TMZ forges ahead in realm of celebrity sites

By: James Harrison Posted: 03/25/08 5:11pm

Look out TMZ: A new challenger is approaching.

TMZ – which stands for “Thirty Mile Zone” the supposed area around Los Angeles where most celebrities live – has managed to take celebrity gossip to the next level. Combining the sensibilities of an Entertainment Tonight or Extra with the low standards and frequent updates of a Perez Hilton, the organization has nearly conquered the world of gossip with its Web site and TV series.

They recently forced PageSix.com out of business. The New York Post spin-off is retreating from live coverage and returning to its roots as a supplement to the tabloid’s classic gossip page.

Unfortunately for TMZ, they couldn’t even take the time to celebrate the victory. No less an organization than The Associated Press is entering the game, looking to get into the celebrity gossip business. The AP created a position for director of entertainment content and is rapidly staffing up to increase its celebrity coverage. According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, the AP is gearing up to be “more agile and aggressive” in order to gain a strong foothold against established organizations like TMZ.

Will they succeed? I’m not sure. The AP has a reputation based on its history of gathering some of the best news around. That reputation will likely help them in the beginning, as I can see some stars feeling they may be treated more fairly by the AP than with TMZ. TMZ, however, has the contacts. It’ll probably be a Battle Royale.