Charlie Sheen's publicist announced yesterday the actor has entered rehab and is taking a break from television's top-rated comedy, "Two and a Half Men," prompting the network to announce it is temporarily halting production of the show.

"As a preventative measure, Charlie Sheen has entered a rehabilitation facility," publicist Stan Rosenfield wrote in a four-sentence statement that did not specify why Sheen, 44, was seeking treatment.

Sheen's bosses expressed support for the actor in a statement that said production of "Two and a Half Men" would temporarily stop.

Sheen was arrested after a fight with his wife at his Aspen, Colo., home two months ago.

After six years of legal wrangling and one Supreme Court review of Janet Jackson's infamous Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction," CBS argued anew yesterday that it should not be held responsible for the half-second of nudity.

The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia had thrown out the FCC's $550,000 fine against CBS as arbitrary, only to have the U.S. Supreme Court kick it back down for review. The Supreme Court pointed to its ruling in a Fox Television-led challenge, when it said the FCC could threaten fines over the use of a single curse word on live TV.

The FCC argued yesterday that CBS was duly warned that its 2004 halftime performers might add some shock value to the act. Jackson's choreographer had promised as much, FCC lawyer Jacob Lewis said. During the act, singer Justin Timberlake ripped off Jackson's bustier, exposing her breast for nine-sixteenths of a second.

The kiddie game show "Our Little Genius" has caught the attention of federal regulators over accusations it might have been rigged.

The Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the allegations included in a complaint received in December from the father of a young whiz slated to compete on the Fox show, which has been shelved.

It featured children between the ages of 6 and 12 answering questions for cash.

The show was yanked last month by producer Mark Burnett, who said he discovered "an issue" with how some information was relayed to the contestants.

The personal assistant of a punk-rock pioneer and celebrity real estate broker was convicted yesterday of bludgeoning her boss to death with a piece of exercise equipment.

Jurors spent less than a day reaching a second-degree murder verdict in the Manhattan trial against Natavia Lowery, the personal assistant to Linda Stein, who managed the Ramones before becoming a real estate agent with celebrity clients including Madonna and Sting.

Prosecutors said Lowery stole more than $30,000 from Stein, then clubbed her to death to try to hide the theft.

— Advertiser News Services