POP/ROCK* Arts Leader Goes Rock: Dennis Barrie,...

POP/ROCK

* Arts Leader Goes Rock: Dennis Barrie, the former director of Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center who was acquitted on obscenity charges in conjunction with his museum’s exhibition of photographs by the late Robert Mapplethorpe, has been hired as director of Cleveland’s new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Barrie, who drew national attention for his role in the much-publicized Mapplethorpe/freedom of expression dispute, takes the post Sept. 1. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the $84-million, I.M. Pei-designed museum took place in June. “This appointment signifies a major step in our evolution as a leading cultural and educational center, unique in the world,” museum co-chairman William N. Hulett said. “Dennis Barrie will . . . bring the rich legacy of rock ‘n’ roll music to its fans and to new audiences.” . . . Meanwhile, the White House has said it intends to nominate Diane Frankel, executive director of the Sausalito children’s Bay Area Discovery Museum, to head the Institute of Museum Services.

* Teen-Age Homecoming: Director Tony Kaye says he set out to “do important things with film that go beyond the meaning of the medium,” and in one of his latest efforts, the video for Minneapolis group Soul Asylum’s breakout single “Runaway Train,” it worked. The video features 13 missing children, including Arkansas teen-ager Elizabeth Ann Wiles, who was 13 when she ran away from her home with her boyfriend in May, 1991. After seeing herself on the video, Wiles, who was living in San Diego, has returned home. “It’s the most fantastic thing; it’s incredible. That’s what the intention was, and I’m just really moved that it worked,” Kaye told The Times Wednesday. “And now, I think that it will eventually find more kids, because it’s shown all over the world, and it’s running on a medium that kids associate with.” At press time, another missing youth shown in the video, Aten Calhoun, 18, was reportedly on his way home to Louisiana after being gone two years.

* Backing Used CD Boycott: The powerful National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has sided with country star Garth Brooks and record companies in their opposition to the sale of used compact discs. “Retailers are selling used CDs with absolutely no regard for the impact of such short-sighted behavior upon the future of our music community,” said academy President Michael Greene. “Songwriters, recording artists, producers and all other music industry professionals are being defrauded of the royalties they depend upon to earn a living.”

THE ARTS

* Commission Appointees: Bilingual Foundation of the Arts co-founder Carmen Zapata, and Lee Ramer, the cultural affairs aide for Councilman Joel Wachs, are among Mayor Richard Riordan’s six new appointees to the Cultural Affairs Commission, which oversees the Cultural Affairs Department and its programs, including grants and murals. Riordan’s other nominees are Mee H. Lee, manager of governmental affairs at Warner Bros.; Alycia Enciso, principal of Alycia Enciso & Associates design firm; Jayne Levant, general manager of L’Ermitage Hotel, and Arthur S. Pfefferman, co-founder of the Donut Inn Franchise. The mayor expects to name his picks for the related Cultural Heritage Commission next week; all appointments require City Council approval. . . . Meanwhile, Riordan is scheduled to give his first speech before an entertainment industry group today when he makes a lunchtime revitalization pitch before the Hollywood Radio & Television Society at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

* Season Threatened: Members of Salt Lake City’s financially troubled Utah Symphony were put on notice Tuesday that the orchestra’s 1993-94 season may be canceled. The notification came following an emergency vote by the symphony board Monday, after musicians’ representatives declined various cuts proposed to ease the orchestra’s mounting $3-million deficit. Both sides said they would continue efforts to save the season, which begins Sept. 1.

TELEVISION

* They’re Watching Heidi: The public seems to be as fascinated as the press with the case of the entertainment industry’s alleged madam to the stars, Heidi Fleiss. Twenty-six percent of Monday morning’s Los Angeles television viewers were tuned to the live coverage of Fleiss’ arraignment, according to the Nielsens. From 9:15-9:45 a.m., when both KTLA-TV Channel 5 and KTTV-TV Channel 11 preempted regularly scheduled programming to show the brief proceedings, an average of 367,000 households were tuned in. KTTV’s coverage had a 3.6 rating, 4 1/2 times the 0.8 rating scored by its regularly scheduled newscast. KTLA also had a 3.6 rating. Each rating point represents 49,657 homes.

* Starting Big: The new CBS comedy series “Big Wave Dave’s” got off to a strong start Monday night, winning its 9:30 p.m. time period and giving CBS its highest rating for that time period since the May 24 finale of “Designing Women.” The program drew an 11.6 rating and 19% of the audience watching TV.

QUICK TAKES

“Star Search” host Ed McMahon won a restraining order Tuesday blocking the Veterans Wish Foundation from using his name and likeness in fund-raising campaigns. . . . Madonna is among Federico Fellini’s well-wishers. She sent an enormous bouquet of gladiolus and roses, accompanied by a “Good luck Fellini” note, to the Italian film director Tuesday, a week after his stroke.