Former FX publicist Randolph S. Webster was sentenced to three years of probation Tuesday for wiretapping the cable channel and eavesdropping on 260 meetings for 2 1/2 years after he was fired. Webster was also ordered to pay more than $22,000 in restitution to FX. Since leaving FX, Webster has worked as vice president for corporate communications and marketing planning at the Game Show Network and as a senior vice president for communications for the Universal Television Group.

"E! News Live" decided not to renew the contract of co-host John Burke. He signs off at the end of January after a year with the network, along with five members of the 38-person news staff who were let go Monday. Longtime correspondent Giuliana DePandi will take over as lead anchor. The network trimmed 10 positions from its staff in November 2003.

Mary Corigliano has been named senior vice president of marketing for Court TV: The Investigation Channel.

Pamela Kaufman has been promoted to executive vice president of marketing and worldwide promotions at Nickelodeon.

Meridith Jamin has been named director of consumer insights at Mediaedge:cia.  She was previously a group planning director at Ogilvy & Mather.

Minnesota Public Radio has announced five new appointments in its development department. Melinda Hoke has been promoted to senior director of individual major gifts. Pat Cook has been promoted to director of charitable gift planning. Kay Gudmestad has been named senior development officer for regional institutions. Susan Oswald and Susan Seltzer have been named senior gift officers for individual major gifts and the capital campaign.

Walt Starling, the legendary Washington , D.C., traffic reporter, died of colon cancer Tuesday at his Maryland home. He was 52. He worked for WASH and most recently was an assignment editor with WRC-TV.

Mike Stern has been promoted to vice president of programming at Emmis Communications in Chicago. He was previously program director of WKQX in Chicago.

Jeff Gralnick has been tapped to serve as internet and technology consultant to Neal Shapiro at NBC News.  Gralnick was executive producer of “NBC Nightly News” from 1993 to 1996.

Alyson Hannigan (“American Pie”) has joined the cast of ABC's sitcom “In the Game,” alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ed O'Neill.

  Jay Adams has been named advertising director of FHM. He had previously served as advertising director of Tracks for two years.

Michael Brown has been named editor-in-chief of Maximum PC magazine. He previously held the same post at EZ Tech Guide:Windows XP.  

   Barry Landis has left his position of president of Word Entertainment.

R. Clayton Funk has been named vice president at Media Venture Partners’ newly established Kansas City office. He was previously an investment banker with Nations Media Partners.

Milena Alberti-Perez has been appointed to the newly created role of director of Spanish language publishing at Vintage Español. She was previously director of corporate development for Random House.

Rosemary Danon has been hired as vice president of online & new media at Pappas Telecasting Companies. She most recently served as vice president of interactive services group for Liberty Media’s Ascent Media unit.

Joseph Kensil and Rebecca McKinnon have been named directors of marketing innovation for the corporate sales and marketing group at the Meredith Corporation. Kensil most recently served as Los Angeles regional manager for the Reader’s Digest Association. McKinnon most recently served as Eastern advertising manager for Time Inc.’s All You magazine.

Pierre Bouvard has been given the overall responsibility for the introduction of the Portable People Meter local market ratings services in the U.S. for Arbitron. He retains his responsibilities for PPM marketing in international markets.