NBC acknowledged Monday that it had paid an organization to set up a pedophile sting operation in Ohio for a "Dateline NBC" story, saying it was performing a public service.

Seventeen men were arrested in March as part of the sting. They were accused of looking for sex with minors after communicating with people posing as juveniles on the Internet and caught when they came to a home in rural western Ohio.

NBC arranged the operation, the fourth in its ongoing "To Catch a Predator" series on "Dateline NBC," with an organization called Perverted Justice that tries to ensnare pedophiles. NBC wouldn't comment on how much it paid, although the Washington Post reported it was at least $100,000. The arrangement was first reported in the Dayton Daily News.

"There's no question it's a unique situation and one we talked about a lot internally," said David Corvo, executive producer of "Dateline NBC." "But this is an Internet crime, a new form of crime in America, and we're trying to find new ways of covering it."

Perverted Justice volunteers were paid for expenses during the first two stings, but NBC felt the company deserved to be paid for helping set up the more involved operation in Ohio, Corvo said.

With NBC's cooperation, the volunteers were briefly sworn in as deputies with the Darke County sheriff's office. Corvo described that as a legal quirk in Ohio.

The arrangement raises several ethical questions, including whether the magnitude of the problem was worth the attention paid to it by law enforcement in Ohio, said Bob Steele, a senior journalism-ethics faculty member at the Poynter Institute.

"If the journalist was paying someone for their information, cooperation and participation, the payment may taint the reliability of the story and the truth being sought," Steele said. "Credibility is affected. Some would even put the term 'checkbook journalism' on this matter."

Corvo said it's not the same as paying a source. Perverted Justice was working as an NBC consultant, in much the same way that NBC paid a company for use of its hidden-camera technology for the story, he said.

The stories have been attention-getters for "Dateline NBC" at a time the newsmagazine has been hurting for attention. "To Catch a Predator" segments have run this TV season in November and February, both ratings "sweeps" months. The February story drew 10.6 million viewers, above the newsmagazine's season average of 8.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.

While the Ohio case doesn't have a scheduled air date yet, May is another ratings "sweeps" month.

Steele also questioned NBC's involvement with Perverted Justice. The Oregon-based group has inspired a rival organization, called Corrupted Justice, which says it objects to the so-called vigilante tactics of Perverted Justice. Some law enforcement agencies have also objected to the tactics of the group, effectively saying their amateurish efforts thwart the efforts of the professionals. (David Bauder, Associated Press)

'AB FAB' STARS RE-TEAM

Joanna Lumley is reuniting with her "Absolutely Fabulous" co-star, Jennifer Saunders, but this time she won't be playing the Patsy.

Instead, the two, along with Saunders' pre-"AbFab" partner-in-comedy Dawn French, will star in a new series being co-produced by BBC America and its big brother across the pond. The show is scheduled to air sometime next year.

The yet-untitled series, created by Saunders, will run seven episodes. It focuses on the members of a women's club in a small English town. A newly widowed woman (Sue Johnston, "Waking the Dead") joins the club, which purports to be dedicated to truth and fellowship but finds its members also rather enjoy a bit of good gossip. (Zap2it.com)

TNT PREMIERES AD-FREE

Two new shows, along with the second-season debut of "The Closer," will premiere without commercials, the cable network said Tuesday at its upfront presentation to advertisers.

"The Closer," which was one of the most popular series on cable last year, will begin its second season in June. Audi is sponsoring the commercial-free premiere.

Also debuting in June is "Saved," which TNT hopes will be a companion piece to "The Closer." The series, created by David Manson ("Thief," "John Doe") stars Tom Everett Scott ("Philly," "ER") as a medical-school dropout who works as a paramedic in Portland, Ore. Its premiere will also be ad-free.

In July TNT will roll out the anthology series "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King." Like "Saved" and "The Closer," the first installment of the eight-episode series will appear sans commercials.(Zap2it.com)

HOLLANDER AND TNT

Pittsburgh native David Hollander, who executive produced the Pittsburgh-set CBS drama "The Guardian," has a deal with TNT to develop a series about a recently separated couple who work in heart transplant surgery -- he's a surgeon, she's a counselor.

The show's setting has not been finalized. TNT will likely decide on whether or not to film a pilot episode within the next month. (Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor)

ANOTHER 'BIG BROTHER'

CBS's "Big Brother" will be an all-star edition this summer with viewers selecting the house guests from a pool of 20 past contestants. How that voting will work has not yet been revealed. (R.O.)