May 6, 2008 6:04 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Richard Tedesco

Turner Entertainment is ready to put stars in branded spotlights on truTV, beginning with Twentieth Century Fox’s new movie “What Happens in Vegas.”

Vignettes of interviews with “Vegas” cast members Ashton Kutcher and Rob Corddry, and commentary from Cameron Diaz, are part of a larger initiative Turner is introducing on its truTV channel. The two-minute segments – a format Turner is dubbing ‘Reel Movie’ vignettes – will precede 30-second trailer spots from Fox this week prior to the movie’s May 9 debut.

In other shows, segments dubbed “Actual Ads,” will present people giving 30-second comments about brands preceding a 30-second spot for that brand. A third branded format, “Real Life Stories,” will present 30- or 60-second personal accounts about acts of heroism followed by 30-second spots, tying brand messages to real-life experiences. Those segments would be positioned in shows with similar themes, such as “Ocean Force,” which about real sea rescues.

Turner is trumpeting its new branded content initiative for truTV in advance of next week’s upfront presentation in New York, where it will showcase its new shows. The network’s new primetime schedule includes “Black Gold, ” eight hour-long episodes debuting in June about the development of the Texas oil business told from the viewpoint of “wildcatter” speculators and the “roughnecks” who did the drilling. Another entry slated for a fourth quarter debut is “Ski Patrol,” a one-hour drama about ski patrol rescues.

In transition from its former identity as Court TV, truTV emphasizes reality-based formats using first-person accounts to tell their narratives. “Forensic Files,” “Haunting Evidence,” and “Psychic Detectives” are among the cable network’s most popular primetime offerings.

“The programming had really evolved over time beyond the crime-and-punishment genre and had evolved to the point where there were a lot of real-life stories being told,” said Tom Winiarski, senior vice president and sales manager for Turner Entertainment ad sales and marketing.

Winiarski said Turner is in conversations with advertisers about the branded format, and it will have an expanded inventory of 300 hours of original programming – up from 250 hours – to work with this year.

The new branded, extended spots are part of an effort to build ad inventory for the network as it establishes the identity change it underwent in January. “Having just debuted the network in January, we’re trying to come up with a lot of new creative ways to partner with advertisers,” said Winiarski.

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