Wednesday morning headlines

Auto show opens: The 10-day extravaganza at the Los Angeles Convention Center is a month earlier this year (it was conflicting too much with the more prominent Detroit Auto Show) and will feature 47 manufacturers and 21 world debuts, including seven concept cars. GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner is expected to make a big splash by talking about hybrid engines, batteries and other advanced fuel-saving technologies. GM will be introducing a battery-powered car at the Detroit show. From MSNBC:

Automobile design is big business in Los Angeles, which boasts the world’s greatest concentration of car design studios. The competition — which includes entries from Acura, GM, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota — includes such design visions as a vehicle with interchangeable, fully recyclable body coverings and one with algae-filled panels that transform harmful carbon dioxide into pure oxygen. Also big business in the home of Hollywood: luxury vehicles, and there will be plenty on offer at the Los Angeles show, from the new Audi R8 premium performance coupe to the V8 Vantage roadster from Aston Martin. Also on display: the powerful Ferrari 599, lightweight Lotus Exige S and the Lamborghini’s new Murcielago LP640 roadster.

NBC shakeup?: Network head Jeff Zucker is considering a reorganization of the entertainment division in Burbank, sources told the LAT. One possibility would have Jeff Gaspin in charge of all TV content. Gaspin currently runs NBC Universal's entertainment cable channels and digital entertainment (don't forget NBC's success with Bravo). The timing of this unattributed info is interesting, considering that Zucker is positioning himself to succeed NBC Universal Chairman Bob Wright (although not everyone believes Zucker is the right guy for the job).

Will MySpace settle?: Universal Music CEO Doug Morris expects to cut a deal with the social networking site over a copyright infringement suit that Universal filed. "I think it will settle. It would be a horrible case for them to lose," Morris said at the Reuters Media Summit in New York. Universal Music, which is not part of NBC Universal, is owned by Vivendi.

More movie file-sharing: The studios can't seem to get enough of those downloading deals that have yet to resonate with consumers. The latest entrant is San Francisco-based BitTorrent Inc., which will be delivering movies and TV shows from Fox, Paramount and MTV. It's the same file-sharing technology that was used to illegally download music and movies. BitTorrent had earlier announced a similar deal with Warner Bros. The new service is expected to debut in February.

Super Bowl battle: Not the teams, but rather the advertisers and CBS, which has the game this year. WSJ reports that advertisers will be unusually aggressive in cutting cheaper deals for commercial time. So far, 30-second spots are selling for more than $2.6 million (up from $2.5 million last year), but there's all kinds of wiggle room, especially for the big boys who will be airing multiple spots. The game is on Feb. 4.

Murdock opens his spa: That's as in David H. Murdock, billionaire CEO of Dole Food Co., who will be unveiling a 20-acre facility in Westlake Village that includes a Four Seasons Hotel and the California WellBeing Institute. The institute is part of Murdock's crusade for improved health, which dates back to the death of his wife in 1985. From the LAT:

Convinced that their high-fat, high-calorie diet of prime rib and potatoes contributed to her illness, Murdock became a vegetarian who eats fish and now boasts that he has the vitality of a 45-year-old. "I tried my best for two years to save her life," Murdock said recently, his face reddening as he sat in the elegant lobby of his new hotel. "But I couldn't." The goal of the institute is to promote a healthy lifestyle and teach people which foods will aid longevity, said Murdock, who hopes to live well past the century mark. By taking a "medical vacation" at his hotel, guests will get a snapshot of their current state of health and advice from professionals on how best to prevent illness. Murdock is targeting couples in their 40s, 50s and 60s, as well as business executives.

Kids and media: A USC study being released today finds that only 27 percent of cell phone owners use them for text messaging, photo transmitting and other non-voice functions. But the figure grows to 54 percent among those 18-24 and 45 percent among those younger than 18. Interestingly, the study finds that Internet use has pretty much plateaued at about 80 percent. Americans 66 and older remain the most disconnected.