Showbiz: Show may yet go on for Emmys

American TV executives have not given up on the twice-postponed Emmy Awards, and a military base is among the new locations being proposed for the ceremony.

CBS and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences are working on plans for a ceremony to air before the end of the year.

One idea is to turn the awards show into entertainment for troops at a California military base.

It would probably be a taped version of the ceremony that is traditionally broadcast live.

Some in the television industry are jittery about taking part in a ceremony at a well-known venue, and officials want a location and format to make participants feel secure.

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Pop diva Whitney Houston's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner is the hottest-selling single in the US as patriotism continues to be a driving theme at radio stations and music stores.

Music sales tracker SoundScan said Houston's rendition of the national anthem sold 60,000 units in the week ended October 7.

The song was reissued as a charity CD single after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

It has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating that Houston's label, Arista Records, has shifted more than a million copies.

The flag-waving CD, which couples the national anthem with America the Beautiful, has already raised more than a $US1 million ($2.3 million) for the New York police and fire departments.

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Film star Kate Winslet is the bookmakers' favourite to top the British charts at Christmas.

The Titanic star's single, What If, is the 7-2 favourite with William Hill. The romantic ballad, released as Winslet and husband Jim Threapleton are going through a divorce, features in the animated film Christmas Carol - The Movie.

Joint-second-favourites for the Christmas top slot are Westlife and Atomic Kitten at 5-1, with Madonna and Hear'Say both at 8-1,followed by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman at 12-1.

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"I never think one whit about age. I think it is the most boring subject in the world." - Linda Gray, 60, the latest mature actress to strip on stage as Mrs Robinson in West End hit The Graduate.