Morning Report - News from Sept. 18, 2002

TELEVISION

‘Sesame’ Introduces HIV-Positive Character

The newest member of the “Sesame Street” family, an HIV-positive Muppet named Kami, was unveiled Tuesday at a news conference in Cape Town, South Africa. She’ll join the cast of the South Africa version of the educational series, “Takalani Sesame,” on Sept. 30.

“It is our hope that the series will help South African children acquire the life skills necessary to overcome prejudice associated with those with HIV/AIDS,” said Gary E. Knell, president of Sesame Workshop, the TV show’s parent company.

Workshop officials underscored Kami’s importance by citing research showing that one in nine South Africans is living with the disease and that by the year 2015, 15% of all South African children under 15 are expected to be orphaned.

The announcement that “Sesame Street” would be adding an HIV-positive character drew protests from some U.S. congressmen earlier this year, but the flap died down after workshop executives stressed that she would only be on the South African edition.

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Four Networks to Share Emmys’ Special Award

The four major broadcast networks will share the Governors Award at the prime-time Emmys Sunday, awarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of last year’s jointly televised telethon, “America: A Tribute to Heroes.”

In announcing the award Tuesday, the academy said it was impressed by the camaraderie that ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC showed “in coming together to underwrite, support and enable the production” of the celebrity-packed Sept. 21 telecast, which ultimately was carried live on 35 U.S. broadcast and cable TV networks and on 8,000 radio stations. The telethon was subsequently credited with raising $250 million for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“That telecast helped bring our nation together and showed the world that we were united and still standing strong during a time of utmost tragedy,” said academy chief Bryce Zabel.

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‘Everwood’ Attracts Modest Audience

“Everwood,” a drama about a widower relocating from New York to Colorado, drew decent ratings in its premiere on the WB on Monday night, attracting about 7.4 million viewers.

That represented a drop of only about 19% from its lead-in, “7th Heaven,” which registered its best season premiere ever with 9.1 million viewers.

MUSIC

Cincinnati Orchestra Reaches Accord

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and its musicians have agreed to a new two-year contract. Retroactive to Sept. 2 and running through Sept. 5, 2004, it will increase the orchestra’s costs by an annual average of 2.4%.

Under the new deal, a musician’s minimum weekly salary stays at $1,675 in the first year. Each musician will receive a one-time payment of $1,000 in March 2003.

The minimum weekly scale will increase $25 per week in the first half of the 2003-04 year, and then go up another $25 in the second half.

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Calgary Philharmonic Seeks Pay Cuts

Facing a deficit of $1.1 million, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra has asked its musicians to take pay cuts, has frozen administrative salaries and today is launching a desperation advertising campaign to lure new subscribers, Canada’s National Post reports.

Says one print ad: “This may be our last season.”

Philharmonic executives told the paper that the orchestra could go under if it does not receive 2,000 new subscriptions by the end of next month.

“There are no [government] bailouts unless we can demonstrate that we can develop something that is stable and sustainable,” said Larry Fichtner, the Calgary Philharmonic chairman.

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15 Folk, Traditional Artists to Be Honored

The National Endowment for the Arts will present its 2002 National Heritage Fellowship Awards to 15 folk and traditional artists in ceremonies in Washington today. Each of them will receive $10,000.

The only Californian being honored is Tolowa tradition bearer Loren Bommelyn of Crescent City. Other recipients, all from the U.S., include several fiddlers, an Appalachian songwriter, a Sephardic musician, several basket-makers, an accordionist and a Tibetan sand mandala painter.

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QUICK TAKES

Matt Damon will be the host when NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” kicks off its 28th season Oct. 5, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as musical guest.... “Antwone Fisher,” Denzel Washington’s first directorial effort, will be the opening-night film at this year’s AFI Fest, which runs Nov. 7-17 in Los Angeles. The festival will close with Pedro Almodovar’s “Talk to Her”.... CNN’s morning news show, “American Morning With Paula Zahn,” moves today to a new street-side studio in Midtown Manhattan.... NBC’s summer series “Crime & Punishment,” an unscripted program about the work of prosecuting attorneys, has been renewed for a second season.... Luciano Pavarotti will perform at a charity concert in Monaco Oct. 12 to help raise money for a United Nations anti-hunger program.... John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou have signed what is described as a long-term contract to continue their afternoon hosting duties on talk-radio station KFI-AM (640).... Leslie Uggams will step into the cast of “Blue” at the Pasadena Playhouse on Oct. 1, replacing Phylicia Rashad for one week as preparation for a national tour of the play that begins Oct. 13.