MORNING REPORT - News from Aug. 12, 2000

PEOPLE

Reiner’s Night: A funny thing is happening to writer-director Carl Reiner: He’ll be honored next Saturday by the Friars Club in Beverly Hills. Larry King will serve as master of ceremonies for the tribute featuring Hal Linden, Dick Van Dyke, Larry Gelbart, Hal Kanter, Sid Caesar and Fyvush Finkel. “Carl has had an extensive and impressive history in the entertainment industry, and he deserves a very special night of his own. That’s just what we plan to give him--traditional Friars Club style,” said club president Irwin M. Schaeffer. The 12-time Emmy winner and Television Academy Hall of Fame member created, wrote, directed and co-starred in “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and also was a regular on “Your Show of Shows.” Reiner’s film credits and co-writer and director credits include “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and “The Man With Two Brains.”

TELEVISION

‘Swan’ Dive: The Media Action Network for Asian Americans is asking producers of the Fox comedy “Mad TV” to drop the recurring character Ms. Swan, a woman who vexes others with her inability to speak or understand English. “Ms. Swan is clearly intended to be Asian,” said the group’s president Guy Aoki, “and by making fun of the way she talks, ‘Mad TV’ just mocks her ethnicity.” According to the organization, repeated phone calls to a producer of the show were not returned. Consequently, the organization will appeal to the program’s sponsors. Fox did not return a call by press time.

New Diversity Head: Former Times Mirror executive Mitsy Wilson has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of diversity development at Fox. Wilson will have responsibility for development, execution and evaluation of all diversity initiatives across Fox and also at its production arm, 20th Century Fox Television. The position was created as part of an agreement between Fox and a multiethnic coalition that had protested the lack of diversity in front of and behind the camera last season.

Conventional Cable: Adelphia Communications and AT&T; are teaming with the California Channel to provide comprehensive coverage of the Democratic National Convention to cable subscribers. The venture will make 18 hours of daily convention coverage available to cable systems around the country, beginning at 6 a.m. Monday. The programming also will provide recaps and interviews from alternative events. Scheduling details will be posted on Adelphia’s Web site, https://www.adelphiacomm.com.

Jumping the Gun: UPN has announced premiere dates for the fall season, which officially begins the first week of October. The comedies “Moesha” and “The Parkers” return with original episodes on Sept. 4. “The Hughleys,” a comedy picked up from ABC, begins its third season on Sept. 11 as a lead-in for the new sitcom “Girlfriends.” Two new action shows, “Freedom” and “Level 9,” will bow on Oct. 27.

MOVIES

‘Dieter’ Deal: Mike Myers and Universal Pictures have resolved their legal flap over “Dieter,” a comedy based on his “Saturday Night Live” character. Details of the settlement on Thursday were not disclosed, but Universal said Myers would write his next original character-based comedy as a co-production for Universal and DreamWorks. A separate agreement in another lawsuit was made with Imagine Entertainment earlier this week.

THE ARTS

Closing Down: The Ralph Miller Golf Library and Museum, the only such institution in the West, will close its doors Sunday. The Industry Hills Sheraton Resort, home to the library for 22 years, is expanding, and the library’s location is targeted for renovation. The resort’s general manager, Pat O’Brien, broke the news to the library’s two staff members Tuesday. The valuable collection of more than 5,000 books dating back to the 18th century, an archive of 20,000 photographs and golf memorabilia will go into storage until a new home can be found. Three institutions--two of them out of state--have expressed interest in acquiring the collection from the city of Industry.

QUICK TAKES

Madonna gave birth to a baby boy Friday, her publicist announced. The baby, named Rocco Ritchie, had been due in September for the pop star and director Guy Ritchie. Other details, including where the child was born and his height and weight, were not disclosed. . . . Wayne Gretzky and his wife, Janet, have another skater in the family. Tristan Wayne Gretzky was born in Los Angeles on Aug. 2, weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces.