Quick Takes: Springsteen top ‘Person’

Bruce Springsteen will be feted as the 2013 Musicares Person of the Year, the Recording Academy — the music industry body that hosts the Grammy Awards — announced Thursday. Musicares, the charitable spinoff of the Recording Academy, is to host an A-list gala fundraiser in Springsteen’s honor on Feb. 8, two nights before the Grammys.

2012 Musicares honoree Paul McCartney performed twice on this year’s Grammy broadcast, including a grand finale medley — with an assist from none other than Springsteen.

Springsteen’s latest album, “Wrecking Ball,” was released in March and should be considered a favorite for multiple Grammy nods, especially with its heavy political and social undercurrent. He’s received 20 Grammy Awards. The Musicares Person of the Year recognizes a musician’s artistic and philanthropic efforts.

—Todd Martens

Anticipation is high for ‘Knight’

“The Dark Knight Rises” is entering the final sprint to the box office just slightly behind “The Avengers,” which set an all-time record in May with its $207.4-million domestic debut.

Warner Bros.’ third and final Batman movie from director Christopher Nolan made its first appearance Thursday morning on research surveys known in Hollywood as “tracking” that gauge audience interest in upcoming pictures.

All measures for “The Dark Knight Rises,” which will hit theaters July 20, were huge, according to people who have seen the confidential data. The percentage of people in the U.S. and Canada who said they were “definitely interested” (64%) in seeing the Batman movie or listed it as their first choice among upcoming releases (22%) was virtually identical to the percentage for “Avengers” three weeks before its debut.

When “first choice” is sliced by demographic category, “The Dark Knight Rises” is stronger among men, while “The Avengers” was stronger with women.

In comparison with anything except “The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises” looks like a blockbuster. Its “definite interest” and “first choice” figures are even slightly higher than those of 2009’s “The Dark Knight,” which opened to $158.4 million.

Ultimately, “The Dark Knight Rises” is well positioned to exceed the $1-billion worldwide box office total collected by “The Dark Knight.”

—Ben Fritz

New Wal-Mart will be protested

The Occupy movement galvanized protest singers to assemble in public spaces and shout their grievances last year. In Los Angeles, the potential arrival of a Chinatown Wal-Mart may do the same.

Wal-Mart has already begun construction on the controversial store at Grand Avenue and Cesar A. Chavez Boulevard, but on Saturday a bevy of union organizers and local and national acts known for social activism plan to lead what they’re billing as “the largest protest against Wal-Mart ever held in the U.S.”

Acts that include Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and adventurous folkie Ben Harper (who headlines the Hollywood Bowl the next night) will appear and perform at the rally, while noise-punks No Age will lead a kick-off rally on Friday night beforehand at the nearby Human Resources gallery.

The protest organizers have criticized the store, a 33,000-square-foot grocery-centric outlet of Wal-Mart, for paying low wages and for potentially displacing local independent retailers in the historic neighborhood. The L.A. City Council passed an emergency temporary ban on new chain stores in the area, but Wal-Mart had received building permits the day before the ban.

—August Brown

KNBC gets most L.A. Emmy nods

KNBC Channel 4 received the most nominations for the 64th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, it was announced Thursday.

The station, which is also known as NBC4, received 20 nominations, was followed by KTLA Channel 5 with 14, KABC Channel 7 and KCBS Channel 2 with 13 each and KCET Channel 28 with 10.

The winners will be announced Aug. 11 at a presentation at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood.

Veteran KCAL producer and director Susan Stratton, who used to work closely with the late Lakers announcer Chick Hearn, will be honored as this year’s Governors Award repicient.

—Greg Braxton

Snoop Dogg held in Norway

Norwegian media reported Thursday that Snoop Dogg was briefly detained in Norway after entering the country allegedly with marijuana and a large amount of cash.

The rapper, whose name is Calvin Broadus, was scheduled to perform Thursday at a musical festival in the southern town of Kristiansand.

—Associated Press