Ryan Seacrest’s New BFF, Rocky Delgadillo

Quote of the week has to come from this excellent piece in the L.A. Times about a lobbyist who’s helping throw a big party for City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo.

Ken Spiker and Associates also just happens to be the lobbyist that represented Clear Channel Outdoor as it fought the city over billboard regulation — and ultimately managed to stop the city from investigating illegal billboards. Not only, in a joke of a compromise, were those billboards grandfathered in, but Clear Channel was allowed to turn 420 of its signs into those big, flashing, dangerous LED billboards you’re now seeing all over town.

Coincidentally, Clear Channel Outdoor gave $425,000 to promote Rocky’s candidacy on billboards. Rocky — the guy who represented the city in its fight against… yes, Clear Channel Outdoor (and the other billboard companies). Cozy, no?

So back to that quote of the week. Reporter David Zahniser points out that critics of Delgadillo are calling this party a not-so-subtle “thank you” from the lobbyist for being such a good pal.

Ryan Seacrest — who hosts mornings on Clear Channel’s KIIS-FM — will emcee the event.

Delgadillo’s people say it’s actually Seacrest who’s spearheading the event, Zahniser writes:

Delgadillo spokesman Nick Velasquez also downplayed the significance of the event, saying it is not a fundraiser but a “meet and greet.”

“Apparently, Mr. Seacrest heard some good things about Rocky and wanted to hold a ‘meet and greet’ to introduce him to some of his friends,” he said.

Hey, that makes perfect sense to me!

Oscar Trickles Out of Hollywood Boulevard

With my parents in town yesterday, we took the Metro subway (that part was for Blogger Toddler’s benefit) from Los Feliz to Hollywood & Highland, partly to see the final remains of this year’s Academy Awards.

Hollywood Boulevard was still blocked off between Highland and La Brea, and several huge Oscar statues still sat outside the Kodak Theatre. But most of the activity had already been hauled away.

Some images:

Oscar still guards the Kodak.

Temporary Oscar signage on Hollywood & Highland

Shut down Hollywood Blvd.; the temporary camera bridge is still in place in this shot.

Kodak Theater: Don’t even THINK about entering!

Hollywood & Highland wasted no time applying the name of this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, “No Country for Old Men,” on its Awards Walk.

One more shot of Sir Oscar.

Wait, how’d this get in there?

Oscar Trickles Out of Hollywood Boulevard

With my parents in town yesterday, we took the Metro subway (that part was for Blogger Toddler’s benefit) from Los Feliz to Hollywood & Highland, partly to see the final remains of this year’s Academy Awards.

Hollywood Boulevard was still blocked off between Highland and La Brea, and several huge Oscar statues still sat outside the Kodak Theatre. But most of the activity had already been hauled away.

Some images:

Oscar still guards the Kodak.

Temporary Oscar signage on Hollywood & Highland

Shut down Hollywood Blvd.; the temporary camera bridge is still in place in this shot.

Kodak Theater: Don’t even THINK about entering!

Hollywood & Highland wasted no time applying the name of this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, “No Country for Old Men,” on its Awards Walk.

One more shot of Sir Oscar.

Wait, how’d this get in there?

The Most Unusual L.A. Times Feature of the Week

This photo gallery lists potential heirs to Dick Clark’s throne… yet it seems rather slapped together. So why do it?

Above, the synopsis on Seacrest — the most obvious heir, since he’s already inherited Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” — references a radio station that doesn’t exist (“KROC”?!) and gets it wrong anyway — it was KYSR where Seacrest DJed.

What’s more, Seacrest has already replaced not one, but three hosting legends: Clark; Casey Kasem (“American Top 40″); and Rick Dees (the morning KIIS-FM drive). Meanwhile, Carson Daly makes sense as well — his “TRL” stint was reminiscent of Clark’s “American Bandstand” days — but no mention that he’s tryign to go after Conan O’Brien’s 12:30 a.m. chair?

Meanwhile, most of the others listed don’t quite make sense (Maria Manounos?) — while plenty are completely missing.

Regardless, it appears that Seacrest has already staked a claim, so it’s sort of moot anyway.

Make Your Own Hollywood Sign

Trust me, it’s only a matter of time.

The fine folks at Blogging.la tipped their readers off today (via Thrillist) to Glass Giant’s Hollywood Sign generator. Yes, it’s a colossal time suck. Here are some of my creations:

Sorry, Lindsay, Hollywood’s clean out. Better try downtown.

Yeah, you heard us, New York! Suck. It.

Waking up after one smoke-filled day, Snoop discovers that he has purchased the Hollywood sign.

Being mayor has its privileges.

C’mon Ryan, you’re hallucinating. The Hollywood sign says no such thing. You really need to sleep more.

Pretty good guess.

Just because it’s undeveloped land doesn’t mean it screams out for a Wetzel’s Pretzels.

Share your creations with us (e-mail ‘em to the address above) and we’ll feature them in a future Franklin Avenue post.

Make Your Own Hollywood Sign

Trust me, it’s only a matter of time.

The fine folks at Blogging.la tipped their readers off today (via Thrillist) to Glass Giant’s Hollywood Sign generator. Yes, it’s a colossal time suck. Here are some of my creations:

Sorry, Lindsay, Hollywood’s clean out. Better try downtown.

Yeah, you heard us, New York! Suck. It.

Waking up after one smoke-filled day, Snoop discovers that he has purchased the Hollywood sign.

Being mayor has its privileges.

C’mon Ryan, you’re hallucinating. The Hollywood sign says no such thing. You really need to sleep more.

Pretty good guess.

Just because it’s undeveloped land doesn’t mean it screams out for a Wetzel’s Pretzels.

Share your creations with us (e-mail ‘em to the address above) and we’ll feature them in a future Franklin Avenue post.