TELEVISIONPeople’s Choice: ABC reigned as the network...

TELEVISION

People’s Choice: ABC reigned as the network of choice in Tuesday night’s People’s Choice Awards, with “Home Improvement” taking honors for favorite TV comedy series and male performer (Tim Allen), and “NYPD Blue” winning for both favorite dramatic series and new dramatic series. ABC nabbed all the TV awards but two, which went to NBC’s “Frasier.” That series tied with “Grace Under Fire” for favorite new comedy, and “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer was named favorite male performer in a new series. In addition, “Roseanne” star Roseanne Arnold won her fourth People’s Choice Award for favorite female performer, and “Grace Under Fire” star Brett Butler took home the trophy for favorite female in a new series. Other winners in the ceremony, which was hosted by comedian Paul Reiser and telecast on CBS, included Steven Spielberg’s box-office smash “Jurassic Park,” named favorite motion picture; the Robin Williams starrer “Mrs. Doubtfire,” dubbed favorite comedy movie, and “The Firm,” starring Tom Cruise, as the favorite drama. Cruise and Williams, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Julia Roberts, won acting honors in the populist awards. The event also included a tribute to the career of filmmaker Spielberg, plus awards for Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire and the group Aerosmith as favorite musical performers.

ART

Will Koshalek Go to New York?: Richard Koshalek, director of Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art since 1983, is a candidate for the directorship of New York’s Dia Center for the Arts. The nonprofit center, which has large holdings of art from the 1960s and ‘70s, presents exhibitions in a renovated warehouse in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. The Dia is also a partner in founding the Andy Warhol Museum, which is expected to open in May in Pittsburgh. Koshalek said he has not been offered the Dia directorship, but he confirmed that he had met with Dia trustees on Monday and discussed the institution’s future. Koshalek also has been a candidate for director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but he said he has withdrawn from that competition.

PEOPLE WATCH

Remembering Dinah: Dinah Shore, who died Feb. 24 of cancer, was remembered as fun-loving, spirited, warm and caring by her “family of friends” who gathered at the Directors Guild Monday afternoon for a celebration of her life. Interspersed with film clips from some of Shore’s many television shows were in-person recollections from former President Gerald Ford, singer Rosemary Clooney, actor Kirk Douglas, columnist Art Buchwald, producer Fred Tatashore and Nabisco executive John Manfredi. Buchwald remembered Shore as a “life enhancer with a beautiful soul,” and Ford called her a “universal icon.”

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Stern Dealing: Radio “Shock Jock” Howard Stern said Tuesday that he is just days away from announcing a deal for a film and that he remains in negotiations with Fox Broadcasting for a television deal. “Fox is still pitching me. . . . We are talking about everything under the sun with Fox,” Stern told Reuters, discounting reports that the network backed out of discussions about a possible late-night talk show after being shocked by the contents of Stern’s raunchy pay-for-view TV special. Although Stern did not disclose details about the proposed film version of his best-selling autobiography, “Private Parts,” trade reports said that Stern is expected to star in the picture, which would tentatively be released in 1995 through 20th Century Fox.

POP/ROCK

Country Nominees Announced: Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and Travis Tritt will vie for entertainer of the year honors when the Academy of Country Music’s 29th annual awards ceremonies air on NBC May 3. Other nominees announced Tuesday include Billy Ray Cyrus and Vince Gill, along with Black, Brooks and Jackson, for top male vocalist; and McEntire, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Pam Tillis, Tanya Tucker and Wynonna Judd for top female vocalist. Song of the Year nominations went to Tritt (“Can I Trust You With My Heart”), Jackson (“Chattahoochee”), McEntire and Linda Davis (“Does He Love You”), Doug Supernaw (“I Don’t Call Him Daddy”) and John Michael Montgomery (“I Love the Way You Love Me”). Garnering the most nominations, with seven each, were McEntire and Jackson, who, coincidentally, will host the awards show.

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Hendrix Death Investigation Over: The British government said Tuesday that it would not hold a new inquest into the death 24 years ago of rock legend Jimi Hendrix, who died of a drug overdose at age 27. The decision came after a new police investigation into the case, of which no details were given. The investigation was prompted by an application to Atty.-Gen. Sir Nicholas Lyell for a new inquest, on the grounds that fresh evidence cast doubt on the reliability of the 1970 inquest.