NBC denies $1M US deal for Hilton interview

U.S. broadcaster NBC's news division is fighting back against rumours that it has offered $1 million US for tabloid princess Paris Hilton's first post-prison interview.

"We don't pay for interviews, and we'll never pay for interviews and I have no interview to confirm," NBC News spokeswoman Allison Gollust said Thursday night.

Earlier in the day, the New York Post set the rumour mills afire with its report that NBC had outbid ABC for the exclusive on Hilton, who is serving time for a violation of her probation given following a reckless driving conviction.

Sources at ABC also told industry publication The Hollywood Reporter that they had made a bid to be the first to conduct a sit-down interview with the hotel heiress immediately following her departure from prison expected as early as Sunday or Monday.

However, a source said the winning bid from NBC was "in a completely different galaxy" than the $50,000 US to $100,000 US that ABC was willing to offer.

ABC had been considered by many the frontrunner to score the Hilton chat, after The View creator and host Barbara Walters spoke to the incarcerated celebutante by telephone early in her sentence.

Officially, U.S. network news departments claim they do not pay for interviews.

However, critics have pointed out that the networks get around this by paying licensing fees for images and video footage, as well as any travel or hotel costs for the interview subjects. Alternately, a network's entertainment division may handle the interview, with segments then available to the broadcaster's news divisions.

On Monday, NBC aired an exclusive interview with Princes William and Harry, conducted by morning show show Matt Lauer of Todayand broadcast as part of news program Dateline NBC.

NBC is also the official U.S. broadcaster for the upcoming July 1 concert that the princes have organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of their mother, Diana, the late Princess of Wales.

Hilton speaks from jail

On Thursday, the jailed Hilton gave a 10-minute telephone interview to TV and radio host Ryan Seacrest for E! Entertainment.

The 26-year-old Hilton said her time in prison has made her "so much more grateful for everything that I have," and admitted to suffering from claustrophobia, to which she attributed her extreme anxietyafter beginning her confinement.

The notorious party girl and reality TV star was convicted and sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating probationstemming fromher alcohol-related reckless driving conviction.

After turning herself in to authorities on June 3, Hilton was released to house arrest just four days later. A public uproar followed, and the judge who originally sentenced Hilton ordered her to appear in court and then back behind bars the following day. Her sentence will most likely be reduced to just 23 days because of good behaviour.