Arts and Entertainment Reports from The Times, News Services and the Nation’s Press

THE ARTS

New York’s ‘Singing Policeman’ Signs Deal

Daniel Rodriguez, New York’s “Singing Policeman,” is recording a lush version of “God Bless America,” performances of which made him a familiar presence at New York Yankees playoff games and various memorial events in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

A single will be released Dec. 11, with a full debut album from the tenor planned for early January from Manhattan Records, a new EMI subsidiary headed by longtime Atlantic Records executive Arif Mardin, who is producing Rodriguez’s recording sessions.

“We did not discover him only after the tragedies,” says Mardin, whose production credits include work with Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin. “We already knew about his vocal capabilities. He is a fantastic singer who happened to put a lot of cheer into people’s hearts in New York.”

The album, Mardin says, will focus on similarly inspirational and patriotic material, including “We Will Go On,” a new song written by Mardin’s son Joe, which will also be featured on the single. A second album is already being planned to showcase the 37-year-old Rodriguez’s operatic voice on more lighthearted Broadway songs and popular standards.

Mardin says there had been talks of New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani reciting Irving Berlin’s original introductory lines to “God Bless America” for the recording, but that the mayor’s schedule will likely make that impossible, especially after Monday’s airliner crash in Queens.

RADIO

NPR Listeners to Hear and Question Putin

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin will grant one extended interview during his visit to the U.S. this week--and his questions will be put forth by listeners of National Public Radio.

Putin, in an unprecedented move by a leader of Russia or the former Soviet Union, will converse directly with members of the American public on Thursday at 5 p.m. (PST).

The live call-in show will be moderated by Robert Siegel, the host of “All Things Considered,” and is expected to be carried locally on stations KPCC-FM (89.3) and KCRW-FM (89.9). It can also be accessed via live audio stream at https://www.npr.org on the Internet.

TELEVISION

ABC Wins With Uncut Airing of ‘Private Ryan’

ABC’s uncut broadcast of the World War II film “Saving Private Ryan” averaged nearly 18 million viewers Sunday, ranking as the most-watched feature film on television in nearly two years and helping the network win the night, based on preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.

The telecast drew criticism Monday from the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Assn., the group led by the Rev. Donald Wildmon, who issued a statement saying the film is “powerful” but “network television is simply the wrong forum in which to show it unedited.” An ABC spokesman said the network received a relatively small number of calls from viewers complaining about its language and graphic violence.

In 1999, NBC’s uncut showing of another R-rated historical drama from director Steven Spielberg, “Schindler’s List,” attracted more than 33 million viewers. The three-hour-plus telecast of “Ryan” (which contained ads for the upcoming war movies “Black Hawk Down” and “Behind Enemy Lines”) ran with a “mature audiences” rating as well as several on-screen advisories. The viewership of “Saving Private Ryan” built during the night, beating CBS’ “I Love Lucy” 50th anniversary special, which averaged a solid 17.4 million viewers.

MSNBC, ’60 Minutes’ Forced to Cut Staff

With NBC-owned MSNBC emphasizing live war and terrorism coverage, the channel has eliminated 30 positions in its taped programming department following a budget review. Meanwhile, CBS News has also asked “60 Minutes,” traditionally one of the best-staffed newsmagazines, to trim a handful of low-level employees, as a result of budget pressures related to war coverage.

An MSNBC spokesman said some affected employees will be reassigned and the number of layoffs has not been decided. Most of the “60 Minutes” employees are expected to be reassigned to other shows, including “48 Hours,” which is likely to get an additional time slot. One or two employees may be laid off. A CBS spokeswoman said, “This is nothing more than a periodic look at any place where we might be a little more efficient.”

POP/ROCK

‘Iron Man’ Osbourne Falls, Fractures Leg

The new Ozzy Osbourne album is called “Down to Earth”--which turns out to be a painfully appropriate title. The veteran heavy metal singer has canceled 10 tour dates after fracturing his leg when he fell getting out of the shower.

The former Black Sabbath frontman took the tumble on Halloween night before a performance in Tucson, Ariz. Osbourne was unaware of the severity of the injury until late last week when pain prompted him to get medical attention, according to Pollstar, the concert industry trade publication. Osbourne has returned to his Los Angeles home to mend.

The singer of such metal anthems as “Iron Man,” “Crazy Train” and “Flying High Again,” Osbourne’s new album is No. 28 on the U.S. pop charts.

QUICK TAKES

Officials of the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach have announced that Elizabeth Armstrong, chief curator and deputy director of art, will also assume the duties of the museum’s director, Naomi Vine. Vine is on extended medical leave and underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor in September.... For the third year, CBS will present a prime-time program extolling the virtues of adoption. “A Home for the Holidays” will air Dec. 21 with Mariah Carey as host and featuring appearances by Destiny’s Child, Charlotte Church and Enrique Iglesias.... Brian Dennehy has been tapped to portray former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight for an ESPN made-for-television movie