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

TELEVISION

Watchdog Group Targets Denver Stations: A media watchdog group will ask the Federal Communications Commission to force four TV stations in the Denver market to curb sex and violence in their news as a condition of license renewal. Since the FCC no longer requires TV stations to meet any criteria in how to handle news, such as the previous fairness and equal time doctrines, the group is attacking the stations as threats to the public safety. “We’re asking the FCC to protect us. What these stations are broadcasting is harmful,” said Paul Klite, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Media Watch. Klite’s group monitored news broadcasts on the four stations from 1994 through 1997 and came up with a “mayhem index,” the percentage of news about crime, disasters, war and terrorism in each news show. The percentages, according to the report, ranged from 45% to 55%. The report also criticized the stations for providing limited coverage on important local issues, including elections, the environment, education, arts, poverty, children and AIDS.

Alonso to Host Telemundo Talk Show: In an effort to boost sagging ratings by crossing over into the mainstream market, the Spanish-language Telemundo network (Channel 52 locally) will launch a weekday talk and variety show hosted by actress and singer Maria Conchita Alonso. The program, which will be produced in Los Angeles, will debut this spring. Telemundo, the nation’s second-largest Spanish-language television network, has seen its viewership fall by more than 20% in the last five years.

PEOPLE WATCH

Love Seeks Reimbursement: Courtney Love wants reimbursement for an estimated $27,543 to defend herself on a charge of slugging two fans during a 1995 concert in Orlando, Fla., after the case against her was thrown out of court. Love, lead singer of the band Hole and actress in “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” is asking Orange County, Fla., to reimburse her for her defense. The county’s offer: $1,900. “We’re trying to be nice,” said Assistant Orange County Atty. George Dorsett. “We went up from what we were offering before.” A judge had ruled last year that the county should consider paying Love $254. The charges against Love were thrown out after a judge ruled the teens she allegedly struck weren’t exposed to any more violence than could have been expected at a rock concert.

MOVIES

DGA Announces Documentary Nominations: Michele Ohayon, who directed the Oscar-nominated documentary “Colors Straight Up,” is among five nominees for outstanding directorial achievement in documentary for 1997, the Directors Guild of America announced Tuesday. The other nominees: Muffie Meyer and Ellen Hovde for “Liberty! The American Revolution: ‘Blows Must Decide’ (Episode 2)”; John O’Hagan for “Wonderland”; Peter Rosen for “First Person Singular: I.M. Pei”; and Michael Uys and Lexy Lovell for “Riding the Rails.” The winner will be announced March 7.

POP/ROCK

More Grammy Performers: Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, Wyclef Jean, Aretha Franklin, R. Kelly, Sarah McLachlan, Will Smith and the Blues Brothers have been added to the list of performers for the 40th annual Grammy Awards ceremony, which will be broadcast by CBS on Feb. 25.

Chapman Leads Dove Nominations: Steven Curtis Chapman picked up nine nominations for the 29th annual Dove Awards, which honor gospel and Christian music. Toby McKeehan, lead singer of the band DC Talk, was second with eight nominations, while Jars of Clay singer Dan Haseltine picked up seven. The awards will given on April 23, live on TNT from Nashville.

QUICK TAKES

A volume of dramatic distress signals from the doomed ocean liner Titanic sold for $123,500 in electrifying bidding at an auction Tuesday in New York City, including the eerie message, “We have struck an iceberg.” . . . Radio station KKBT-FM’s (92.3) morning show, “John London and the House Party,” was chosen from among other L.A. morning teams to broadcast live this week from the Coca-Cola Broadcast Center in the Olympic Village at Nagano, Japan. The Olympic broadcasts--complete with up-to-date competition results--will air today through Saturday. . . . KTLA newsman Stan Chambers will be honored for his 50 years on television today when Mayor Richard Riordan’s office erects a monument sign at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue, just outside the KTLA-TV Channel 5 studios. . . . The late, great jazzman Miles Davis will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at 7060 Hollywood Blvd. . . . Rosie O’Donnell will host the 52nd annual Tony Awards, which will be broadcast by CBS from New York City on June 7. . . . NBC will team with the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Ad Council on a multifaceted “The More You Know” educational campaign on teen pregnancy prevention. The network airs a weekly Saturday morning programming block aimed at teenagers.