TELEVISION - July 19, 1993

One Big Happy Family: “The Late Show With David Letterman” is signing up CBS affiliates--97% have agreed to air the program, with 67% committing to show it at the network-recommended time of 11:35 p.m. (10:35 p.m. Central Time), according to David Poltrack, CBS’ senior vice president of planning and research. By comparison, NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” is shown at its recommended time by nearly 100% of that network’s affiliates. Letterman’s new show premieres Aug. 30.

* The President and the King: President Clinton will be the guest on CNN’s “Larry King Live” Tuesday at 6 p.m. (repeated at 10 p.m). Clinton will answer calls from viewers during the hourlong interview. It’s his first time on the show as President; the last time Clinton appeared was Oct. 28.

* Emmy Nomination Time: Early risers Sharon Gless and Charlton Heston will join Academy of Television Arts & Sciences president Leo Chaloukian at 5:35 a.m. Thursday at the Academy in North Hollywood to announce the nominations for the 45th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The Emmys will be held Sept. 19 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and will air on ABC.

* Cable Ratings: The USA network movie “Deep Trouble” proved to be trouble for other cable shows during the week of July 5-11, according to the Nielsen ratings. The show was the No. 1 watched program on cable that week. “Murder, She Wrote,” also on USA, was in second place, followed by “Trials of Life” on TBS. Two sports shows rounded out the top five for the week: auto racing on TNN and the Dodgers game against the Mets on ESPN.

* Anchors Away: KVEA-TV Channel 52’s Spanish-language newscast “Noticiero 52” will have a new set of anchors today. Teresa Quevedo, who came to the station earlier this year, will be joined by co-anchor Vicente Calderon, recently promoted from his job as a reporter, and sports anchor Miguel Quintana, who comes from KTVW-TV in Phoenix.

* ‘Melrose’ Shuffle: The revolving door at “Melrose Place” will be taking two more swings. Vanessa Williams, who played aerobics instructor Rhonda Blair, is leaving the Fox series because producers “couldn’t decide what to do with her character,” a network spokeswoman said. Williams, who plans on pursuing a movie career, may make guest appearances on the series, which returns to Fox Sept. 8. And Laura Leighton will appear in at least the first 12 episodes as Sydney Andrews, the younger sister of Jane Mancini (Josie Bissett).

PEOPLE WATCH

* The Untouchable: Sean Connery is fine, thank you. The actor has denied rumors that he is in poor health. In a statement, Connery’s publicist said he is “absolutely fine, playing golf and bicycling to and from a treatment he is having for a pre-existing throat condition.” The publicist did not elaborate on the condition. Connery, 62, is receiving treatment at an undisclosed location in Europe. Rumors began when he pulled out of a film project earlier this month. But Connery’s publicist said the actor left “Smoke and Mirrors” after producers asked him to sign an unconditional commitment before the film’s script was completed.

STAGE

* Guardian Angels?: The American musical “City of Angels” has won a reprieve in an astonishing box-office turnaround just days after announcing its London closing. Producers of “City of Angels,” which opened to rave reviews in London in March, said last week the show would fold in August because of small audiences and big losses. But it has now been given at least an extra eight weeks after building up $740,000 in advance sales. The renewed interest in the show followed dismay by critics and much publicity. The musical comedy is about a novelist and his alter ego in 1940s Los Angeles.

POP/ROCK

* Smelling Like Roses: An Argentine police sweep on the hotel rooms and backstage lockers of the band Guns ‘N’ Roses in Buenos Aires came up empty-handed, concert organizers said Friday. Federal police anti-drug squads, supported by anti-riot troops, raided the rockers’ rooms three hours before the start of their first show in the city. A federal judge ordered the search after hearing charges that the group was dealing drugs.

QUICK TAKES

* Eight new governors have been elected to the Board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Martha Coolidge, Robert A. Daly, Conrad Hall, Don Hall, Gregory Peck, Frank Pierson, Arthur Schmidt and Albert Wolsky. . . . The Academy joins the American Cinematheque to host a “Tribute to Marlene Dietrich” on Aug. 12 at the Academy in Beverly Hills. A full weekend of Dietrich films will be screened at the Directors Guild of America Aug. 13-15.