Television Programming

Already veterans of the late-night booking wars, Hollywood publicists are now facing a potential skirmish in the early evening, as "Entertainment Tonight" takes steps to protect its turf from newcomer "Access Hollywood." "Entertainment Tonight" has outlasted numerous like-themed competitors in its 15 seasons.

With a unanimous vote that belied three years of opposition by the TV industry, the Federal Communications Commission last week passed guidelines requiring broadcasters to air three hours of educational programming for children per week. The move--the first public-interest requirements on broadcasters in 20 years--was hailed by President Clinton and children's TV advocates. But what exactly is "educational" programming as defined by the new guidelines?

TV Guide Onscreen May Be Canceled: News Corp. and Tele-Communications Inc. are close to dissolving a 4-year-old cable TV channel guide called TV Guide Onscreen, a News Corp. executive said. TV Guide Onscreen may be the second channel-guide venture to be dissolved. The two companies said they canceled plans to form a $350-million interactive cable guide that was announced in June. News Corp., the parent of TV Guide magazine, may be cutting its ties to the nation's No.

Wild Women! They're the big new species in prime time this season, on more than a dozen new network series. They're self-motivated single dames, like Annie Potts' intrepid urban teacher on "Dangerous Minds" and Rhea Perlman's resolute returning student on "Pearl." They're boisterous moms who won't let kids slow 'em down on family sitcoms like "Life's Work" and "Love & Marriage."

A major television producer known for his gritty series about crime and justice has an idea rolling around in his head for a one-hour series called "eight-something" or "ninesomething." Another veteran producer known for dealing frankly with social and sexual issues in his comedies is developing a series for children bout a pirate TV station.

Leslie Moonves often wondered what it would be like to run a network entertainment division. Now that he does, the executive talks at times wistfully about life outside the fishbowl. Friends, however, say not to believe him, and even Moonves acknowledges that despite the frustration associated with being the chief programmer at third-place CBS, by and large he's having the time of his life.

Now that the gravel has settled and the sweat subsided, let's talk Olympics. There were 2 1/2 weeks of backgrounders and synopses along with time-warped, disjointed and oddly juxtaposed elements (crisscrossing volleyball, equestrian show jumping and rhythmic gymnastics on the final Sunday, for example), all of which somehow coalesced into an often thrilling supplement. But supplement to what?

Fox has a cheeky puppet and bungee-jumping grandmothers. CBS is going with a new cast of news personalities and more talk about freeway snafus. ABC has countered with new digs and a new brunet. Morning television has never been so crowded, so competitive, so, well, chaotic. And for good reason: big bucks.

Ending a three-year fight, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved rules requiring television stations to provide three hours of educational programming for children a week beginning next year. The rules--which broadcasters had opposed until pressured by Congress and President Clinton--are the first public-interest requirements passed by the FCC in two decades.

Feeling a void now that Michael Jordan is on summer vacation? Suffering withdrawal from pucks, checks and sudden-death overtime? Can't wait 25 days for the Olympics to begin in Atlanta? Never fear, spectator sports junkies, ESPN's X Games are here. They have nothing to do with "The X-Files," but after watching some of the spine-chilling, death-defying antics of the athletes involved in these games, you're likely to be wondering if they are indeed from another planet.