TheEnvelope.com Launches 'Buzz Meter' Exclusive Online Critics Panel

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- TheEnvelope.com (http://www.theenvelope.com/), the entertainment industry insiders' destination for comprehensive awards coverage, has officially launched "Buzz Meter," an exclusive online critics panel serving up the latest competitive standings of who's up, who's down and who's generating new buzz in the race for the industry's top awards, from the Emmys(R), Oscars(R) and Tonys(R) to the Golden Globes(R), Grammys(R) and Screen Actor Guild Awards(R).

For "Buzz Meter," TheEnvelope.com has assembled more than 40 of the country's top entertainment writers, columnists and critics who will participate in one or more of five award category panels: film, television, theater, music and country music.

"Buzz Meter" panelists will offer "green" (climbing), "red" (falling) or "yellow" (new buzz) ratings of the top contenders and will cast their votes for the leading awards nominees. Tom O'Neil, who pens the TheEnvelope.com's "Gold Derby" blog, will moderate the panel.

The Aug. 27 Emmy Awards is the first competition "Buzz Meter" will cover. Participating in the Emmys panel are:

* Robert Bianco, television columnist, USA Today; * Hal Boedeker, television critic, Orlando Sentinel; * Ray Richmond, columnist, The Hollywood Reporter; * Matt Roush, senior critic, TV Guide; * Maureen Ryan, television writer, Chicago Tribune; and * Diane Werts, television columnist, Newsday.

"'Buzz Meter' is one example of the exclusive content and expert commentary that you will find only on TheEnvelope.com," said Scott Robson, executive producer, TheEnvelope.com. "TheEnvelope.com has earned a reputation for breaking entertainment news and setting the insights that shape the entertainment industry."

Emmy Pre-Awards Coverage TheEnvelope.com's pre-Emmy Awards coverage will feature: * predictions and pre-award analysis by the "Buzz Meter" panel and Tom O'Neil; * a fashion preview by "Hollywood Bytes" blogger Elizabeth Snead; * a final Emmy contender Q&A by Los Angeles Times television writer Susan King; * a preview and analysis of the Emmys' new "Commercial" awards category, complete with commercial clips, by Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times television critic; and * a ballot box where users can vote their choice of the best television commercial.

The site also will include content from latimes.com's entertainment news and the Los Angeles Times' Calendar section.

Emmy Awards Ceremony Coverage On Aug. 27, TheEnvelope.com's exclusive Emmy coverage will include: * red carpet video feed by KTLA TV; * a continuously updated red carpet still photo gallery; * "Red Carpet Rewind, " an Emmy fashion recap by Elizabeth Snead; * blog updates by Tom O'Neil; and * real-time ceremony updates by Los Angeles Times entertainment writers.

Post-awards coverage will include an Emmys round-up by Tom O'Neil and a recap of the party scene by Elizabeth Snead.

The Los Angeles Times -- in print and online -- will provide additional pre- and post-awards event coverage by Paul Brownfield, television critic; Jim Bates, deputy entertainment editor; and Scott Collins, television writer.

TheEnvelope.com Site Re-Design

TheEnvelope.com website has been completely re-designed and its functionality enhanced to make its content more accessible and simpler to use. The site has added a multimedia player that allows convenient access to its extensive collection of video clips, photo galleries and podcasts.

For easier navigability, the website's content has been re-organized into six main sections:

* News -- The latest news and features related to movies, music, television and fashion, plus a blend of content from the Los Angeles Times and original content created exclusively for TheEnvelope.com. * Buzz -- The latest entertainment commentary, including the site's "Gold Derby" and "Hollywood Bytes" blogs, and "Buzz Meter." * Awards Shows -- Insider updates and analysis about the industry's biggest award events, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Grammys and Tonys. * Forums -- With a finger on the proverbial pulse of Hollywood, this discussion forum is a major destination for actors, directors, producers and the industry's behind-the-scenes power players. * Galleries -- Celebrity and red-carpet photos dating from 1930s Hollywood, as well as movie trailers and video about the latest blockbusters and today's hottest actors and directors. * Facts & Dates -- The Web's most extensive listing of results for entertainment awards shows, this database offers information about more than 100 U.S., Canadian and British shows dating to 1916. It also includes a complete awards show calendar. About TheEnvelope.com

Offering the most comprehensive year-round awards coverage, TheEnvelope.com (http://www.theenvelope.com/) features unparalleled original content, expert contributors, and a media-rich experience for industry insiders, dedicated enthusiasts and casual fans alike. From Hollywood's biggest award events to business, fashion and celebrity, TheEnvelope.com delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis and commentary within a Hollywood context not available anywhere else.

The Envelope's exclusive content includes blogs -- updated throughout the day, every day -- as well as pod casts, interactive features, forums, polls, lists, video and photo galleries, and the Web's most extensive awards database. Pulling from the Los Angeles Times' archives, the site also makes available highlights of Hollywood's 80-year history, from its inception to the diverse entertainment industry of today.

The site was launched by the Los Angeles Times in 2005. About the Los Angeles Times

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of nearly 2.2 million and about 3.3 million on Sunday. With its media businesses and affiliates - including latimes.com, TheEnvelope.com, Times Community Newspapers, Recycler Classifieds, Hoy, and California Community News -- the Los Angeles Times reaches approximately 7.6 million or 58 percent of all adults in the Southern California marketplace every week.

The Los Angeles Times, which this year marks its 125th anniversary covering Southern California, is part of Tribune Company , one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information about the Los Angeles Times is available at http://www.latimes.com/mediacenter.