News Corp.'s 24-hour reality channel has greenlit production on 10 one-hour episodes of "The Academy," a first-time look at the training of cadets inside the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. Production begins later this year for a premiere in 2007.

To become a sheriff's deputy, trainees undergo a sort of 18-week boot camp in which they learn and are tested in a range of areas including self-defense, weapons use and the intricacies of gang warfare.Sternberg and Scott Weinberger (ABC's "The Marshall") will exec produce.

Fox Reality has steadily built up its primetime originals biz since launching in May 2005. Last month, the net greenlit its first docudrama, "The Rob and Amber Project," about married reality TV stars Rob and Amber Mariano (Daily Variety, July 18), and has lined up porn star acting competish "My Bare Lady" for December. Season two of gameshow "Solitary" is currently airing.

"The Academy" is the first series to emerge of two planned reality show projects centered on the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. No network is attached to the other one, 44 Blue Prods.' tentatively titled "The Assignment," which would trail the daily activities of deputies, including those in the detective bureau, specialized divisions and on patrol.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed last month to allow the sheriff's department to participate in both projects; no filming will be done in the jails.

Sternberg's credits include A&E's "Spying on Myself," TV Land's "My First Time" and AMC's "Sunday Morning Shootout."