BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Geeks matter. Journalists? Not so much.

Unwilling to spoil its game plan to announce details about the next season of "Lost" that will come this weekend at Comic-Con in San Diego, ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson ticked off 150 TV writers by initially refusing to divulge any details of the new season.

Clearly the dynamic is changing when people who have to pay to get into a fan convention are given a higher priority than journalists who reach millions of readers online and in print. Even if all the fanboys attending Comic-Con blog about news released there, it wouldn't have the reach of press tour.

Granted, as one journalist more in touch with his inner geek lectured me, by releasing news at Comic-Con it "goes directly into the bloodstream" of fans. At press tour, the news gets out to people who care less.

My counter-argument: Releasing it at press tour gets the news to some of those several million people who were more casual "Lost" viewers and abandoned the show. Perhaps seeing a report on the show's future would give them a reason to come back.

After more badgering, a noticeably peeved McPherson upped his glibness level, declaring, "We've cast Don Imus on 'Lost.'"

Not many laughs for that. This is McPherson's idea of humor? It may explain the sad state of ABC's comedy development.

Finally, the ABC publicity staff took action, rang up the "Lost" creators, got permission to throw out a piece of meat that would make the journalists back off. ABC publicist Hope Hartman walked across the stage and told McPherson he could reveal this nugget: Original series star Harold Perrineau will rejoin "Lost" in its next season, coming in early 2008.

The badgering ended (and it never would have started if McPherson hadn't said they were saving "Lost" info for Comic-Con), but I'm sure there will be more "Lost" news this weekend from Comic-Con, particularly regarding the future use of flash-forwards as seen in the May season finale.