin shooting in April for a late spring or summer debut.

ALSO: Oprah Winfrey has chosen Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" as her latest book club selection.

Tolle, whose other books include "The Power of Now" and "Stillness Speaks," is a native of Germany who now lives in Vancouver, B.C.

The Associated Press and Zap2it.com