MORNING REPORT - News from Oct. 21, 2000

RADIO

KABC Makes Morning Move: After disappointing ratings during the most recent Arbitron radio-listening survey, talk-radio station KABC-AM (790) has abruptly dropped its morning team of John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou. The change came Friday, with the duo to be replaced by “The KABC Morning Show With Dave & Amy”--a magazine-style program featuring Dave Williams and Amy Lewis, currently the top-rated morning team in Sacramento, where they’re heard on KFBK-AM. The new 5-9 a.m. show begins Nov. 13, with Gloria Allred and Mark Taylor filling in on the morning show in the interim. Former KFI-AM (640) hosts Kobylt and Chiampou replaced longtime KABC morning-drive host Ken Minyard in July 1999.

Briefly Noted: “Let’s Do Lunch,” the weekday arts program on KCSN-FM (88.5), will broadcast all five shows next week at noon from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, with host Rene Engle talking with curators and executives about the museum’s new California exhibition. . . . Pianist Mona Golabek’s nationally syndicated program “The Romantic Hours” returns to KMZT-FM (105.1) at 10 tonight.

MUSIC

Follow the Bouncing Names: When UCLA decided to honor a gift of $5 million from record executive Mo Ostin and his wife Evelyn by renaming Schoenberg Hall after them last month, it sparked an embarrassing controversy. UCLA had claimed that only the music building, not the hall itself, had a formal name. But Thursday, UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale admitted in a letter to the Schoenberg heirs that “errors occurred internally that resulted in the decision to remove [Schoenberg’s] name from the auditorium” and that “UCLA intends to honor our commitment to Professor Schoenberg’s memory by restoring his name to the auditorium.” When the hall opened in 1955, the Board of Regents did, in fact, dedicate it to Arnold Schoenberg, a giant of 20th century music and arguably the most important arts figure to have been on the UCLA faculty. According to a spokesman at UCLA, the details of the name change reversal have yet to be worked out. The university has already renovated the exterior of the hall, with the Ostin name embossed on the facade, and removed a historic bust of Schoenberg by Anna Mahler. UCLA also has not yet determined an appropriate way to honor the Ostins’ gift.

McDonald Concerts Canceled: Singer Audra McDonald has canceled her scheduled appearances at UCLA tonight and at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido on Sunday. A statement from UCLA said that the Tony Award-winning singer had been admitted to a New York hospital Friday “due to complications in the course of her five-month pregnancy.”

TELEVISION

Bush Boosts Dave: Republican Presidential nominee George W. Bush’s appearance on “Late Show With David Letterman” Thursday produced the program’s highest rating since the installment that followed the “Survivor” finale on Aug. 23. However, Letterman still trailed “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”

MOVIES

Film Festival Grants: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made grants totaling $250,000 to 14 U.S. film festivals for next year. Local recipients, announced Friday, were the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival ($20,000) and the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles ($10,000).

POP/ROCK

Pumpkins Go Home: The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that the group’s final two shows will be in the band’s hometown of Chicago. The Pumpkins, which announced its breakup in May, will play the 20,000-seat United Center on Nov. 29 and the 1,100-seat Cabaret Metro on Dec 2. Tickets for both shows go on sale today through Ticketmaster and the United Center box office. The Cabaret Metro hosted the very first Pumpkins gig on Oct. 5, 1988.

Concert Delayed: The Everly Bros. show Monday at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim has been postponed until March 15 because Don Everly is experiencing voice problems.