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

MOVIES

ASCAP, Campers Reach Accord: The American Camping Assn. and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers have reached an agreement that will allow summer camps to use ASCAP licensed music, it was announced Monday. Under the five-year agreement, ACA will pay ASCAP $1 per camp per year for all ASCAP licensed music. ACA represents more than 2,200 summer camps nationwide. “Music and singing around the campfire are integral parts of the camp experience,” said Don Cheley, national ACA president. “This arrangement will allow more than 6 million children attending summer camp this year to sing the traditional camp songs we all remember as kids.” ASCAP triggered a firestorm last year when it threatened to sue the nation’s summer camps for unauthorized sing-alongs. ASCAP wanted royalties paid on all of its 4 million copyrighted songs, including such campfire classics as “This Land Is Your Land.”

TELEVISION

Springer Foil Lands on CBS: Carol Marin, the local news anchor who quit rather than work with talk-show host Jerry Springer, has been hired by CBS to contribute to Bryant Gumbel’s new magazine show. Marin signed a multiyear contract, CBS said Monday. As part of the deal, Marin will head a new special reporting unit at WBBM, the local CBS television affiliate in Chicago. Her reports also will be adapted for WMAQ-AM, a Chicago all-news radio station owned by Westinghouse, parent company of CBS. Marin, 48, left WMAQ-TV in May after 19 years when the NBC television affiliate hired Springer to do nightly commentaries on its 10 p.m. newscast. Marin called Springer “the poster child for the worst television has to offer.” Springer’s tenure with WMAQ-TV lasted less than a week.

‘Hope’ Springs Musical Episode: The fourth season of “Chicago Hope” will include a musical episode “in the spirit of ‘The Singing Detective,’ ” in which Adam Arkins’ character, Dr. Aaron Shutt, suffers an aneurysm and sees life as a musical, according to a CBS spokeswoman.

RADIO

Owens Starts New Era: Opening his new show on KABC-AM (790) on Monday in the mid-morning time slot Michael Jackson held for more than 30 years, Ronn Owens of KGO-AM San Francisco paid tribute to Jackson as “a class act” and “a genuine, genuine professional.” At the same time, Owens asked listeners to “give me a shot, give me a chance at it.” This week, Owens is being heard in the Southland only. Beginning Monday, his show will be simulcast both here and in the Bay Area from 9 to 11:45 a.m. Meanwhile, Jackson’s move to weekends, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., will start either Saturday or July 26.

PEOPLE WATCH

Out and About: Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown may have reputations as being publicity shy, but the couple and an entourage of about a dozen were high profile as they were given VIP treatment Sunday at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park. After lunch at Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, the group hit most of the theme park’s biggest roller coasters. At one point, Houston and Brown were ushered in through the exit of Montazooma’s Revenge, not completely pleased that tourists’ cameras followed their every step. Yet Houston walked to the front of the ride with her arms skyward, clearly reveling in the excitement of the speeding 360-degree roller coaster. After taking a spin herself, she convinced a reluctant Brown to join her for another ride. The ride was delayed about 15 minutes, but the folks in line didn’t seem to mind, even cheering the celebrated couple at one point.