The 'Price' of beauty; For whatever reason, 'Barker's Beauties' are history

Months after his longtime female cohort left the show, the king of daytime TV is still shopping for her replacement. No, we're not talking about Regis Philbin. We're talking about Bob Barker, the ageless host of CBS' "The Price Is Right," the No. 2 rated daytime show on television. Last October executives at Pearson Television, which produces "Price," took what one insider called "sweeping measures" to slash the show's annual budget by $1 million. The moves came under pressure from CBS chief Mel Karmazin, a former radio salesman known for watching the bottom line. Barker and his multimillion-dollar salary were spared, and so was 15-year "Price" announcer Rod Roddy. But two of the show's silent female presenters - known to fans as "Barker's Beauties" - got the heave-ho. One of them, Janice Pennington, had been with the program since Barker took it over in 1972. Because "Price" tapes its episodes months in advance, viewers only recently started to notice the absence of Pennington and the other ex-presenter, Kathleen Bradley. Tune in and you'll see Barker welcoming a couple new "beauties" every few days. Last week it was "the lovely Charlotte" and "the lovely Rosie" along with "the lovely Nikki." That would be Nikki Ziering, who is in her third year as a presenter; presumably she is working for the right price. Last fall a rumor spread that Pennington's exit was tied to a lawsuit she filed in 1993 after suffering an injury during a taping of the show. Pennington seemed to confirm those whispers in December, when she told the Los Angeles Times that relations chilled among Barker, Bradley (who testified for Pennington) and her after the lawsuit. It wasn't the only time "Barker's Beauties" landed him in court. Dian Parkinson, perhaps the most famous "Beauty" of them all thanks to her nude pictorials in Playboy, sued Barker for sexual harassment in 1994. The lawsuit eventually was dropped but not before the case inspired many jokes on late-night TV. David Letterman read a list of "Top Ten Bob Barker Pickup Lines." (Sample: "Maybe it'll be easier for you to guess the price of the waterbed if we test it out first.") But an oft-quoted authority on the game-show business said Pennington was dumped over compensation, not litigation. "CBS wants sweeping changes to bring down the show's costs," said Steve Beverly, professor of communications at Union University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. "Karmazin has issued the edict that no show is immune from profit-loss examination." "Price's" problem is clear from the Nielsen ratings. It still gets a huge audience, but one comprised mostly of viewers in their 50s, 60s and older. Most advertisers aren't interested in those viewers, no matter how many of them they can reach. And those advertisers certainly don't care that this spring Barker will begin his 30th year as host of "Price." (He spent 16 years before that as host of "Truth or Consequences.") Affiliates have reportedly pleaded with CBS to keep "The Price Is Right" because it gives their noon newscasts a huge lift. Indeed, KCTV's noon report is often the station's only daily newscast to win its time period. (Only one other station has a noon newscast.) And while "Price," which begins two hours earlier, can't claim full credit for that, Channel 5 program director Peter Barrett said, "Any program that gets (that kind of) audience in daytime is valuable." Bigger changes may be afoot for "Price." After a history of long-term contracts, in 1999 Barker began renewing a year at a time. There's little secret he will be replaced eventually by someone younger, like Todd Newton of the cable game show "Hollywood Showdown." But when that transition will take place seems to be Barker's call. "I have often said that I will continue to host the show as long as I feel physically fit and am able to come through those doors with a bounce in my feet," Barker said last year in a CBS press release. "I think it is best for me to make that decision annually." Barker's publicist, Henri Bollinger, said Monday that both Pearson and CBS have told Barker he can continue to be the host for as long as he pleases. His contract is up in May. Although Pennington and Bradley have left "Price," Pearson executives have said the two are involved in a game-show project being developed by the company and will be invited back for a 30th anniversary special. A CBS spokesperson said Friday that the show's producers are in no hurry to settle on their replacements. Until then, don't be surprised if you see Pennington or Bradley standing next to "A NEW CAR!" Since making the switch, CBS has continued to air reruns of "Price" featuring its erstwhile presenters. You can reach Aaron Barnhart through the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com @ART CAPTION:Model Janice Pennington and host Bob Barker @ART:Photo (color) >>>