POP/ROCK - Jan. 7, 1994

Manson Controversy Sparks State Bill: Responding to controversy over the inclusion of a song by mass murder mastermind Charles Manson on the Guns N’ Roses album “The Spaghetti Incident?,” State Sen. Charles M. Calderon (D-Whittier) has introduced a bill that would prohibit convicted criminals from financially benefiting from their crimes. Although Manson’s album royalties will go to the son of one of his victims under a court ruling, Calderon noted that Manson has received “thousands of dollars in royalties” from T-shirt sales. “The state should do everything possible to prevent criminals from earning money simply because they became famous from the commission of a heinous crime,” Calderon said. The bill would expand the existing “Son of Sam Law,” which places money from the sale of autobiographies or interviews in a trust fund for court-appointed beneficiaries, to include all proceeds collected as a direct or indirect result of notoriety from crime.

* The Final Figures--What Recession?: As predicted, 1993 turned out to be a banner year for the music industry with sales of albums and singles in the United States jumping to an estimated 683 million units--a 4.3% increase over last year, according to year-end figures released by the New York research firm SoundScan. Thanks to an 8% surge in sales of compact discs, industry sources estimate that record companies last year grossed in the neighborhood of $9 billion in domestic revenues.

TELEVISION

Shake-Up at ABC: Emily Rooney has been replaced as executive producer of ABC’s “World News Tonight With Peter Jennings.” Rick Kaplan, executive producer at the network’s “PrimeTime Live,” will take over the nightly newscast, while ABC producer Phyllis McGrady takes over “PrimeTime Live.” Sources at ABC said Rooney, who joined ABC News in May, had alienated staffers with her management style. There was also said to be some concern about recent ratings gains by “NBC Nightly News.” Rooney will be offered a new assignment at ABC News.

* Wilson Draws Viewers: Bucking conventional wisdom that Southern California TV viewers aren’t interested in state politics, about 555,000 households tuned in to the complete live coverage of Gov. Pete Wilson’s State of the State speech Wednesday on KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KNBC-TV Channel 4. The combined ratings figures easily made it the most-watched program in the 5-5:30 p.m. slot, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co. By comparison, when Wilson’s speech a year ago was carried only by KCAL-TV Channel 9, it drew only 139,000 households and was the lowest-rated program in its time slot.

* The Return of Chuck: Chuck Henry, former veteran KABC-TV news anchor and “Eye on L.A.” producer and host, has landed at KNBC-TV Channel 4 as an anchor-reporter. Henry, who has been reporting for the station all week, will begin co-anchoring the 4 p.m. weekday news next week with Carla Aragon, but his permanent anchoring assignment has yet to be determined.

* More Animation for Kids: More Walt Disney-style animation is in store for kids, including two new weekly “theme days” set to be added to “The Disney Afternoon.” Along with the already announced “Disney’s Aladdin,” a 65-episode daily program based on the 1992 theatrical feature, Disney plans “Monday Mania,” featuring “The Shnookums & Meat Funny Cartoon Show,” and “Action Friday,” with the dramatic cartoon “Gargoyles.” Disney’s Buena Vista Television is spending more than $50 million on the three new series. “Disney’s Aladdin” is set to premiere in September, followed by “Gargoyles” in October and “Shnookums & Meat” next January.

PEOPLE WATCH

Mickey Rourke Arrested: Actor Mickey Rourke was arrested outside his Miami Beach nightclub, Mickey’s Place, early Thursday, after he reportedly yelled at some 75 people causing a stir outside his club and at officers who had come to quiet the ruckus. “Mr. Rourke appeared to be highly agitated, and was clenching his fist as he confronted others as well as the police officers at the scene,” the police report said. Rourke, 39, spent a few hours behind bars before posting a $500 bond. If convicted on the misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer without violence, he could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

THE ARTS

NEA Starts Cutting: The National Endowment for the Arts is eliminating two of its programs--the $150,000 Professional Theater Training Program and the $300,000 Dance Heritage Initiative--and greatly scaling back grants to many other arts organizations to help cope with a $4.7-million reduction in the endowment’s $174.5-million 1994-95 budget. The eliminated theater program benefited 16 of the nation’s premier drama schools, while the dance program provided grants to help companies preserve dance productions on film and video tape. In an interview with the New York Times, Jane Alexander, the new NEA chairwoman, said: “It’s highly regrettable, but we have to respond to the cuts that Congress handed to us. It’s cutting into muscle, since it’s been a long time since there was any fat to cut.” A spokesman said the NEA expected to announce more cuts next week.