Veteran broadcaster BARBARA WALTERS has hit out at the state of U.S. culture for its obsession with the likes of BRITNEY SPEARS and PARIS HILTON.

The 78-year-old, who has interviewed every American president since Richard Nixon, has been criticised in recent years for her celebrity-oriented programmes.And now she admits she's had enough of covering entertainment news.

Ahead of Thursday's (06Dec07) end-of-year tribute show, The 10 Most Fascinating People, Walters insisted the programme would not feature Britney Spears, Paris Hilton or "the next person out of rehab".
She explained, "It (celebrity interest) seems to permeate most of the tabloids and the magazines and now you have six or seven entertainment programs. You didn't used to have that. "It's a different climate now and 20/20 and the other magazines are focused on the big celebrities. I didn't want to keep doing that, I have been doing it for years." Walters' picks for 2007's most prominent newsmakers include former U.S. president Bill Clinton, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, the two founders of social networking site MySpace and controversial American radio host Don Imus.