From the Associated Press:

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s office said Friday that former “Baywatch” star David Hasselhoff will host a one-hour television special later this month to promote the state, and oil company BP is footing the bill.

Nope, not kidding.

The performances will also include Ricky Skaggs, Montgomery Gentry, and other assorted celebrities, and will air on August 27th on the CW network. The show is designed to promote tourism and with Hasselhoff’s much ballyhooed beach time experiences, it would seem a perfect fit. Tickets have been donated and while other concerts have been billed as benefits, this extravaganza is not being promoted as a fundraiser. The BP money will be coming from the $15 million dollar tourism promotion grant given previously to the state.

In a smart move, Sandy Bynum, the spokeswoman for the Mississippi Development Authority said the governor’s office has been handling plans for the Hasselhoff hosted show. It should be noted that Coastal business leaders have complained about the governor’s office and the MDA’s control over the tourism money.

No word yet on whether this has improved matters much.

Also from the article…

Barbour spokesman, Dan Turner said it’s yet to be decided whether Barbour or his wife, Marsha, will appear on the promotional show. While Barbour has not ruled out the possibility of running for president in 2012. As head of the Republican Governors Association, he has been traveling the country this summer to help GOP candidates.

Despite numerous calls to the Barbour office, I was unable to confirm if:

1. In the show’s grand finale, Hasselhoff will be dipped in crude oil and Corexit and left to die on a barrier island, or, if not…

2. Hasselhoff will be actively campaigning for Barbour should he decide to run for President.

Read the article,

BP pays for show touting Miss. coast ‘resilience’

Have an amusing day.