TELEVISIONAdvocating Children’s TV: A coalition of educational...

TELEVISION

Advocating Children’s TV: A coalition of educational and child-advocacy groups is meeting with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt in Washington today to urge that the FCC strengthen its guidelines for implementing the Children’s Television Act of 1991. “Under the current guidelines, broadcasters have been able to count ‘The Jetsons’ and ‘The Flintstones’ as ‘educational programming,’ ” said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Media Education, which organized the coalition. “We’re calling on the FCC to champion the needs of children.” Among other guidelines, the coalition is calling for at least one hour per day of specifically designed educational and informational programming on all TV stations. Broadcasters are lobbying against strengthening the FCC guidelines, which were issued in compliance with the congressional act.

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‘Turning Point’ Off Schedule: ABC News announced Tuesday that it would take its newsmagazine, “Turning Point,” off the weekly schedule in January. Instead, the program, which is hosted by Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer, will become a series of specials, with at least six editions slated for 1995. The network, which was to have moved the Wednesday night newsmagazine to Mondays after the end of Monday Night Football, instead will bring back the weekly “ABC Monday Night Movie,” dropping plans to have “Turning Point” follow a proposed new dramatic series, “The Marshal.”

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Switching Stations?: Jerry Dunphy, the 73-year-old dean of local television broadcasters who has spearheaded Disney-owned KCAL Channel 9’s expanded news operation since its inception in 1989, might soon jump ship. KCBS Channel 2, the station where Dunphy first made his reputation nearly 35 years ago, is reportedly interested in luring the anchor back. A KCAL spokeswoman said that station management was not surprised that other news operations were interested in Dunphy and that KCAL was currently “in discussions” to retain the services of its 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. anchorman. Dunphy’s five-year contract with the station, which pays him about $1 million annually, expires this year.

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Echoing the Headlines: Producers say it’s only a coincidence, but tonight’s installment of NBC’s “Law & Order” echoes the real-life case of Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who’s accused of killing her two sons. The long-planned episode is about Waneta Hoyt, an upstate New York woman accused of smothering her five children to death and then blaming crib death.

MOVIES

Halting ‘Passage’: A Santa Monica Superior Court judge has slapped a temporary restraining order against New Line Cinema and producer Gale Ann Hurd, barring the release of the Susan Sarandon movie “Safe Passage” or any new advertising for it. The order stems from a lawsuit filed last month by producer Dan Lupovitz, who claims he was ousted from the film after spending six months as its executive producer. Lupovitz, who says he brought Sarandon and director Robert Ackerman to the project, is seeking punitive damages against New Line and Hurd, as well as on-screen credit as executive producer. A hearing on the order will be held Nov. 16. The movie is scheduled to open on Dec. 25.

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Memories: Today’s 11 a.m. memorial at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre for actor Raul Julia will be open to the public, and not a private service as previously reported. A number of film clips will be shown; scheduled speakers include Ruben Blades, Laura Dern, Paul Mazursky, Barry Primus and Edward James Olmos.

THE ARTS

Luckman Gala: Cal State L.A.’s new Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex will host an official gala opening tonight, featuring a 7 p.m. performance by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen. Festivities will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, laser light show and pre-performance receptions. The $23-million complex, which includes a theater, fine art gallery and outdoor amphitheater, is named after architect Charles Luckman and wife, who provided the project’s $2.3-million seed contribution.

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‘Angels’ Run Ending: “Angels in America,” the double-Tony-winning epic that went from the Mark Taper Forum to Broadway, will close Dec. 4, six weeks earlier than scheduled, with a deficit of about $2 million. The play reportedly recouped only $1.5 million of its $3.5-million production costs. Further income is expected, however, from the play’s national company, which will stop at Hollywood’s Doolittle Theatre next summer.

QUICK TAKES

John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin are reuniting for a 1996 Universal Pictures follow-up to their 1987 hit, “A Fish Called Wanda.” . . . “Seinfeld” co-star Jason Alexander, actress/talk-show host Marilu Henner and film star Lou Diamond Phillips will match wits tonight on “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” a weeklong charity version of the game show. Among the week’s remaining contestants: “Frasier’s” David Hyde Pierce and “Hearts Afire’s” Markie Post. . . . “Speed” co-star Sandra Bullock will go high-tech in “The Net,” a Columbia Pictures thriller in which she will star as a reclusive computer systems analyst who accidentally taps into a classified program. Oscar winner Irwin Winkler (“Rocky,” “GoodFellas”) will direct.