Sarah Palin’s Alaska series to appear on TLC

New York — Sarah Palin’s travelogue series about Alaska has landed at the TLC network, and filming is set to begin this summer.

Network owner Discovery Communications announced Thursday that it had acquired rights to the eight-part series, produced by “Survivor” producer Mark Burnett. The deal lands “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” on the network that also airs “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” “Cake Boss” and “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.”

The series tells stories of some of Alaska’s unique features as seen through the eyes of its former governor.

Burnett and Palin had been pitching the series to various networks in recent weeks and had been asking for $1.2 million an episode, considered expensive in the world of nonfiction television. Discovery got the series for about $1 million an episode, according to two television executives familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because their networks don’t discuss such details publicly.

No air date has been set for the series.

Singer Johnny Maestro dies of cancer at 70

New York — Singer Johnny Maestro, who performed the 1958 doo-wop hit “16 Candles” with The Crests and enjoyed a decades-long career with The Brooklyn Bridge, has died of cancer. He was 70.

Les Cauchi, a friend and original Brooklyn Bridge member, said Maestro — born John Mastrangelo — died late Wednesday in Florida. His last residence was in Cape Coral, Fla.

After beginning his career in the 1950s with The Crests — one of the first interracial singing groups — Maestro joined a local New York group, The Del-Satins. It merged with a Long Island band, The Rhythm Method, to form Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge in 1968.

2011 Oscars moved back into late February

Los Angeles — The Academy Awards are moving back to February.

Awards organizers said Thursday next year’s Oscar ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27. That’s about a week earlier than this season’s awards show, which was held March 7 to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics.

Though the show used to be held in late March, the Oscars have been staged in late February in most recent years to shorten the long Hollywood awards season.

Nominations for the 83rd annual Oscars will be announced Jan. 25.