Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

MOVIES

Hoffman vs. Violence: Actor Dustin Hoffman attacked Hollywood for screen violence and linked film killings to the recent massacres in Tasmania and Dunblane, Scotland, during his visit to the Cannes International Film Festival. Asked by reporters whether screen sex and violence could prompt copycat behavior outside theaters, Hoffman said: “Absolutely, absolutely.” When asked about the massacres in Tasmania, where 35 people were killed last month, and in Dunblane, where 16 children and their teacher were shot in March, Hoffman answered: “Are we really saying that screen violence has nothing to do with these massacres? I think it all contributes.” On Sunday, Britain’s Arts Minister applauded Hoffman for speaking out about screen violence.

TELEVISION

Moving On: Former “Late Show” executive producer Robert Morton says he has had discussions with all the major networks and some movie studios since David Letterman fired him March 8. In an interview with The Times, Morton said: “I’d like to have a company within a company, make a deal with a network or studio to discover new talent and create and produce shows. We were often the middle man for new talent on the ‘Late Show’--producers would call and ask me about somebody we had on the show and, a month later, they’d be signed to do a sitcom. I’d like to eliminate the middle man.” Morton declined to comment on Letterman, with whom he had worked for nearly 15 years.

*

News Loses Ground: That old dinner-time institution, the network evening news, is swiftly losing its popularity, a national poll says. The percentage of people who say they regularly watch the networks’ news programs has fallen by nearly a third in three years. The survey done by the Pew Center for the People and the Press in Washington says television has become a less important source for news in general. When 1,751 respondents were asked whether they watched the network evening news shows regularly, only 42% said that they did. Three years ago, 60% said they watched. Viewing of TV magazine shows is down from 43% in 1994 to 36% now. Local TV news is still popular, but the share of viewers has fallen, from 72% last year to 65%.

AWARDS

Choosy Kids: Kids love Jim Carrey, Brandy and Tim Allen. The three were big winners at Nickelodeon’s ninth annual Kids’ Choice Awards, held Saturday at Universal Studios. At the awards show, which was marked by celebrity entrances on in-line skates and lots of green slime, Carrey (“Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls”) was honored as favorite movie actor for the second year in a row, Brandy was named favorite singer and Allen (“Home Improvement”) was named favorite television actor for the third straight year. Allen was also inducted into the Kids’ Choice Hall of Fame. “Sister, Sister” stars Tia and Tamera Mowry shared the favorite TV actress award for the second year in a row. Whitney Houston hosted the show with Rosie O’Donnell co-hosting from New York. About 23 million kids participated in the cable network’s voting campaign.

POP/ROCK

Lollapalooza Launch: Lollapalooza ’96 will open June 27 at Longview Lake in Kansas City, Mo., kicking off a 25-date series of shows held mostly in open fields, raceways, airfields and parks turned into ad hoc concert sites. The festival is headlined this year by hard rock band Metallica. Organizers have set the first 15 dates of the tour, with more to be announced--including a Southern California show expected for early August. The Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion is considered the most likely location. For the first time, tickets for all shows will be sold via the Internet through both the Lollapalooza and Ticketmaster sites on the World Wide Web, as well as through conventional outlets. Other acts on the bill include Soundgarden, the Ramones, Rancid and Screaming Trees.

*

Pavarotti and Pop: Famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti announced Friday he will sing duets with pop stars Elton John, Eric Clapton, Liza Minnelli, Joan Osborne and Sheryl Crow in the sixth edition of his yearly charity concert for the War Child Organization. The concert, recorded live by Decca records to raise funds for war-stricken children, will be held in his hometown of Modena, Italy, on June 20. Pavarotti also said he would hold a charity concert to raise funds for the reconstruction of Venice’s La Fenice opera house, destroyed by a Jan. 29 fire.

QUICK TAKE

“Ren & Stimpy” creator John Kricfalusi and Nickelodeon have reached what a spokeswoman for the cable network called an “amicable settlement” over Kricfalusi’s $100-million copyright infringement suit against Nickelodeon and parent company Viacom International. Kricfalusi was fired from the show--which went on without him--in 1992.