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

POP/ROCK

Daddy Michael: It’s true: Michael Jackson is a father. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center spokesman Ron Wise confirmed that Jackson’s wife, Debbie Rowe, left the hospital with a healthy newborn son Thursday around 8 a.m. It was not known whether Jackson was with Rowe when the baby was born, reportedly about 1 a.m. It also was unknown whether the baby had been named. Jackson, 38, and Rowe, 37, were married Nov. 15. Jackson’s publicist said Thursday that no official news of the baby was expected from the singer’s camp. Jackson still is scheduled to perform Sunday at Elizabeth Taylor’s 65th birthday party at the Pantages Theatre, a benefit for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Taylor--the new baby’s godmother--had been scheduled for brain surgery the day after the party, to remove a benign tumor. But Taylor’s spokeswoman says the surgery has been postponed until later next week to give the actress time to recover from the flu. Taylor will attend the party, however.

TELEVISION

‘Blue’ All Over: Three-and-a-half years after its premiere, the Emmy-winning series “NYPD Blue” finally became available this week in all U.S. television markets. And viewers may have the new TV ratings system to thank. Since the show’s premiere, some ABC affiliates have blocked the program, starring Dennis Franz and Jimmy Smits, because of violence, harsh language and partial nudity. Although 255 affiliates refused to broadcast the first episode in 1993, that number had dwindled to three this year. And in two of those markets, “NYPD Blue” airs on independent stations. So the last market holdout was Panama City, Fla., where ABC affiliate WMBB-TV finally broadcast the show for the first time Tuesday night. WMBB General Manager Hugh Roche said he changed his mind about the program because it has been rated TV-14 under the new system--thus alerting parents that it is inappropriate for children.

MOVIES

Producing Magic: Magic Johnson is finalizing a production deal with Fox Family Films. According to his management company, the deal would allow Johnson to produce projects not just through the family division but throughout 20th Century Fox, including television. His first project is expected to be “Homeboy,” a comedy about a family who hopes their child will become a pro basketball player. Johnson already is a player in the movie business, through his ownership of the 12-screen Magic Johnson Theatres complex in Baldwin Hills.

Rush Chats While Helfgott Plays: Best actor Oscar nominee Geoffrey Rush, who plays pianist David Helfgott in Fine Line Features’ best picture contender, “Shine,” will discuss the role during an America Online chat from New York today at 3 p.m. (keyword: Hollywood). Meanwhile, the real-life Helfgott, whose solo concerts March 25 and 27 at the Music Center in downtown L.A. are sold out, will return to the Southland for a recital April 30 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Tickets are on sale at the box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.

DreamWorks Protest: Environmental activist Jerry Rubin says he will begin a hunger strike today at 10 a.m. in front of the DreamWorks offices in Universal City to protest the studio’s planned development at Playa Vista’s Ballona Wetlands site. Rubin, who said he will be joined by representatives of the Sierra Club and the Ballona Valley Preservation League, said he will continue the strike until DreamWorks principals Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen agree to meet with him and other environmental activists opposed to the development. A DreamWorks spokeswoman said the studio was unaware of Rubin’s plan and thus declined comment.

Passing the Mantle: Speaking of Spielberg, his film “E.T.” is on the verge of losing the all-time box-office crown to George Lucas’ “Star Wars,” but Speilberg is being gracious about it. “Star Wars,” in its 20th anniversary re-release, is poised to surpass “E.T.’s” $399.8-million purse sometime today. Spielberg will have full-page ads in the Hollywood trades today with a picture of the character E.T. crowning “Star Wars’ ” robot R2-D2, and text reading: “Dear George, Congratulations for renewing the most enduring motion picture in cinema history. Your pal, Steven.”

QUICK TAKES

New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater, home of CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman,” will receive a 1997 Architecture Award from the U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology next month during the group’s annual conference in Pittsburgh. The award says the restoration work done by the Polshek and Partners architectural firm in New York is “a great example of creating a new theater, as a stage set, in a historic interior.” . . . Despite its racy theme, Adrian Lyne’s remake of “Lolita” has been given an R rating from the Motion Picture Assn. of America. A more restrictive NC-17 rating could have hampered the film’s distribution in the U.S.