Who, Claudia

This weekend, a reporter who once toiled for Moses Znaimer will bravely take their position as the savior of a troubled American news organization desperate to regain credibility and ratings. That’s right, Claudia DiFolco has been named co-star of two weekend entertainment news shows on MSNBC. A third-string showbiz starlet for CityPulse News in the late-‘90s, Claudia was last spotted hosting Fox’s pseudo-reality series My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé, prompting 21.3 million viewers to not recall her name. But maybe she’s vaguely remembered in Phoenix, where Claudia’s early-’00s stint as belly shirt-wearing bubblehead on KTVK-TV’s NewShow (sic) created enough of a stir to merit a nearly 5,000-word profile in the local alt-weekly, who didn’t bother checking facts with her hometown colleagues: “At Citytv, DiFolco was its poppier, in-house Charlie Rose, interviewing almost a daily cache of celebs, from Lenny Kravitz and the Rolling Stones to Tom Cruise and the Beastie Boys.” Quite a comedown for Toronto’s foremost interrogator; now she’s shilling for studios on weekend afternoon shows with names like MSNBC Entertainment Hot List – although it’s only a matter of time before Claudia herself is subject of a profile on one of her hometown junket pig troughs. Who’ll get her first, Ben Mulroney of etalk Daily, The A-List on Toronto 1, or her alma mater’s Star! channel? Just remember, as the story about her took great pains to point out, Claudia isn’t really a ditz she just plays one on teevee. Don’t think she’ll just regurgitate what publicists are spooning out, either – as proof of her tenacity, C. DiFo once strong-armed Smokey Robinson’s manager into facilitating face-time back in Phoenix when ol’ Smokey would’ve rather been enjoying his mid-afternoon nap.

Bingo calling vixens recruited for stateside duty used to be subject to widespread fascination – really, it’s the perfect path toward being picked out as a trophy wife, given how several names who made the leap to major American markets turn up no evidence of a current job. But one who hasn’t faded away is former YTV yokel Laurie Hibberd, due partly to her marriage to Regis Philbin’s swishy producer Michael Gelman. The former Weather Network hostess Jillian Barberie, who gained her surname (and Green Card) while briefly hitched to a former Montreal Expos third baseman, was displaced from her rambunctious spot on Fox’s national Good Day Live show, but will soon compensate with a Playboy pictorial. Rachel Perry, former veejay at MuchMusic, was recently serving at shrill shill at VH1, but appears to be pursuing a career in softcore porn – or modern-day variants thereof – and it’s just as well, since no one with more tattoos on their torso than Tommy Lee or 2Pac will be covering The State of the Union Address.

Meanwhile, today’s papers might’ve reported on the ordination of J.D. “John” Roberts as the new anchor at the CBS Evening News, if not for all the turmoil surrounding Dan Rather’s exit. While aspirations for a new approach to news at CBS have been mumbled about, in-house geezer Bob Schieffer has been named interim voice-of-God until the makeover is revealed – doubtlessly involving months of market research that’ll be rigorous enough to turn J.D.’s salt ‘n’ pepper hairpiece totally white. Last month, Roberts was diplomatically quoted in The New York Times as saying “neither myself or anyone who represents me has been contacted about what kind of role” lies ahead; today’s Washington Post indicates J.D.’s “friends” are indicating he feels “unfairly diminished” and might consider leaving CBS entirely. Thrown into the stew of speculation is the sultry name of Thalia Assuras who, like Roberts, served time at both CityPulse and CTV’s Canada AM, and is now being touted his potential co-anchor. Compared to all the histrionic real-life Ted Baxters, Kent Brockmans and Ron Burgundys who interminably wallow at those Eyewitness Team Action relic newscasts across the U.S.A., it’d appear a background with these seemingly enigmatic Toronto operations is an asset when it comes to news correspondent status climbing, even if the destination is reading movie studio bumph on MSNBC – given how ratings leader Fox News won’t endorse such Hollywood values. And, if you’re deprived of access to digital cable, you can help Breakfast Television co-host Liza Fromer pick a pattern for her wedding dress.