Quick Takes - Aug. 12, 2010

‘Suburbs’ edges Eminem

The Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts Wednesday. In its first week of release, the latest from the Canadian orchestral pop outfit sold 156,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, narrowly edging out Eminem’s “Recovery,” at No. 2 with 152,000 copies sold.

It is the first No. 1 album on the U.S. pop chart for Merge Records, founded in the late ‘80s by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan of indie band Superchunk.

Digital sales accounted for 62% of first-week purchases of “The Suburbs.” Though digital album sales continue to grow, that’s way ahead of the industry pace. Last month, Nielsen SoundScan reported that digital sales account for 27.4% of all album purchases, with the bulk of sales still coming from the declining CD market.

—Todd Martens

‘Cathy’ strip to end in October

After 34 years, it’s time to bid farewell to another newspaper icon: “Cathy.”

Cathy Guisewite, the Emmy- and Reuben Award-winning creator of the comic strip “Cathy,” is retiring in October.

“I’m facing some personal deadlines whose requirements simply exceed my ability to procrastinate any longer: an 18-year-old daughter who needs a full-time mom to help her through her last year of high school and beyond ... beloved parents I want to be able to visit more often … and a creative biological clock, which is urging me to try something else while I can,” Guisewite said in a statement Wednesday.

Guisewite, an Ohio native, launched “Cathy” in 1976. It runs in The Times and approximately 1,400 other newspapers worldwide. For most of its life it dealt with the tribulations of a single gal, but the character married in 2005.

Universal Uclick, the syndicate that distributes the strip, said the final daily “Cathy” will run Oct. 2, with the final Sunday strip following Oct. 3.

—Yvonne Villarreal

No probation for Rip Torn

Rip Torn’s request for a probation program was rejected Wednesday by a Connecticut judge who kept criminal charges in place against the Emmy-winning actor accused of breaking into a bank while drunk and armed in January.

One charge carries a mandatory year in prison, though Torn’s attorney said they would seek a plea deal to avoid prison time for the 79-year-old actor.

Torn has pleaded not guilty to trespassing, carrying a weapon while intoxicated, carrying a weapon without a permit and criminal mischief.

Litchfield Superior Court Judge James Ginocchio ruled that the charges are too serious to qualify for a program called accelerated rehabilitation, especially since Torn was still in a court-ordered alcohol education program.

—Associated Press

AMC redoing Danish series

British and Canadian TV series have been adapted for American viewers, and now AMC is picking up one with roots in Denmark. Called “Forbrydelsen” there, it follows three groups of people in the wake of a Seattle girl’s murder: the family members, the police investigators and the suspects.

The show, as yet untitled, begins production in Vancouver this fall. Mireille Enos will portray the lead homicide detective, with Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton as the victim’s parents and Billy Campbell as a local politician.

—Lee Margulies

A full day of Cirque du Soleil

As if Cirque du Soleil needed more visibility in this world, the Grove in Los Angeles will host a special day featuring performances from Cirque’s Las Vegas productions — “Mystère,” “O,” “ Criss Angel Believe,” “Viva Elvis,” “Kà” and “Zumanity.”

The free event will take place Aug. 22, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Grove with activities for children. Starting at 1 p.m., there will be brief performances from the aforementioned shows that will last for much of the afternoon.

Last year, Cirque du Soleil put on a similar free show at the Grove as part of its 25th-anniversary season.

—David Ng

KIIS still rules radio ratings

KIIS-FM (102.7) continued its reign atop the Los Angeles-Orange County radio ratings during the most recent Arbitron listening survey, with more than 4.1 million people tuning in to the Top 40 station for at least five minutes every week.

Oldies station KRTH-FM (101.1) was second and Top 40 station KAMP-FM (97.1) was third among listeners aged 6 and older for the period between June 24 and July 22, according to Arbitron figures released Wednesday.

The trio finished in the same order the previous month.

Hip-hop outlet KPWR-FM (105.9), which had finished 10th the month before, jumped to No. 4, with its average weekly audience jumping from 2.8 million to 2.9 million — most likely because school was out.

—Lee Margulies