Paris BFF Show Feels Recession

Paris Hilton his back on national televison and contestants in season two of ” My New BFF” are living in a mansion that costs half as much as the home the show rented last season. Trips to New York and Tokyo are out this year, as the show’s production budget has been cut 10 percent.

With the recession eating into advertising revenue at TV networks, a popular solution has emerged — even cheaper reality TV.

“There’s just less money around,” said Michael Hirschorn, co-executive producer of the BFF show, as he sat outside its sun-drenched set in a modernistic building overlooking the San Fernando Valley. “The economy’s a mess, so all of us have to work more efficiently. … We have a reality show that is 40 percent cheaper than this show that just got green-lit.”

MTV, which plans to air the new Hilton show this summer, is filling more air time with new reality series rather than reruns. Even so, its programming costs are down 17 percent per half hour, said Tony DiSanto, head of programming at the Viacom Inc.-owned network.

Indeed, on the Beverly Hills set of the show, a minor incident erupts. A contestant who is eliminated spouts invective instead of giving the host the customary goodbye hug. But tempers soon cool, and later in the evening, the remaining friend wannabes will head off to Ortolan, a four-star restaurant that will offer appetizers in exchange for a mention on the show.

The 28 year old starknows that even a less fancy version of her show can be a big hit for her personal business.