Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 28

ENTERTAINMENT 2B TIMES TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1998 Jazzy daiiTOti siaMs out November sweeps Channel 13 to 1 spot in the bay area 1 For the first time since it switched its affiliation from CBS to Fox in 1994, WTVT-Ch. 13 comes out on top during the ratings period. Rutter's What Sweeter Music. Another highlight was little tree, Eric Whitacre's setting of a Christmas poem by e. e.

cummings. 1 Rolf Smedvig had a glamorous trumpet solo in Christmas Romania by Rafael Mendez. David Matthews put on a Santa cap to play Sleigh Ride on the electric organ, a schmaltzy take on an old favorite "that kind of gives you that walk-ing-through-Countryside-Mall feeling," observed Dave McKay, the ponytailed DJ who emceed. I) By ERIC DEGGANS Times Television Critic By JOHN FLEMING Times Performing Arts Critic ST. PETERSBURG Always leave 'em wanting more.

That old show business maxim was followed perfectly perhaps too perfectly by klezmer clarinet player David Krakauer, billed below the Master Chorale and Empire Brass in Sunday's matinee concert at Ma-haffey Theater. For most of MUSIC the afternoon, Jo- BCilCMf Michael Scheibe "tvltvv conducted a mix of seasonal standbys and newer works for chorus and brass quintet, and there was plenty to enjoy in a sweetly old-fashioned sort of way. But then Krakauer came on for his one number and awoke the audience from its post-Thanksgiving doze with a wailing, jazzy clarinet style that stood out like a saloon singer in a church choir. Or Benny Goodman in a synagogue. Krakauer was the soloist in Sew Chanukah by Phil Tauber.

The first two movements amount to a rousing reinterpretation of klezmer, the traditional celebration music of Eastern European Jews, with the clarinetist improvising in sensational fashion. Clearly, the connection between bar mitz-vah dance tunes and New Orleans jazz is closer than is commonly thought The third movement had the chorus joining in on a foot-stomping version of Chanukah Chanukah! that brought down the house. Less is usually more, of course, but the program would have benefited from another piece or two including Krakauer. Scheibe, in his first full season as music director, has the 140-voice chorus in good shape, sounding warm and fluent almost conversational in its phrasing, in John Want to go? The Master Chorale, Empire Brass and David Krakauer repeat their holiday program at 7:30 tonight in the Playhouse of Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12 to $24.

Call (813) 229-7827. FLASH HOME ZTinScotchshield JVfil Safety Security Film trends. "We're on a growth track," says Brian Fields, director of research and programing for WTVT. "We're the broadcast outlet that's reversing the trend (of declining viewership)." But rival WFLA also notched victories in morning and evening newscasts, powered by the popular Today show and a history of dominance (Nielsen factored out the station's ratings dip during several hours of a Nov. 18 power outage, where the station struggled to get its evening news broadcasts on the air).

WTVTs 10 p.m. newscast outscored other late-night news shows, while WTOG saw ratings drop about 30 percent from last year's levels after dissolving its news department and replacing the 10 p.m. newscast with sitcoms. In fact, every station that replaced or moved news programs saw ratings dip in November, with WFLA's 11 a.m. show and WTSPs Access Hollywood (a replacement for a 4 p.m.

newscast) also showing declines. "Our 4 p.m. numbers were a disappointment," said Barbara Sobocinski, WTSP's vice president of marketing and public affairs, while noting the station still dominates noon news. "But we think (dropping the 4 p.m. broadcast) helped our 5 p.m.

and 5:30 p.m. broadcasts. We're not second-guessing that decision." WFLA's Oprah beat out WTVTs The Rosie O'Donnell Show at 4 p.m. and Jerry Springer at 2 p.m., reversing trash talk king Springer's recent daytime dominance. But at WFTS, the big disappointment was Roseanne's new talk show at 11 a.m.

weekdays, which notched ratings more than 50 percent below May totals for the show it replaced, The People's 1 Court. "Maybe Roseanne hasn't found her own identi-ty yet," says WFTS general manager Jim Major, noting that new talk shows Donny and Marie and Vie Howie Mandel Show (both on WFLA) haven't ignited viewership either. Though the station did finish in fourth place among the weekday 6 p.m. newscasts, its ratings were still the highest WFTS has seen there in a year, Major said. He couldn't say how much a monthlong contest giving away $1,000 during each of those broadcasts might have helped viewership.

"Some people might say we're buying viewers but one of our problems is getting people to sample us," he said. "That's why we're trying these different things to draw people in." SAFETY 91 Mr Murrlrantt A Sapurlhi Prntortlnn MTfPJS3 24 Hr. Heat Fade Protection 784-3M3M 31840 U.S. 19 N. Palm Harbor As expected, Fox affiliate WTVT-Ch.

13 won bragging rights as the top television station in total TV-watching households during November's "sweeps" ratings period with viewership levels boosted by improved network performance, a successful daytime lineup and Tampa Bay Buccaneers' football games. According to figures on total household viewer-ship released last week by Nielsen Media Research, WTVT broke into a contest long dominated by CBS affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10 and NBC station WFLA-Ch. 8, emerging on top for the first time since a switch from CBS to Fox affiliation in 1994. WTVT now ranks at the top of total household TV viewing from sign-on to sign-off, followed by WFLA and WTSP (tied for second), then ABC affiliate WFTS-Ch.

28, UPN's WTOG-Ch. 44 and WB Network's WWWB-Ch. 32. Independent WTTA-Ch. 38 and Pax TV affiliate WXPX-Ch.

66 tied for last place among area broadcast stations. "The crown has been passed a little bit here," said WTVT general manager Dave Boylan of his station's win in sweeps, which ended Wednesday night. WTVTs local victory contrasts national results, where CBS eked out a close win in total households, followed (one-tenth of a rating point behind) by NBC, with ABC, Fox, WB and UPN trailing. At Pax TV, where owner (and Home Shopping Network co-founder) Lowell "Bud" Paxson has said he only needs a 1 rating to turn a profit, total household figures only came to a 0.6 rating. NBC fared better among viewers ages 18 to 49 the prime demographic for advertisers taking the top spot, followed closely by Fox and then ABC, CBS, WB and UPN.

Figures showing age, gender and other demographic information among Tampa Bay area viewers won't be available until the week of Dec. 12. As in Mayi July and February, the November sweeps period measures TV viewership to set advertising rates for coming months. Since those computations mostly involve age-based viewership ratings, household viewership figures are largely symbolic victories. Still, at WTVT where executives discounted household ratings when their own totals weren't so high some say the figures can indicate viewing mm Verticals Draperies Mini Blinds mam All Window Treatment! up to Pleated Shades 7 Top Treatments 70ft on Retail List Price American Made duality Lifetime Factory Warranty Quality Service Selection Carpet Flooring A local family buslrwu line 1950 on rnrn 7 ri fc 601-9th Street N.

St. Petersburg, FL 894Oo59 HmW VtoWVrOrt. lit. HOLIDAY DIAMONDS DIAMOND EARRINGS 1 Carat T.W......$495 r4 Carat T.W...$749 1 Carat, Round, Brilliant $oQe Compare $1800 099 1 .83 Carat Fine, 'Marquise $oQQe Compare at $4500 at939 2 Carat, Round CompvXt $8,000 '4695 2CaratT.W...2395 Studio chairman forced to resign as movies lag Universal Pictures chairman Chsey Silver, whose movie division produced such expensive box office disappointments as Meet Joe Black and Babe: Pig in the City, was forced to resign Monday. It is the second high-level corporate casualty at the studio in two weeks.

Silver had been head of Universale movie production, marketing and distribution since November 1995. He was pushed out exactly two weeks after Universal parent Seagram Co. ousted Silver's boss, Universal Studios chairman and chief executive Frank Biondi Jr. Silver was replaced by Universal Studios' president and chief operating officer, Ron Meyer, a former agent State Fair announces '99 entertainment lineup An array of top country music acts and some veteran pop and jazz standouts are slated to form at the 1999 Florida State Fair, fair officials announced Monday. Tickets will go on sale at noon Saturday at the Fairgrounds box office (with no service charge), at all Ticketmaster locations or by calling Ticketmaster at (813) 727-8844 or (727) 898-2100.

Except where noted, the price of the concerts, which run from Feb. 4 through Feb. 15, is $5, with paid gate admission. Here's the lineup: Feb. 4 Alabama, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb.

5 Tracy Hyrd and Lonestar, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb. 6 Florida State All-Star Dance Championships (free with paid gate admission), 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Feb. 7 Gospel Jubilee, with Mark Lowry, Willis Canada, Kirk Talley and Anthony Burger, 3 p.m.-6 p.m.; Feb. 8 John Michael Montgomery, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb. 9 The Lettermen, Pete Fountain and the Preservation Hall Band, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb.

10 The Oak Ridge Boys, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb. 11 The Opry Show, 2 and 7 p.m.; Feb. 12 The Commodores, 6 and 9 p.m.; Feb. 13 Florida State Cheer-leading Championships (free with gate admission); Feb. 14 Meet the New York Yankees (no seating) 2 p.m.; Feb.

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Portland, OR More than 200 artists from around the nation will sell their works, just in time for the holidays. Other highlights include free entertainment, food vendors and a children's area. For more information, please call (727) 784-4287. Monday Nitro Wrestling, Live on TNT (general admission seating) 8 p.m. Creative Clay co-founder to receive award online Danielle Despathy, director and co-founder of St.

Petersburg's Creative Clay, will receive a $10,000 grant at the Do Something BRICK Awards and online chat tonight Despathy is one of 10 winners in the country and has the chance to win the grand prize of $100,000. Do Something is an organization created by former Melrose Place actor Andrew Shue to encourage young people to get involved in improving their communities. Despathy, 28, helped start Creative Clay, where people with disabilities and special needs express themselves by making works of art and selling their works in the area. Despathy and Shue will participate in an online chat at 8:45 p.m. to answer questions.

The chat can be found at http:www.bnck Shue created the awards in 1996 and has since given more than $500,000 to 30 young leaders around the country. Sponsor: Presented hy the DrMter Palm Harbor Hrto Chamber oi Vonunerea A BMW ot Palm Harbor TIME WARNER Ai tiut ABR BenefiH Servkn Dimmitt Cadillac A Land Rovw, MlSfwth, First National Bank dt Florida, Tardil Electric Curt Sharon Lamm, RtMAX Mutual Really, Huntington Bank, Purdyne Technologrei, Glenn A Blenner Athj at law, American Pharmaceutical Services, Office Complement Price A Ponoghue of Dune-din, brida Power, Shan Shikarpuri CPA, Moss Feaster Funeral Homes, Young Home Consulting Palm Harbor Christian Academy Founders: Louise and Bill Flaskim ruym.