MORNING REPORT - News from Jan. 2, 2001

TV & RADIO

Double Dose of ‘Jazz’: In an unusual partnership, jazz radio station KLON-FM (88.1) will simulcast KCET-TV’s airing of Ken Burns’ new 10-part PBS documentary, “Jazz,” next week. The series, six years in the making and featuring more than 500 pieces of music, will air at 9 p.m. on both KCET and KLON, with installments Monday through Jan. 10, 15, 17, 22 through 24, 29 and 31. KCET will repeat each installment at 2 a.m. following the night of its first airing and will repeat each week’s programs on Sundays at 1 p.m.; the repeats, however, will not be simulcast on KLON. KCET President Al Jerome, noting that the public television station plans to “celebrate America’s musical heritage” with various programs throughout 2001, said he hopes that the “Jazz” simulcast “will be the start of a strong, ongoing relationship with KLON.”

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Blue Has the Blues: Steve Burns, the 27-year-old host of Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” has decided to leave the hit children’s series. “I didn’t really want to become Krusty the Klown in front of the nation,” Burns told Time magazine in its Jan. 8 issue, referring to the bumbling clown in “The Simpsons.” Burns teamed with the blue cartoon dog named Blue five years ago, helping TV-watching toddlers learn deductive reasoning. He made the role famous with his upbeat personality, khakis and striped shirts. Nickelodeon will replace Burns with his “brother” Joe, to be played by Donovan Patton.

KUDOS

Honors All Around: The Caucus of Producers, Writers and Directors will posthumously honor pioneer Steve Allen at its 18th annual banquet on Jan. 14. Jayne Meadows, Allen’s widow, will accept the special recognition award. . . . Among other honors to be doled out this month: Musician Ray Charles will be among those feted Monday in Atlanta at Turner Broadcasting’s ninth annual Trumpet Awards, saluting African Americans “who have made enormous contributions to humankind and helped to make a better world for us all . . . in spite of racial prejudice and discrimination.” . . . NBC West Coast President Scott Sassa will be named executive of the year by the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers & Directors on Jan. 14. . . . Music producer-composer David Foster will receive the Nesuhi Ertegun person of the year trophy Jan. 23 at the annual MIDEM music festival in Cannes. The lifetime achievement honor was created in 1989 to recognize “outstanding music industry figures.”

QUICK TAKES

“Almost Famous” actress Kate Hudson, 21, daughter of Goldie Hawn, married rock singer Chris Robinson, 34, of the Black Crowes in Aspen, Colo. on New Year’s Eve, a spokesman for the actress said Monday. . . . Rene Elizondo Jr., Janet Jackson’s estranged husband, has filed a lawsuit against the singer and actress, claiming she broke a promise to divide property acquired before their marriage in 1991. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks damages of more than $10 million. Jackson announced in February 1999 that the couple had separated. . . . Cable’s American Movie Classics will pay tribute to Jason Robards on Thursday by showing his Oscar-winning performance in “All the President’s Men” at 5 p.m., followed by his film “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” at 7:30 p.m. . . . Thomas W. “Bill” Davis, senior vice president for programming at National Public Radio, will take over Jan. 29 as chief executive officer of Southern California Public Radio, the parent company of Pasadena-based KPCC-FM (89.3). . . . MacGillivray Freeman Films, producers of the Imax films “Everest” and “Dolphins,” is making another large-format movie, “Journey into Amazing Caves.” Liam Neeson will narrate, and the Moody Blues will perform on the soundtrack.