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

ENTERTAINMENT

‘God’ vs. Stations: Four more NBC affiliates have come out against the new NBC animated comedy, “God, the Devil and Bob,” saying they will refuse to air the religion-flavored series in its Tuesday 8:30 p.m. time period. (The series’ initial installment airs tonight at 8:30, then moves to its Tuesday slot next week.) The stations--KTAL in Shreveport, La.; WTVA in Tupelo, Miss.; and two Idaho stations, KTVB in Boise and KTFT in Twin Falls--have told the network they will air the comedy in their late-night programming. NBC’s Salt Lake City and Pocatello, Idaho, stations had previously announced plans to completely preempt the show, which features an animated God (voiced by James Garner) who resembles the late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia.

Oops!: “Accidents happen.” That’s the explanation of both KCRW-FM (89.9) and its “Morning Becomes Eclectic” host Nic Harcourt for playing a portion Wednesday of Lori Carson’s song “Snow Came Down,” in which the lyric--”I don’t want to f--- things up”--was heard twice. According to a KCRW spokeswoman, Harcourt interrupted the song because of the profanity. Several listeners called in to complain that the song was not heard in full, and Harcourt apologized on the air for cutting it off--and for possibly offending listeners. Harcourt said later that he was surprised because he had heard the song previously in a version without the profanity.

This Time, Only Probation: Former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee got 18 months probation after pleading no contest Tuesday to assault following a racially tinged altercation at a 1997 North Carolina concert. In exchange for his plea, Greensboro, N.C., prosecutors dropped a charge of felony riot with ethnic intimidation. Lee, who served four months in a California jail in 1998 for assaulting his wife, Pamela Anderson Lee, was charged with bandmate Nikki Sixx after Sixx allegedly directed racial slurs at a black security guard and encouraged the band’s 2,500-member audience to attack the guard. The guard, John Allen, has filed a federal civil suit against Sixx and Lee; Lee declined to comment after his plea because of that pending case. Sixx’s criminal case is still pending.

QUICK TAKES

Due to a U.S. Postal Service mix-up that resulted in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences having to mail out 4,200 new Oscar ballots on Wednesday, the academy has extended the Academy Awards voting deadline by two days, to March 23. However, academy President Robert Rehme is still recommending that members attempt to mail the ballots by the original March 21 due date. . . . Basketball star Kobe Bryant’s debut rap album, originally set for release this month and then moved to June, has now been pushed to late summer. A Columbia Records spokeswoman said the “Visions” release was delayed so that the Lakers guard would be available for promotional activities. The team’s season would extend into June if it advances to the NBA finals. . . . Regis Philbin has signed new multiyear deals with Buena Vista Television and ABC to continue hosting, respectively, his syndicated daytime talk show, “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee,” and his ABC game show phenomenon, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” Buena Vista and ABC refused to say how long the contracts run.