News Shorts

Weak start for 'Emeril' on a crowded night
Not a rerun was in sight last night as all of the Big Four networks premiered the majority of their new Tuesday schedules. At 8 p.m., CBS’s “JAG” easily won households by six shares, while Fox’s “That '70’s Show” won among adults 18-49 by a full rating point. NBC’s “Emeril” finished fourth in both audience categories but did better than “Three Sisters,” which lost 10 percent of “Emeril’s” household lead-in audience at 8:30 p.m. Fox’s “Undeclared” also dropped more than 10 percent of its lead-in audience and finished third in both households and adults 18-49. At 9 p.m., the return of NBC’s “Frasier” handily won the hour. CBS’s “The Guardian” was second in households and third among adults 18-49, ABC’s “Spin City” was second among adults 18-49 and third in households, and Fox’s “Love Cruise” placed a distant fourth in both. At 10 p.m., ABC’s new drama “Philly” posted strong numbers but couldn’t top CBS’s “Judging Amy” in households or NBC’s “Dateline” among adults 18-49. More damming for the rookie show was losing 7 percent of its household audience and 11 percent of its demographic audience as the hour went on. The preliminary Nielsen household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Tuesday were: CBS 11.2/17 and 4.6, NBC 9.2/14 and 5.8, ABC 8.6/13 and 5.6, and Fox 5.3/8 and 4.4. On Monday, the premiere of two new shows didn’t stop ABC from winning the night in both households and adults 18-49 with “Monday Night Football.” But NBC’s “Crossing Jordan” had a strong debut at 10 p.m., beating out the new season premiere of its CBS rival, the veteran legal drama “Family Law.” The show averaged a 10.9/17 household rating and share and a 6.0 adult 18-49 rating. CBS’s sneak peak of “The Ellen Show” after “Everybody Loves Raymond” didn’t fare as well. The new sitcom dropped 35 percent from “Raymond’s” lead-in household rating and 28 percent from its adult 18-49 rating to finish third for the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, behind “MNF” and NBC’s “Dateline.” “The Ellen Show” earned a 9.2/13 household rating and share and a 5.8 adult 18-49 rating. The preliminary household rating and share and adult 18-49 rating for Monday night were: ABC 10.9/16 and 6.0, CBS 9.6/14 and 5.6, NBC 9.4/14 and 5.4, and Fox 4.8/7 and 2.9.

Michael Jordan returns to NBA as a Wizard
Big news, sports fans: As some kid without a TV somewhere in Wyoming might be surprised to learn, basketball great Michael Jordan is once again returning to the court. After weeks of not-very-secret negotiations, Jordan said yesterday that he will come out of retirement for another season with the NBA. When he dons a jersey for the first time in three-and-a-half years, it will be that of the Washington Wizards, not the Chicago Bulls, the team he was playing for when he made his series-winning shot in the 1998 finals. The league pushed hard for the 38-year-old Jordan's comeback, guessing it would mean sold-out games and improvement in last season's 2.9 average rating for televised games. The contract between the NBA and its television partners, NBC and Turner Broadcasting, runs out at the end of the upcoming season.

Ziff Davis picks ABC vet as new CEO
Ziff Davis Media, which last month axed CEO James Dunning, has named a replacement. Robert Callahan, a former television executive with ABC, will start the job on Oct. 1. Callahan most recently served as president of the ABC Broadcast Group, which comprises all the Disney-owned television and radio stations. He has also served as head of the ABC TV Network division, overseeing news, sports, daytime and primetime programming. Earlier, Callahan served as senior vice president/group publisher at Fairchild Publishing. Avy Stein, a founding partner of the company that owns Ziff Davis, has been acting as chairman since Dunning got the boot in mid-August.

Emmy Awards toned down in revamp
"Low-key" will be the watchword at this year's Emmy Awards, which will air Sunday, Oct. 7, on CBS. Following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, the Emmys, originally planned for the weekend after, were rescheduled, and in the time since organizers have been busy figuring out how to make the show feel more appropriate for both participants and viewers. Glamour and comedy, the hallmarks of every awards show, will both be used sparingly, with attendees encouraged to show up in businesslike attire rather than the usual tuxedos and gowns. Ellen DeGeneres will still host, but the jokes will be fewer, and Walter Cronkite will deliver an introductory monologue. The broadcast will also feature a tribute to New York City police officers, presented by "NYPD Blue" star Dennis Franz.

WB and TNT will air Lennon tribute fundraiser
Following Friday's 30-channel "Tribute to Heroes" telethon, which raised more than $150 million, AOL Time Warner is flexing a little corporate synergy to stage its own benefit. Next Tuesday, the WB and TNT networks will broadcast "Come Together: A Night of John Lennon's Words & Music." The concert, which will also commemorate the memory of those lost in the WTC tragedy, will feature Dave Matthews, Moby, Stone Temple Pilots, Nelly Furtado, Shelby Lynne, Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, The Isley Brothers, Lou Reed, Marc Anthony, Yolanda Adams and others not now attached. While no telephone number will be listed on screen, viewers will be able to donate funds through the web site www.helping.org, which will aid such relief organizations as the American Red Cross, The Sept. 11 Fund, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the New York Fraternal Order of Police WTC Fund and The National Organization for Victim Assistance. Kevin Spacey will host the two-hour live event from Radio City Music Hall.

'Survivor's' Richard convicted of assault
"Survivor" winner Richard Hatch is a master of intra-tribal warfare, but that hasn't helped him much in his battles against officials in his hometown of Providence, R.I. On Monday, Hatch was found guilty of assaulting ex-boyfriend Glenn Boyanowski and sentenced to a year of supervised probation. He is appealing the ruling, which he has called "hysterical" and "ludicrous." Hatch spokesman Allen David said his client feels he did not receive a fair trial. He suggests that the city has a grudge against Hatch, who filed a lawsuit against the town for leaking his arrest record to the press. The original incident occurred on Aug. 20 when Boyanowski ran into Hatch's house, reportedly upset over news that his lover had found a new mate. Hatch claims he only used reasonable force in restraining his ex, while Boyanowski claims he was punched in the head and kneed in the mouth.

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