Collins, the TV editor at Hollywood Reporter, returns to the L.A. Times as a television writer. He used to be a regular Times freelancer and worked for Inside.com. Collins also has a book coming in April on cable TV news.

Elsewhere on the TV beat, J. Max Robins - who writes "The Robins Report" for TV Guide - is the new editor of Broadcasting & Cable, Variety reported. His last column runs in the Feb. 7 issue.

The memo on Collins from LAT entertainment editor Lennie Laguire and deputy Betsy Sharkey follows:

As we continue to expand the reach of our television report, we're extremely pleased to announce another new hire. Scott Collins, the Los Angeles television editor at the Hollywood Reporter, will join The Times as a reporter on February 9. Scott's hire follows our appointment late last year of Carina Chocano as television critic and the transfer of two staff writers, Maria Elena Fernandez and Lynn Smith, to new assignments on this important and highly competitive beat.

Scott brings us not only an exceptional depth of knowledge about the industry and its players, but also a sophisticated command of how to write for The Times' unique dual audience of general readers and industry insiders. In his earlier incarnation as a freelance writer, Scott wrote stories that appeared in the L.A. Times Magazine, as well as our Calendar, Business and Metro sections. Scott, a graduate of Northwestern University, also has written freelance articles that have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Brill's Content and the Chicago Tribune.

His staff positions include West Coast TV reporter for Inside.com and its companion publication, Inside Magazine, and editor of Cable World. In late the '90s, Scott worked as managing editor of the Hollywood Reporter's Weekly International Edition. He rejoined the publication in his current capacity in 2002.

His book on the cable news wars, "Crazy Like a Fox: The Inside Story of How Fox News Beat CNN," will be published in April by the Portfolio imprint of Penguin Group USA.

We're proud to add such a knowledgeable, versatile and aggressive reporter to our team.

--Lennie LaGuire, Entertainment Editor
--Betsy Sharkey, Deputy Entertainment Editor

Thanks to various not-to-be-named contributors.