At least one local entity, the Review-Journal, remains interested after being initially rebuffed because of FCC cross-ownership regulations.

A daily newspaper is prohibited from having a controlling interest of a full-service TV station in the same market.

However, R-J publisher Sherm Frederick said he remains interested in being a partner. "We would have to be the minority owner. We would like to own part of it and leverage some of our advertising and news content."

KLAS staffers have been told that the station's owner, Landmark Communications of Norfolk, Va., wants the new owners taking over by August.

There's been buzz in the KLAS newsroom that Jim Rogers, the owner of archrival KVBC-TV, Channel 3, made more than one attempt to join the bidding for KLAS.

However, Ralph Toddre, president and chief operating officer of Rogers' Sunbelt Communications Co., denied that Sunbelt got involved, saying "no, not at all."

The FCC prohibits duopolies, or one company owning two stations in the same market, unless one is under financial duress.

Family-owned Landmark announced in December it was getting out of the media business, including KLAS and WTVF in Nashville, dozens of newspapers and The Weather Channel. The latter is expected to go for a staggering $5 billion by itself.

KLAS' value has been rising with the Las Vegas population explosion. Las Vegas ranks No. 43 among U.S. TV markets with 707,470 households, thanks to a soaring population. The Las Vegas metropolitan population jumped from No. 63 in 1990 to 32nd in 2000, an 83 percent gain (from 852,737 to 1,563,282.). The 2005 census had Las Vegas cracking the nation's top 30 largest cities, at No. 29.

HEF BACKS OBAMA

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said he's shifted his support to Barack Obama.

"I'm plugging for Obama. We need some healing in this country and the rest of the world," Hefner told Vegas Confidential Saturday during an interview in the Palms sky villa named after him.

Hefner made a statement about the civil rights movement in the 1960s when he booked Dick Gregory into the Playboy Club in Chicago, "the first white club to book a black performer."

"My father grew up in Nebraska and his values didn't include any kind of bigotry," said Hefner, who is in town to celebrate his 82nd birthday, which is Wednesday.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Residents in Wayne Newton's neighborhood are abuzz over sightings of Michael Jackson and his family. Word is he is renting. Jackson returned to Las Vegas late last year and spent more than three months in a Palms suite before moving out last month.

SIGHTINGS

Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina, and 12-year-old brother, Cody, shooting a lunch-scene segment Friday at the Bootlegger Bistro with Monte Carlo headliner Lance Burton for the Lohans' reality show. Burton performed some magic tricks for the Lohans while former Nevada Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, who owns the restaurant, joined a scene. The show, which features Lindsey's 14-year-old sister, Ali, will air in June. Ali has been in the Palms recording studio working on an album. How good is she? Zoe Thrall, director of the studio and a 20-year music industry veteran, has been telling associates that young Lohan is a "special talent." Elton John, by the way, just spent three weeks recording in the Palms studio. ... Barry Manilow, walking his labs at Sunset Park on Saturday, with an entourage in tow.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Barack Obama said today that he would consider Al Gore to be in his Cabinet. Al Gore said he would do it as long as it was full of Twinkies.'' -- Craig Ferguson

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.