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

POP/ROCK

What’s in a Credit?: In what could be seen as either an unusual gesture of goodwill or as an extreme phobia of lawsuits, the Rolling Stones have opted to give k.d. lang and her writing partner, Ben Mink, songwriting credits on the Stones’ new album, “Bridges to Babylon.” The decision was made after someone in the Stones camp noticed that the song “Anybody Seen My Baby” bears a resemblance to lang’s 1992 hit, “Constant Craving.” Because the group “wanted to make sure everything was absolutely handled properly,” a Stones representative said, the song will be credited as a collaboration between the Stones, lang and Mink. That’s despite the fact that Stones front man Mick Jagger, through the representative, said he admires lang but is unfamiliar with “Constant Craving.” Meanwhile, lang said, “I’ve always been a fan of the Rolling Stones, and I take it as quite a compliment.” “Brides of Babylon” is scheduled to reach stores on Sept. 30.

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Supreme Decision: A Los Angeles judge has rejected founding Supremes member Mary Wilson’s lawsuit against Motown Records and several former Supremes members, finding that Motown Records, and not Wilson, is the sole owner of rights to the group’s name. Wilson had sued several former group members and others last year claiming that they “exploited” the group’s image by forming subsequent musical groups such as Sounds of the Supremes, which features Kaaren Ragland. However, the court approved the use of the name Sounds of the Supremes, finding that Motown has no objections to the name and has actually “encouraged and supported” the group’s performances. Counterclaims filed against Wilson by three of the former band members and their management company, alleging that she has interfered with their business activities by attempting to stop performances by Sounds of the Supremes, have yet to be decided. Wilson could not be reached for comment because of the Labor Day holiday.

RADIO & TV

Leykis Returns: Veteran talk-show host Tom Leykis, off the air locally since May 1996, returns today as the new afternoon-drive man on KLSX-FM (97.1). His syndicated show normally will be heard from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, but he’s doing an extra two hours today, beginning at 1 p.m. Tim Conway Jr. and Doug Steckler, who had been airing in that slot, move to the 11 a.m.-3 p.m. shift formerly occupied by “The Regular Guys” (Larry Wachs and Eric Haessler), who were dropped from the station Aug. 18. Leykis previously worked at KFI-AM (640) from 1988 to 1992 and then at KMPC-AM (710) from 1994-1996.

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Cable for the Blind: TNT’s “George Wallace” will become the first cable movie to air in TheatreVision, a technology that provides enhanced audio description for the visually impaired. The technology--used with TNT’s Wednesday 5 p.m. broadcast of the Gary Sinise movie--can be accessed via the radio, simulcast on KIEV-AM (870), or via the Internet at https://www.cableradionetwork.com. The audio description was recorded by radio host Casey Kasem and actor Clarence Williams III, who has a role in the film.

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More on Modotti: Two more projects are in the works about the life of actress, photographer and revolutionary Tina Modotti, with the Studio City-based Sandpail Productions planning a documentary film and a DVD-ROM release. International Modotti scholars are working on the projects, which will contain archival photographs and film footage. A late 1998 or early 1999 release is expected. A feature film about Modotti’s life is also in the works.

QUICK TAKES

Kudos Galore: Actress Carmen Zapata, co-founder of Los Angeles’ Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, will be honored in Washington Sept. 22 with a 1997 Hispanic Heritage Award. The honor, to be presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, recognizes Zapata’s lifetime professional achievements and contributions to the community. . . . Kirk Douglas will receive the First Hollywood Film Festival’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award during ceremonies Oct. 18 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. In selecting Douglas, the festival’s co-founders noted that the actor’s “personal convictions and professional body of work are the ultimate examples of a role model that emerging filmmakers should follow.” . . . Actor Walter Matthau; his wife, Carol; and 32-year-old son Charles will be recognized by the American Film Institute Associates Sept. 18 when they receive the organization’s first Platinum Circle Award, a new honor recognizing an entire family’s contributions to the arts. Walter Matthau has appeared in 60 movies and 23 plays in a career spanning more than half a century; Carol Matthau has written two books; and Charles Matthau directed and produced one of his father’s films, “The Grass Harp.” . . . Actress-dancer Ann Miller will receive the 1997 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Multicultural Motion Picture Assn.’s fifth annual Diversity Awards. The awards, recognizing diversity in the cinematic arts, take place Oct. 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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Strange but True: Heartthrob George Clooney has found time for more than just “ER” and his movie career--he also barks his way through the role of a gay dog, Sparky, on Wednesday’s episode of Comedy Central’s new animated series “South Park.” . . . Playboy Home Video’s “Farrah Fawcett: All of Me” has knocked Tom Cruise’s “Jerry Maguire” from the top of Billboard’s Video Sales Chart. . . . The New York Daily News reports that a company called Impulse is planning a line of Spice Girl deodorants with five scents--one for each member of the British pop quintet. The manufacturers promise the products will bring “girl power confidence all day long.”