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

TELEVISION

Public TV Stations Unite for Newsmagazine

Tackling an arena largely ignored by television, a coalition of PBS stations in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento is launching “California Connected” on April 25.

The hourlong weekly newsmagazine will examine events and issues through the eyes of local policymakers, opinion-shapers and grass-roots community leaders. Airing on public TV stations statewide, it will be hosted by David Brancaccio, best known as the host of Minnesota Public Radio’s “Marketplace.”

At the end of each broadcast, there will be a “get connected” minute informing people about what policy issues are being tackled the next day and how they can get involved. An interactive Web site is being developed to spark viewer dialogue.

“This state is one of the most diverse places in the world--ethnically, economically and geographically,” Brancaccio said. “How do you forge a state identity? That is the challenge we’re tackling with the program.”

UPN Drops Reruns

of ‘Amazing Race 2’

“Repurposing”--the season’s hottest trend in the TV business--sounds good on paper. But taking a show from one network and putting it on another in the same corporate pack doesn’t always work.

The latest example: CBS is canceling its weekly rerun of the unscripted show “The Amazing Race 2” on its corporate cousin, UPN. It was an experiment that seemed to aggravate more people than actually tuned in.

CBS affiliates were concerned that fans of the show would be less compelled to watch on Wednesdays if they knew they had Friday as a backup. And some UPN affiliates weren’t happy because it made their network seem like a minor-league farm team to CBS.

Adding salt to the wound: “The Amazing Race 2” was the second lowest-rated show on UPN last week, drawing fewer than 1.3 million viewers. The program will be replaced by a movie as UPN also drops another unscripted series--the two-week old “Under One Roof,” which preceded “Amazing Race 2” on Fridays. A network spokeswoman said “Under One Roof” may return in the summer.

Fox Leads the Cable News Pack in March

Fox News Channel widened its lead as the top-rated cable news channel in March--giving it bragging rights for the first quarter of 2002.

For the month, Fox’s third on top, the network drew an average 681,000 viewers per day while CNN was averaging 533,000. In prime time, Fox averaged 1.2 million viewers to CNN’s 939,000.

For the first three months of the year, Fox averaged 666,000 viewers per day to 546,000 for CNN, 290,000 for MSNBC, 270,000 for CNBC and 220,000 for CNN Headline News.

Despite losing to Fox, CNN said the first-quarter ratings were its highest three-month figures since Fox and MSNBC launched in 1996, a result of heightened interest in the news.

Distant-third MSNBC, meanwhile, is closing in on a new prime-time lineup, which would include a 5 p.m. show anchored by former daytime talk-show host Phil Donahue. Under the scenario being discussed, Brian Williams’ newscast would move to 4 p.m., and at 6 p.m. MSNBC would air Chris Matthews’ “Hardball.” The latter show would become exclusive to the channel and no longer be seen on CNBC.

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THE ARTS

Huntington Donation Slotted for New Wing

The Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens has received a gift of $21 million from Nancy and Charles Munger, longtime supporters of the San Marino institution, to add a wing to the library’s research building.

The Munger Research Center will provide space for collections storage, scholarly studies, conservation, education and information technology. Construction on the 90,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin this summer and to be completed in 2004.

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QUICK TAKES

Ellen De Generes is launching a 24-plus city tour with performances at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood on April 15-17.... “The Producers” is due to arrive at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre in April 2003. No information yet on casting. Tickets will be included in two subscription packages: one offered by Broadway/L.A., operated by the Pantages’ owners, another by the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.... The Sci Fi Channel and TNT are finalizing agreements to share the rerun rights to “The X-Files” beginning in the fall. Reruns have been airing on FX, while the original is coming to an end on Fox in May. Sci Fi is also acquiring rights to the existing episodes of the UPN series “Roswell”.... Reba McEntire will host the Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS May 22.... Susan St. James has filed for divorce from her husband of 20 years, NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol.... radio station KCRW-FM (89.9) is adding a new series to its schedule, “DnA: Design and Architecture.” It will be hosted by Frances Anderton and will air the first Wednesday of every month, beginning today at 2:30 p.m..... Fox has yanked its low-rated drama “The American Embassy” after four episodes. Its Monday night slot will be filled by a movie next week, then “Ally McBeal” will return to the schedule April 15.