Morning Report - News from May 1, 2001

TV & RADIO

Honoring Diversity: The pay-TV channels Showtime and HBO were the big winners Friday at the seventh annual National Assn. of Minorities in Communications Vision Awards, which pay tribute to cable programmers and producers of programming featuring cultural diversity. Showtime received the North Star Award in honor of its “exceptional efforts” in developing projects with diversity. HBO took home several awards, including best comedy (“Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly”), best comedic performance (Sandra Oh for “Arli$$”), best musical variety program (“The Chris Rock Show”) and best dramatic performance (Khandi Alexander in the miniseries “The Corner”).

Surviving With Letterman: Thursday’s edition of CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman” will feature a Top 10 list read by the 16 contestants of “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” which will reveal its $1-million winner earlier that night on a two-hour season finale. Last year, Letterman pulled a similar stunt, with winner Richard Hatch appearing in the nude as he delivered the No. 1 item: “The human body is a wonderful thing.”

Mayoral Debate: KCRW-FM (89.9) will broadcast the first live debate between Los Angeles mayoral runoff candidates James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at USC’s Davidson Conference Center. Warren Olney will moderate the one-hour discussion as part of his program “Which Way, L.A.?” Questions will focus on the Los Angeles Police Department, the revitalization of local business and other issues.

‘Talk’ Host: Journalist Kitty Felde, a 17-year veteran of public radio, has been appointed full-time host of the KPCC-FM (89.3) public-affairs call-in program “Talk of the City.” Felde, most recently the program’s Friday host, replaces Linda Othenin-Girard, who becomes senior producer of the station’s morning show “AirTalk.” “Talk of the City” airs weekdays at 1 p.m.

PEOPLE

Happy Anniversary: Tenor Luciano Pavarotti had something to sing about on Sunday night, celebrating his 40th anniversary in opera with a concert in his home city of Modena, Italy. Spanish tenor Jose Carreras was among those who took part in the three-hour concert. Placido Domingo, the third of the “Three Tenors,” canceled at the last minute because of impending surgery announced on Friday. Pavarotti is expected to return to Modena on May 29 for a fund-raising concert for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.

Another Vilar Donation: Billionaire arts patron Alberto Vilar pledged more than $23 million Monday to finance an international performing arts program at New York University. “Crucial to the development of the arts is the nurturing of its next generation of leaders, as well as its artists,” Vilar told a luncheon audience at the university, where his gift will provide tuition, housing and travel funds for 20 fellows by the year 2005. In recent months, Vilar has given millions to the arts, including donations to the Kirov Opera and Ballet of St. Petersburg, the Los Angeles Opera and $50 million to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

THE ARTS

Schimmel on Exhibit: Paul Schimmel, chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles since 1990, will receive the Award for Curatorial Excellence from the Center for Curatorial Studies tonight in New York City. Schimmel has organized many exhibitions, including “Helter Skelter: Los Angeles Art in the 1990s.” His most recent exhibition, “Public Offerings,” looks at formative works by artists who graduated from art school programs in the United States, Europe and Japan during the 1990s.

QUICK TAKES

CBS’ broadcast of the play “On Golden Pond” on Sunday night trailed ABC and NBC in viewership, according to overnight Nielsen ratings. The CBS audience declined as the two-hour production progressed from 9 to 11 p.m. . . . “Kaaterskill Falls,” a thriller about a couple spending a perilous weekend in the Catskills, won the 2001 Critics Prize at the Independent Feature Project/West Los Angeles Film Festival, the nine-day event that presented 51 feature films and 48 shorts. . . . The rock band Weezer will perform at 5 p.m. at West Hollywood’s Tower Records on May 15. The group plans to sign autographs after the scheduled 40-minute set. . . . Anne Archer, Melissa Joan Hart and Sarah Jones will perform “The Vagina Monologues” at the Canon Theater during May 8-27. . . . The Showtime series “Queer as Folk” was named outstanding drama at the 12th annual GLAAD Media Awards, honoring the media and entertainment industry for positive portrayals of gay and lesbian issues. NBC’s “Will & Grace” and “Ed” also were honored Saturday. . . . Actress and recovering addict Mackenzie Phillips said she forgave her father, singer-songwriter John Phillips, on his deathbed for contributing to her drug addiction as a child and teenager. Phillips, founder of the Mamas and the Papas, died March 18. . . . The female group Eden’s Crush will autograph copies of their new CD “Popstars” tonight at 7 at the Virgin Megastore in Burbank. --STEVEN LINAN