RADIO & TVAn Apology: Radio personality Howard...

RADIO & TV

An Apology: Radio personality Howard Stern spoke to his listeners in Spanish on Thursday and told them he meant no harm when he made fun of the killing of singer Selena on Monday’s broadcast. “As you all know, I’m a satirical person,” Stern said on his nationally syndicated radio show. “My comments about Selena’s tragic death, without a doubt, were not made with the intention of causing even more pain to her family, friends and those who loved her.” The stunt, which included playing the slain woman’s music to the sound of gunfire, prompted outrage among Mexican Americans in the singer’s home state of Texas. The Texas-based League of United Latin American Citizens, upset over Stern’s remarks, has threatened to either file a complaint against him with the Federal Communications Commission or boycott the program’s advertisers.

*

Second ‘Northern Exposure’ Suit: Universal Television, which last year lost a case in which a jury awarded $7.3 million to writer Sandy Veith, who claimed the CBS drama “Northern Exposure” was based on his pilot “Coletta,” has been sued by a second writer on “Coletta.” Joel Blasberg claims in his lawsuit that he was also a writer and executive producer of “Coletta,” and that Universal promised to compensate him if the show got picked up by a U.S. network. “Coletta” was about a young New York doctor who repays his medical bills with service in a small Southern town. “Northern Exposure” is about a young New York doctor who repays his medical bills with service in a remote Alaskan town. Blasberg seeks more than $1 million in damages.

*

Chefs on Radio: KCRW-FM (89.9) today premieres “Good Food,” a weekly 2-2:30 p.m. radio show hosted by L.A. chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken (City restaurant, Border Grill). The show will cover such topics as preparing new foods, finding authentic ingredients and dealing with the politics of food choices. Today’s guest is celebrated Spago chef Wolfgang Puck.

ART

South African Biennale: Some 300 artists from 60 countries have joined 150 local South African artists for the two-month Johannesburg Biennale, the largest contemporary art event ever held on the continent. The festival coincides with this month’s one-year anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections. A centerpiece of the event is an exchange program that will send a dozen young South Africans abroad to be trained as curators, art teachers and community arts managers. The biennale “celebrates the country’s re-entry into the international cultural arena after two decades of isolation,” said organizer Bongi Dhlomo-Mautloa.

*

Yes, It’s Art: A painting created by three naked female models dragging their paint-smeared bodies across a canvas could fetch up to $1.3 million in a June 29 London sale, say Christie’s auctioneers. “La Grande Bataille” by French artist Yves Klein was painted in a live performance where Klein “conducted” the models’ movements to the accompaniment of a small orchestra. Klein, who died in 1962, began using his models’ bodies as human brushes in 1960.

MOVIES

‘Pocahontas’ Plans: Advance tickets for “The ‘Pocahontas’ Summer Spectacular at the El Capitan Theatre,” an exclusive seven-day run of Disney’s next animated feature that will precede its June 23 nationwide release, go on sale Sunday. The June 16-23 showings will also include a 20-minute live stage show, “Disney’s Magical Moments,” before all screenings. The stage show, featuring favorite Disney characters, will continue at all El Capitan “Pocahontas” showings through Aug. 20. Tickets, which are $15 for adults and $10 for children and seniors, are available by calling (800) 95-POCAH, or at the El Capitan box office.

*

Heston’s ‘Arena’: Actor Charlton Heston, who launched a contest several months ago to name his forthcoming autobiography, has picked “In the Arena,” an unidentified Virginia man’s entry that was taken from a turn-of-the-century essay by Theodore Roosevelt. Heston, who offered $1,000 for the best title, received nearly 100,000 submissions from throughout the world. “In the Arena” is due out in September.

STAGE

Ford Schedule Changes: The Los Angeles Physical Theatre Project’s “Moon Over Madness ‘95,” which was to have opened the 1995 season of the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre’s Summer Nights at the Ford, has been canceled. The event will be replaced by two June 24 performances by the Jazz Tap Ensemble.

QUICK TAKES

Filmmaker Tim Burton (“Beetlejuice,” “Batman,” “Edward Scissorhands”) will direct and produce “Mars Attacks,” a live-action film based on science-fiction comic books and trading cards of the same name. The Warner Bros. film, about an imaginary invasion of Earth by Martians, begins production in June. . . . MGM/UA will accompany today’s release of the epic film “Rob Roy” with the simultaneous release of “Rob Roy Legend of the Mist,” an interactive CD-ROM including details on the film’s making, interviews with stars Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange, and information about the legends, myths and history of Scotland. . . . Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the 8-year-old twins from ABC’s “Full House,” won’t need to look for work when the series ends this season. The two have a new deal with various Warner Bros. entities that includes their feature film debut, a new 1996 ABC prime-time series and an expanded home video line.