Morning Report - News from Sept. 21, 2002

TV & MOVIES

‘Survivor’ Still Strong Fifth Time Around

Reflecting the durability of the franchise, the fifth edition of CBS’ “Survivor” premiered to 23 million viewers on Thursday night, Nielsen Media Research reported Friday. Tune-in for “Survivor: Thailand” was comparable to last season’s debuts of the third and fourth installments, and this year’s version scored better in the all-important younger demographic.

“Survivor” also helped lift “Big Brother 3” to its largest audience of the summer, with 14.6 million viewers. The show overshadowed ABC’s new interactive drama “Push, Nevada,” which drew a mere 8.1 million viewers--losing roughly one-third of the audience that sampled it in a Tuesday preview and again slipping in the second half-hour.

Hollywood Lagging Behind in War Effort?

So much for Hollywood’s offensive in President Bush’s war on terrorism.

A government commission says the entertainment industry isn’t doing enough to promote the nation internationally.

The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, which advises the White House and the State Department, has met with Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, to discuss the perceived ineffectiveness of public-service announcements that try to communicate shared values and cultural commonality. There have been problems in distribution, committee chairman Harold Pachios said, and, besides, “a 2-minute ad is not something that means a lot.”

It’s unrealistic to expect ads such as one directed by Tony and Ridley Scott (released by the Entertainment Industry Foundation last week) to sway Muslim opinion, the committee said. Better to make documentaries explaining American life and culture and the reasons behind U.S. policymaking, as Hollywood did during World War II and in the 1960s.

An MPAA spokesman said the industry’s first priority has been to bolster the morale of American troops in harm’s way by sending them top Hollywood films.

Carson’s Emphysema Not Disabling, He Says

Responding to tabloid reports that he is incapacitated by emphysema, Johnny Carson wants to reassure folks that he’s fine.

Carson confirmed, through Carson Productions spokesman Jeff Sotzing, that he is suffering from the disease. But the retired king of late-night TV, 76, is still playing tennis and cruising in his custom-built triple-deck, 130-foot boat when he’s not on his Point Dume bluffside estate.

“I’m dealing with it the best I can, and it is not causing me any major problems,” Carson said.

Many cases of emphysema, which causes shortness of breath, are attributed to smoking--a habit of Carson’s, TV viewers will recall.

Though the disease cannot be cured, its progression can be halted if caught in its early stages.

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THE ARTS

Arts Award Winners Announced in Paris

Noted French film director Jean-Luc Godard and British architect Norman Foster are among the winners of the prestigious 2002 Praemium Imperiale arts awards, announced this week in Paris.

The award, which carries a prize of about $125,000, is for lifetime achievement in the arts in categories not covered by the Nobel Prizes.

Others honored include German painter Sigmar Polke, Italian sculptor Giuliano Vangi and German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. The awards will be presented Oct. 23 in Tokyo.

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QUICK TAKES

The Rolling Stones will star in their first live TV concert on HBO Jan. 18, staged at Madison Square Garden in New York....Katie Couric and Matt Lauer will broadcast NBC’s “Today” show from Los Angeles on Monday for on-the-scene coverage of the previous night’s Emmy Awards....British artist Damien Hirst has “apologized unreservedly” for suggesting that the Sept. 11 hijackers had created a “visually stunning” work of art. He is not a supporter of terrorism, he told BBC News.... Comedy Central has given the go-ahead to 10 episodes of an animated series revolving around producer Robert Evans, who will serve as an executive producer and lend his voice to the project....Chris Cornell and the former instrumental section of Rage Against the Machine have set a Nov. 19 release date for their debut album. The first single from the record is called “Cochise” and is slated to hit the airwaves in early October, according to the band’s management....MTV has picked up new seasons of its long-running series “Road Rules,” on location in the South Seas, and “Real World,” to be shot in Paris. They will premiere next summer....No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani and the band Bush’s Gavin Rossdale were married in London last Saturday.