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

TELEVISION

Second Hour of Ticking a Go: CBS is expected to announce today that it will produce a second edition of “60 Minutes,” to air in prime time on an unspecified weeknight, beginning early next year. Jeff Fager, currently executive producer of “CBS Evening News,” is expected to be named producer of the new show. CBS entertainment executives had pushed for some time for a second edition of the venerable newsmagazine, although “60 Minutes” creator/executive producer Don Hewitt, and the program’s original anchors, had been opposed for fear of cannibalizing their franchise. But Hewitt has now decided to lend some expertise to the new show, sources said.

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Take That, Dave: CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” has been knocked off the air in seven Southern and Midwestern cities this week because the stations’ owner, Nick Evans of South Carolina’s Spartan Communications, had trouble getting tickets for some advertisers who wanted to see the show in New York. Instead, the stations’ viewers are being treated to a mixture of infomercials, sitcoms like “Mama’s Family” and “Married . . . With Children” and the stern “Judge Judy.” “Late Show” executives were not laughing Tuesday, however, with executive producer Rob Burnett saying: “I think this is the type of fellow that is used to getting the best table at a restaurant at a moment’s notice while the rest of us have to wait in line.” Evans said that in addition to the tickets mishap, he’s unhappy with Letterman’s low ratings and wanted to test alternative programs.

POP/ROCK

MTV Video Nominations: Madonna led the way with nine nods Tuesday for the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, which will be held Sept. 10 at L.A.’s Universal Amphitheatre. Madonna--who will perform at the awards show along with Courtney Love’s band, Hole, rapper Master P and the Dave Matthews Band--was nominated in categories including video of the year, female video and dance video (all for “Ray of Light”). Close behind her was the group Garbage, with eight nominations including best group video and alternative music video (for “Push It”); Will Smith garnered six nods including video of the year and best rap video (for “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”). Additional nominees included video of the year contenders Brandy & Monica (“The Boy Is Mine”), Puff Daddy & the Family (“It’s All About the Benjamins”) and the Verve (“Bitter Sweet Symphony”); alternative video contestants the Verve, Ben Folds Five (“Brick”), Green Day (“Time of Your Life [Good Riddance]”) and Radio Head (“Karma Police”); and best new artist candidates Cherry Poppin’ Daddies (“Zoot Suit Riot”), Chumbawamba (“Tubthumping”), Fastball (“The Way”), Natalie Imbruglia (“Torn”) and Mase (“Feel So Good”).

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Boosterism, L.A. Style: Rocker Courtney Love and Mayor Richard Riordan were among those on hand Tuesday to announce the MTV nominations, with Riordan also announcing a week of festivities to welcome the awards back to Los Angeles after several years in New York. He is declaring the second week of September “Official MTV Video Music Awards Week” and plans to temporarily rename part of Hollywood Boulevard “MTV Boulevard.” In addition, 15 L.A.-area clubs--including the House of Blues, Viper Room, Hollywood Athletic Club, Dragonfly and the Troubadour--will offer MTV-sponsored shows throughout the week.

MOVIES

Was Mimi Leder’s ‘Deep Impact’ the Rare Exception?: The employment of female directors fell considerably in 1997, while employment for minority film directors also declined, a Directors Guild of America study released Tuesday showed. According to the DGA, the total number of days worked by female film directors (versus all DGA-member directors) slid from 8.8% in 1996 to 7.0% in 1997, with the actual number of days worked by women falling from 4,233 to only 3,411. Minority directors, meanwhile, made up only 6.4% of the total number of days worked in 1997, as opposed to a corresponding 6.9% for 1996. While not showing the marked decrease of the women’s numbers, minority film directors’ actual days of employment also fell, from 3,163 to 3,090. “It is outrageous that in a year in which all DGA directors worked almost 4,000 days more than in the previous year, women and minority directors actually lost nearly 900 days worked,” said director Martha Coolidge, the DGA’s first vice president. “There is clearly a problem that needs to be immediately rectified.”

QUICK TAKES

Charles Grodin, whose self-titled talk show was recently canceled on CNBC, will resurface this weekend on sister station MSNBC. The network announced Tuesday that it would carry Grodin’s hourlong show--using much of the same monologue-and-social-issues format--on Saturdays at 5 p.m., with rebroadcasts Saturday and Sunday nights at 10. . . . President Clinton has named Hollywood TV producer Jeff Valdez (“Latino Laugh Festival,” “Comedy Compadres”) to the advisory committee on the arts at Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The advisory committee recommends prospective cultural activities to be featured at the center. . . . Rapper Big Punisher didn’t show up for his scheduled concert Monday night at the Hollywood Athletic Club. His publicist said Tuesday that his bus broke down en route from Las Vegas. There are no plans to reschedule. Big Punisher is expected, however, to make his San Diego show tonight at 4th & B.