Quick Takes: NBC plans Sandy benefit

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Christina Aguilera, Sting and other celebrities will join forces for the one-hour live telethon “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together,” airing Friday at 8 p.m. on NBCUniversal stations and streamed at NBC.com.

Money raised during the telethon will be donated to American Red Cross relief efforts.

In addition to being televised on NBC, the concert will be carried on Bravo, MSNBC, CNBC, E!, G4, Style, Syfy and USA channels. Other networks may join by the time the show gets underway Friday.

For the record: An item in the Nov. 2 Quick Takes column stated that “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together” is airing Friday at 8 p.m. on NBCUniversal stations and streamed at NBC.com. Locally, it will air at 8 p.m. on NBC4 and will be streamed live at 5 p.m. Pacific at nbcla.com.

The benefit will be hosted by “Today” anchor Matt Lauer and talk show host Jimmy Fallon, and NBC News anchor Brian Williams also will take part. The show will be carried live to the East Coast and tape delayed for West Coast audiences.

—Randy Lewis

‘Hunger Games’ keeps director

Lionsgate is sticking with “Catching Fire” director Frances Lawrence for “Mockingjay Part 1” and “Mockingjay Part 2,” choosing consistency over directorial variety for its flagship “Hunger Games” franchise.

Lawrence, who is currently shooting the second movie in the series based on the Suzanne Collins novels, will finish out with the third and fourth films, Lionsgate confirmed in a news release Thursday.

THE ENVELOPE: The awards insider

In making that choice, Lionsgate is opting to give the series a consistent look and feel with Lawrence — best known for directing the Will Smith zombie pic “I Am Legend” — instead of switching up directors in the manner of the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” franchises. Emmy-winner Danny Strong is to write both “Mockingjay” films, which will continue to star Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.

—Steven Zeitchik

TCM fest lines up restorations

The restored 1968 musical “Funny Girl,” for which Barbra Streisand won the lead actress Oscar as comedian Fanny Brice, will open the fourth TCM Classic Film Festival, Turner Classic Movies said Thursday.

The festival is to take place April 25-28 at various locations in Hollywood, including Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

TCM said three other restorations also will premiere at the festival: Buster Keaton’s 1926 masterpiece, “The General,” George Stevens’ 1956 epic, “Giant,” which was James Dean’s last film, and the 1963 World War II adventure “The Great Escape,” with Steve McQueen and James Garner.

—Susan King

Foster to receive DeMille award

Actress and director Jodie Foster will receive the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s 2013 Cecil B. DeMille Award.

The award, named after the producer-director of such classic films as “The Greatest Show on Earth” and “The Ten Commandments,” is given annually to “talented individuals who have made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment.”

Previous winners of the award include Morgan Freeman, Martin Scorsese, Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn.

Foster, 49, who earned lead actress Oscars for 1988’s “The Accused” and 1991’s “Silence of the Lambs,” began her career at age 3. She recently completed the film “Elysium” with Matt Damon.

Foster will receive the honor at the Golden Globes ceremony Jan. 13, which will air on NBC. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting.

—Susan King

Winfrey’s OWN on HuffPost

Two of the most powerful women in media — Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington — are joining forces.

The two on Thursday launched HuffPost OWN, a new section on the Huffington Post website that will feature material from the Oprah Winfrey Network and Oprah.com.

The new online destination will focus on lifestyle advice and personal inspiration.

There are now nearly six dozen niche sections on the Huffington Post.

—Associated Press

George Jones cancels concert

A Minnesota casino says country singer George Jones is ill and has canceled a concert scheduled this week.

Jones was scheduled to perform Friday at the Shooting Star Casino, Hotel and Event Center in Mahnomen. That concert had been rescheduled from April, when Jones needed more time to recover from an upper respiratory infection.

Shooting Star released a statement from Jones’ management team, saying the 81-year-old singer had caught a virus and was being treated by doctors.

—Associated Press