'60 Minutes' examines O.J. jury scandal

GOOD MORNING: Fifty-eight different literary agents were interrogated by "60 Minutes" for its sizzling segs (two) Sunday, titled "The Letter." It's about the letter that was sent to Judge Ito, by a "secretary in a literary agency" claiming that juror Francine Florio-Bunton had made a book deal. Steve Kroft, correspondent on the seg produced by Howard Rosenberg, told me, "There is not a shred of evidence that anything in that letter was true. It was a constructed fraud (to get Bunton, who is white) removed from the jury. We also had the letter examined by handwriting experts and it was determined that the letter and the envelope were written by two different people." Ito refused to talk to "60 Minutes." Kroft asked Bunton how she would have voted on the verdict and he said she answered, "Guilty, positively -- the evidence pointed to his guilt." Further, when he asked if she was prepared to fight for her verdict, she told him, "Absolutely"-- including holding out for a hung jury decision ... I asked Michael Viner, whose Dove label published five books about the O.J. Simpson case by its principals, whether he'd been contacted by Bunton. Viner said he'd been approached by all the other jurors, ex-jurors, alternate jurors -- about possible book deals -- but not by Bunton. "When I told her -- and her attorney -- what the possibilitie$ were for a book, she said her interest was 'zero.' She said she wasn't interested in anything that was exploitive. She didn't want to take financial advantage." Viner told me, "It is a case of jury tampering in my judgment." Finding out who created that letter is the next step in the investigation. The O.J. Simpson case is far from over -- or forgotten.

AN E-MAIL CHAIN LETTER? It's being planned as a gimmick for the April 8 "Second Noah" airing on ABC. America Online will guest Brandon Tartikoff, and the principals of the series who will launch the chain letter three-four hours before airtime, asking fans to each send five E-mail letters to five friends urging 'em to watch -- they in turn to send five etc., etc. Tartikoff said Online's Ted Leonsis was all for the tradeoff. And add new synergy between Disney and ABC for the "Noah" show -- the Disney Channel airs four (earlier) segs of Tartifkoff's "Second Noah" over the weekend, to remind viewers to tune in Monday -- the show was preempted last Monday because of the Oscars and Barbara Walters special on ABC. Brandon noted, "I never thought, in my 20-year career in TV, that my fate could be sealed on April Fool's Day -- Monday." In addition to the two "Noahs" return, his "Weekly World News" will get a "Best of --" special at 10 p.m. on USA with Ed Begley hosting and a "special guesting" will be "Bat Boy." Tartikoff's also casting two pilots, one with the Nathanson brothers at Fox and another, "Free Time," with the Hudlin freres at UPN. On the feature side of Tartikoff's full showbiz platter, he's set Emmy-winning writer Jeff Lewis (who scripted many "Hill Street Blues" for Tartikoff at NBC) to screenplay "Superstitious" at Miramax. Tartikoff is exec producer of the movie version of R.L. Stine's book about a femme grad student and a strangely superstitious prof -- it's comedy, mystery, horror. Young people love Stine's stuff -- he currently has three books (published by Scholastic) on the paperback bestseller list ... George Burns' last book (or is it?) "100 Years -- 100 Stories" (Putnam) hits a new high this Sunday, No. 4 on the New York Times bestseller list. Burns' longtime friend and major domo, Daniel Dhoore, will next work for Frank Sinatra ... Jack Valenti has agreed to meet with key members of the Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors to discuss the proposed V-chip and classification system. It's a concept not endorsed by the Caucus. Chairman William Blinn reminds, "The Washington meeting (of net, studio, cable chiefs) lacked input from the creative community." The Caucus, in partnership with the Producers Guild of America, is also trying to solve the "proliferation of the 'producer' credit." These two subjects will give 'em plenty on which to work!

ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF ILLEGAL Oscar guests -- I printed the capture of two culprits Thursday -- several Acad members called to volunteer they had received high-four-figure offers for their ducats -- but wisely turned down the offers ... Phil Silvers' daughter Catherine (Silvers) told me she was "so happy" with "Sgt. Bilko," thought Steve Martin was "wonderful, brilliant playing my dad." She said, "Screenwriter Lowell Ganz bowed down to my dad when he worked with him on 'Happy Days.' Catherine played Silvers' daughter on the series and is Lt. Monday in the "Bilko" feature. She's also in the new Fox series "Too Something." Her twin, Candy, teaches acting, sister Tracey's a producer, Nancey a screenwriter and daughter Laury is in Africa. The "Bilko" preem and party at the Universal City Cineplex and Gladstone's benefitted ($132,000) the Fulfillment Fund to aid disadvantaged students and launched the weekend's American Comedy Festival ... Jeffrey Godsick and his wife Pam welcomed daughter Emily Valentine G., March 22 at Cedars-Sinai.