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

POP/ROCK

Halloween, KISS-Style?: There are more indications that the rumored Dodger Stadium Halloween concert by the original KISS lineup is a go, with the Fox network announcing plans Friday for a Sept. 21 listening party for the foursome’s forthcoming “Psycho Circus” CD, along with a press conference that night “announcing a major event in Los Angeles with KISS and Fox.” The Times learned in May that the reunited band had asked Dodger Stadium to hold Halloween night open for a proposed concert, and although there’s still no official confirmation, a Fox broadcast of such an event would be likely since the company now owns the Dodgers and the stadium. Meanwhile, the Sept. 21 listening party at Mann’s Chinese Theater will be open to the first 800 fans who line up that day for a 4 p.m. wristband distribution.

THE ARTS

Gish Prize: Author Isabel Allende was named Friday as the recipient of the 1998 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize--an annual arts prize given to someone who has “made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.” The previous four recipients of the award, established by actress Lillian Gish in her will, were singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, artist-stage director Robert Wilson, film director Ingmar Bergman and architect Frank Gehry.

THEME PARKS

Halloween Horrors: Filmmaker Clive Barker (“Hellraiser”) will stage a live horror show at Universal Studios Hollywood next month, as part of the theme park’s “Halloween Horror Nights II” event. Called “Clive Barker’s Freakz,” the show--a walk-through event in the vein of the play “Tamara”--is described as a “kaleidoscope of diabolical images, brought to life on a sound stage by dozens of actors, . . . technicians and stagehands, a number equal to the staff of a major Broadway production.” Barker promises to “remove the audience’s safety net,” creating “the dread of physical contact.” The event, included with admission to “Halloween Horror Nights II,” will be held on weekends from Oct. 16-31.

RADIO & TV

Prager KABC’s Morning Man: KABC-AM (790) will move veteran talk host Dennis Prager into the key 9 a.m.-noon slot, starting Tuesday. Replacing Prager, who has been heard from noon-3 p.m. since 1994, will be Al Rantel, an 18-year veteran of South Florida talk radio. Rantel, who worked years ago as a news writer at L.A.’s KNX-AM (1070), was among the batch of rotating hosts who had recently tried out in the 9 a.m. slot. Meanwhile, syndicated host Paul Harvey, who now airs at 11:45 a.m., will move to noon-12:15 p.m. Program director Drew Hayes said that Prager--whose show is billed as “talk about social issues from an ethical perspective”--will “resonate way better” in the new time period “and set the tone for the day.”

Emmys, Phlemmys: “Seinfeld,” up for best comedy at Sunday’s Emmy awards, won a prize of a different sort on Friday when it was named to receive the Lung Assn.’s annual “Phlemmy” award, given to TV shows seen as glamorizing smoking. It was the third year in a row that the series received the dubious distinction. “Seinfeld”--which in its final season included episodes in which the lead characters were seen smoking cigars--was chosen by more than 50 teenagers who watched 126 hours of prime-time TV in April and May. On the positive side, “ER” won the Lung Assn.’s President’s Award for an episode in which the character of Dr. Green starts smoking to relieve stress, only to become addicted.

Jim Rockford’s New Case: Actor James Garner has filed a $2.25-million suit against Universal Pictures over syndication profits from the former NBC series “The Rockford Files.” Garner, 70, claims he is due 37.5% of net syndication profits, and accuses Universal of deceiving him about its sales of the series. He says he learned about one German distribution deal only after his accountant audited Universal’s books in late 1996. A Universal spokesperson Friday had no immediate comment.

Playing Games: Rosie O’Donnell, Andy Dick, Jeffrey Tambor, Kathy Najimy, Rita Rudner, Enrico Colantoni (“Just Shoot Me”), Mark McEwen (“CBS This Morning”) and writer Bruce Vilanch will surround center square Whoopi Goldberg during the debut week of the new “Hollywood Squares,” premiering Monday on KCBS-TV Channel 2 (airing weekdays at 7:30 p.m.). Tom Bergeron hosts. . . . Speaking of revived game shows, comedian Louie Anderson has signed to host a new version of “Family Feud” for Pearson Television. The syndicated show, planned for next fall, has not yet been sold to local stations.

QUICK TAKES

CBS, NBC and PBS tied for top honors in the annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards held in New York this week, picking up 10 awards each. Cable’s Discovery Channel won five awards, ABC won four, and Cinemax and MSNBC won three each. . . . Country singer Clint Black is asking fans to bring a pair of new or slightly used shoes to his concert tonight at the Greek Theatre. In previous shoe drives earlier this year, Black’s fans have donated more than 40,000 pairs for the needy. . . . “Ken & Jerry’s Courtroom Deli,” a weekly legal talk show featuring L.A. attorneys Kenny Kahn and Gerald Wolfe, will debut on KLSX-FM (97.1) on Sunday, airing from 10 to 11 p.m.