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

TELEVISION

Short Coming Up Short?: Though CBS is denying it, “The Martin Short Show” won’t be renewed after finishing its run of original shows sometime in mid-April, production sources said Friday. “The Martin Short Show,” distributed by CBS-owned King World, had been much-hyped when it debuted in September, thanks to its star, Short, the comic actor from TV and film. But the staff has already been told to seek other employment, a source said. “The Martin Short Show” airs locally on KCOP-TV weekdays at 11:30 p.m. Meanwhile, it’s only a formality before a similar ax falls on another high-profile King World talk show, “Roseanne.” After giving the comedian a reported $8 million a year to do her show, King World has seen affiliates drop the series, even though they committed to paying two years’ worth of licensing fees for the show.

*

Ribbons of Hope: TV Cares--a committee of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation--honors DreamWorks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg, the syndicated show “Leeza,” and PBS and its “Names Project: AIDS Memorial Quilt” tonight at the fourth annual “Ribbon of Hope” celebration. The event, at the academy’s headquarters in North Hollywood, is open to the public.

STAGE

Now He Likes It: Pop star Elton John paid a visit to a preview performance of his new Broadway show “Aida” and pronounced the production “11 on a scale of 1 to 10.” John, who collaborated on the adaptation of the famed opera with Tim Rice, the one-time partner of Andrew Lloyd Webber, had stormed out of a performance on Feb. 27, reportedly displeased with some incidental dance music. But he dropped in for another preview Thursday at Broadway’s Palace Theater and told the cast afterward that he had “never been more proud of a group of people in my life.”

MOVIES

‘Sixth’ Is 11th: With a domestic gross to date of nearly $286 million, “The Sixth Sense” from Hollywood Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment has become the 11th top-grossing film of all time, according to Richard Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. “Sixth Sense” has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, director, screenplay and supporting actor. “Sixth Sense” passed “Home Alone,” which had a gross of $285.8 million.

RADIO

More on KPCC: In its revamped programming schedule, KPPC-FM (89.3) is presenting a consolidated weekday talk package, beginning Monday at 9 a.m. with “Larry Mantle’s AirTalk.” National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation,” with Juan Williams, then airs live from Washington, D.C., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by “Talk of the City,” in a new time slot from 1 to 2:30 p.m., hosted by Linda Othenin-Girard on Mondays through Thursdays and by Kitty Felde on Fridays. “We wanted to make the middle of the day a strong talk bloc,” said Craig Curtis, Minnesota Public Radio’s vice president of programming. Meanwhile, KUSC-FM (91.5) Program Director Sheila Rue said Friday that the station was thrilled about KPCC airing the KUSC-produced business news show “Marketplace,” with David Brancaccio, at 2:30 p.m. and repeated at 6:30 p.m. “KPCC is going to have more news so it really is a good fit there. [Having it] on twice there gives listeners more opportunity to hear it.”

*

LAPL-FM: “Paperbax,” a new public radio series featuring readings from young adult literature, will be recorded at the Los Angeles Public Library’s new cyber-savvy “teen’scape” wing at the downtown Central Library. The first three readings for the series--which will eventually air on KCSN-FM (88.5)--are scheduled Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. Joseph Gordon-Levitt from NBC’s “3rd Rock From the Sun,” Steven Daniel and Scott Whyte from “City Guys,” and Scott Bryce and Lisa Darr from WB’s “Popular” will read on Monday. Thursday’s reading will be bilingual, and will include actors from Telemundo’s “Los Beltran” and the network’s reporting staff. The series will offer readings from a wide range of fare--from “Cool Salsa,” a bilingual anthology of hip poetry, to Jane Austen, Ray Bradbury and Shakespeare.

QUICK TAKES

Prominent Santa Monica-based art collector Peter Norton has been elected to the L.A. County Museum of Art’s board of trustees. . . . Producer Arnon Milchan (“L.A. Confidential,” “Pretty Woman”) gets the Israel Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award on March 29. . . . Conductor Franz Welser-Most, recently appointed music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, will autograph CDs following his guest appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic tonight. . . . Actor Brad Pitt has been added to the list of presenters on this year’s Oscar telecast March 26. . . . “Magic” Matt Alan returns to Los Angeles radio today with his syndicated show, “Lighten Up Lounge,” airing Saturdays on KRLA-AM (1110) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. . . . USC will receive five awards, more than any other school, including first place in the documentary category, when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presents its annual College Television Awards Monday. . . . The Santa Monica Pier continues its traditional free outdoor concert series, “Sunday Concerts on the Pier,” now in its eighth year, beginning Sunday at 2 p.m. with Lisa Haley and the Zydecats.