ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

TELEVISION

‘Millionaire’ Insurers Want Out: The London-based company that insures ABC’s hit game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” has sued to get out of its contract. Insurance underwriters Goshawk Syndicate argues that the questions are too easy and it is at risk of paying out too much prize money. ABC says it plans no changes to the show, which frequently draws 30 million viewers a night, propelling the network to the top of the ratings. On Jan. 24, Goshawk filed suit in Britain’s High Court of Justice against Buena Vista Entertainment Inc., the show’s producers, to end its contract. “Unquestionably, the integrity of the show is above reproach,” ABC spokeswoman Julie Hoover said. “This is simply a dispute in which the company providing insurance is trying to get out of coverage on the basis of a conversation it had with a broker.” Goshawk is required to pay out prize money to contestants who win $500,000 or more on the show. “Millionaire” winners at that level have totaled $3.5 million. There’s a deductible of $1.5 million before Goshawk is required to pay and a ceiling of $5 million. A spokeswoman for Goshawk declined comment.

PEOPLE

Honors for Liz: Elizabeth Taylor will be the third recipient of the Marian Anderson Award, which honors artists who work to benefit humanity. Taylor was chosen because of her work on behalf of AIDS awareness, research and patient care, Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street said Friday. “This quintessential movie star took the spotlight, which has illuminated her acting career throughout her life, and bravely turned it on the battle against AIDS following the death of her close friend Rock Hudson,” Street said. The award is named after the late African American opera singer from Philadelphia who in 1939 gave a concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial, an event sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt, after Anderson had been banned from singing at a Daughters of the American Revolution-owned hall because of her race. Harry Belafonte and Gregory Peck--the first two award winners--are among the celebrities scheduled to pay tribute to Taylor at the ceremonies in June.

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Moore for ‘Hannibal’?: Actress Julianne Moore, who was nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actress for her role in “Boogie Nights,” is in negotiations with Universal Pictures to play Clarice Starling in “Hannibal,” the sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning movie “The Silence of the Lambs,” it was confirmed Friday. Jodie Foster had recently declined to reprise her Oscar-winning role as Starling in the film based on author Thomas Harris’ sequel. Moore is expected to join Anthony Hopkins, who is in negotiations to reprise his Oscar-winning Hannibal Lecter role.

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Rhea to Host: Comedian Caroline Rhea, who plays Aunt Hilda on ABC’s “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” will host the 52nd annual Writers Guild Awards March 5 in Beverly Hills and simultaneously in New York. The awards honor writers in movies, television and radio. Presenters will include Al Pacino, Matt Damon, Haley Joel Osment, Dylan McDermott and Michael Clarke Duncan.

POP/ROCK

Take Note: Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana are among the artists scheduled to perform on a two-hour TV tribute to Arista Records and its president, Clive Davis. The special, “25 Years of No. 1 Hits: Arista Records’ Anniversary Celebration,” will be taped April 10 at the Shrine Auditorium for showing in May on NBC. . . . Multiple nominees the Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Houston, Kid Rock and Britney Spears have been added to the list of performers for the Feb. 23 Grammy Awards, airing on CBS. . . . TLC scored three nods to lead nominations for the 14th annual Soul Train Music Awards. Hosted by Eric Benet, TLC’s Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, Tamia and Shemar Moore, the awards take place March 4 at the Shrine Auditorium.

RADIO

Spanish Oldies for KACE: KACE-FM (103.9), which dropped its R&B; oldies format at midnight Monday after being bought by Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., debuted a Spanish-language oldies format at 12:15 p.m. Friday. “We’re focusing on songs from the ‘60s--all kinds of hits from Mexico and Central America--that generally are not played on the radio in Los Angeles,” said corporation Vice President David Gleason. “We did independent research and on-air research all week long, and the response of [these] songs that nobody played on the radio anymore was the biggest one.”

QUICK TAKES

Heart patient David Letterman won’t be back Valentine’s Day, as rumored, or all next week. Instead, CBS will continue to air versions of “Late Show Backstage,” where stars are interviewed reminiscing about their appearances on Letterman’s show. . . . Award-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager gets the 2,153rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Monday at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum/Galaxy Theatre. . . . In an exclusive “Dateline NBC” interview Monday night at 9, actor Matthew Perry tells correspondent Stone Phillips that he wants to return to NBC’s “Friends” next season.