[Becky]

Talent show host Seacrest hopes to challenge Clark on New Year's Eve
Wed Dec 25, 3:55 AM ET


LAS VEGAS - "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest is betting a swank casino setting can help him steal some New Year's Eve viewers away from his idol, Dick Clark.




The Fox TV talent show host and Los Angeles radio disc jockey is hosting a New Year's television concert special in Las Vegas that pits him — and Sin City — against Clark's long-running Times Square bash.


"He's one of the people that I very much look up to," Seacrest said. "It's exciting for me to be on television at the same time as my idol. But I still want to win."


Clark is 73. Seacrest turned 28 on Tuesday, and thinks he can lure viewers with the "young, sexy and hip" crowd that makes it inside an invitation-only party at the lavish Venetian hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.


Fox's 1 1/2-hour-long "America's Party" special on New Year's Eve is to include live performances from Sheryl Crow, Ashanti and Sugar Ray. The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi will appear in taped segments.


Last season's "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson couldn't make it, Seacrest said. She was busy in Florida working on a movie named after the show.


In a telephone interview from Atlanta, Seacrest promised the next "Idol" would include a more diverse array of wannabe stars.


"We captured a huge spectrum of different talent this time," he said. "There's jazz vocalists, blues singers and rockers. I don't think we had all of our bases covered last year."


Over 50,000 tried out for the hit show's second season. About 200 went to Los Angeles for taped auditions that will be broadcast on the Jan. 21 premiere. Live episodes featuring 32 finalists begin airing in early February

[joviromeo]

Thanks for that Becky. I take it this is an American Channel

[jess]

In any case, i don't wait to see them on french TV !!! even for new year's eve

[Sambo-Chris]

There's also a TV alert for New Year's Eve here in Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland and probably a few other countries).

They show the Crush concert 2000 on European Channel 3Sat at 23.05 pm. So if you want to the last what you hear this year is Bon Jovi on TV .

They show concerts from different bands all day long.

yours
Christine