QUICK TAKES
'American Idol' starts strong
"American Idol" started its ninth season with a bang on Tuesday, attracting an estimated audience of nearly 30 million. According to preliminary Nielsen numbers released Wednesday, that's about 2 percent lower than last year's season debut. Tuesday's episode was the first look at the hit show without Paula Abdul as a judge. Abdul, who had been with the show since it started, left over a salary dispute and has been replaced by celebrity judges such as Victoria Beckham and Katy Perry during the audition rounds. Ellen DeGeneres will take over as a judge later in the season.
Jean calls attention to Haiti
Former Fugees member Wyclef Jean has used Twitter to bring attention to the earthquake in his native Haiti. According to his publicist, Leslie Chasky, the singer arrived in Haiti on Wednesday and is focusing on his family, his Haitian charity and responding to the disaster. The singer posted on Twitter to urge people to send a text to the charity, Yele, to donate $5 toward relief. The number is 501501. The Yele Web site has crashed under traffic from people trying to donate.
Golfers to appear on 'CSI'
An upcoming episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" will feature golfers Rocco Mediate, Duffy Waldorf and Natalie Gulbis as themselves. The plot of the Jan. 21 episode, which airs on KLAS-TV, Channel 8, centers on the discovery of a player's body during a tournament. Lake Las Vegas resident Gulbis appeared on "Celebrity Apprentice" last season. Mediate and Waldorf are two of the more colorful personalties on the PGA Tour.
Compiled from wire reports by Melissa Sullivan
