HOLLYWOOD—It was on Twitter, that I first learned about the “Balloon Boy,” a 6-year-old by the name of Falcon Heene who was allegedly trapped in a homemade weather balloon, helium-filled flying saucer as it raced across the Colorado sky on October 15. The cable news media responded to the story, the way they respond to any potential tragedy with great footage. Well, let me tell you, they covered it for hours and hours, nonstop, and they covered the hell out of it. Millions of viewers were tuning in with reactions from disbelief to horror. They covered it, repeatedly, with the image of the UFO-shaped balloon. They continued to cover it when the balloon landed. They covered it when there was no sign of Falcon. Then it heightened and peaked when the authorities were desperately trying to establish whether perhaps he had fallen out of the sky, or if indeed he was ever in the balloon in the first place. With the news circulating global, they covered this story intensely, until finally the saga ended, to everyone’s relief, Falcon turned out to be hiding in a box in the attic. Just a simple question: How many times did the investigators search the house?

Here’s a crazy idea for the cable news media, when there are no new updates of information to discuss, it’s okay really, to stop covering the story for a little while. Take a breather. Please, go back to other important things happening in America or around the globe. For the love of sanity, it’s perfectly okay to take a break, every now and then. Falcon’s parents had twice appeared on ABC’s reality show “Wife Swap” and according to published reports RDF Media, the company that produces the reality show “Wife Swap,” confirmed on October 16, it had been working with the family on a show of their own. Gossip Queen Cindy Adams said it all in her column when she said that it’s similar to the plot of “The Invisible Boy” (1957) the sci-film. The rest is speculation, and everyone has his or her own opinion regardless of the outcome of the story. The bottom line is that someone should be held accountable.

Speaking of reality shows, it is reported that Michael Jackson’s three children will appear in an upcoming A&E reality series about Jackson’s brothers, even though Rebbie, Jackson’s sister, who apparently is the primary caregiver of three children and feels her late brother would “spin in his grave if he knew his kids would be on this show,” an insider told US Weekly. Long before Jackson’s death in June, the series had been in the works and was originally going to focus on the Jackson brothers-Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marion and Randy, as they recorded an album and prepped for a tour. Sadly, there wasn’t much interest in the project until after the death of Michael. Ironically, the new series has the family coming to terms with Jackson’s death, and footage of the three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket whom Michael ferociously protected from the eyes of the paparazzi. Sometime in December, “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty,” is slated to air.

Michael Jackson’s new song “This is it” debuted a couple of weeks ago, the documentary of the same name opens worldwide on October 28, for a limited two-week run. The movie features rehearsal footage shot prior to Jackson’s death on June 25.

Rose’s Scoop: Dance-pop star Lady Gaga announced details of her upcoming tour on her Web site LadyGaga.com. The tour titled “The Monster Ball” will begin November 27 in Montreal. Kid Cudi will open for Lady Gaga, coincidentally, a protégé of Kanye West.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween!