Daily News from New York, New York • 100

tlliMiiiintrtti iiimiiii 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ti ri riimti imttimnni ITT1, r-i Mi? urn bns 33 83'JP fcOO ML (WB) -Cfcamifti. Tonight's double feature presents the rerun first, then, in the program's regular time slot, a new episode. The new one, continuing JV Take Playboy show off, conservatives urge Fox Fox's prime-time special on the selection of a Playboy Playmate, set to air next week, has drawn the ire of conservative groups who are urging the network to think twice about showing it. The two-hour show, "The Girl Next Door: The Search for a Playboy Centerfold," is scheduled for 8 p.m. on May 10.

"It's men victimizing women for the sake of money and ratings," said Jan LaRue, chief counsel of Concerned Women for America. cmm wain" CWA is one mux. uaiuh: mayor Bioomoerg ana mi president van lomer announced yesterday, that New York City will keep the "Video Music Awards." 4 NX show moved ahead to August By DONNA PETR0ZZELL0 DAIIY NEWS STAFF WRITER of seven groups, including the Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family, that protested the show in a letter to Rupert Mur TVs annual "Video Music Awards" will remain in New York this year but "It just seems like the tone of the whole country is going to shift markedly Sept. 1," MTV president Van Toffler said yesterday during a City Hall press conference with Mayor Bloomberg and other city officials. "It will be a somber time." Keeping the "Video Music Awards" in New York they have been held on occasion in Los Angeles is another sign of the city's' continuing economic recovery, Bloomberg said.

The annual event, which recognizes excellence in music videos, draws tourists, celebrities and music artists from around the world. Toffler estimates the show generates $30 million a year for New York City, "New York is the world's leading city for music video production and we're honored that MTV has chosen to keep this exciting program" in the city, Bloomberg star-studded event has become one of Newi York's signature award shows." The "VMA" show is one of MTVs most-watched programs and is annually one of the biggest draws in all of basic cable. Last year's 3'2-hour telecast averaged 10 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The first "VMA" show, in 1984, was set in Radio City Music Hall, where the program has been held six times. The event was held at the Metropolitan Opera House last year and in 1999.

The Palladium nightclub was the "VMA" New York base in 1986, when MTV simulcast the show from New York and Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheater. The Universal Amphitheater has played host to the awards eight times and Los Angeles' Pauley Pavilion served as the venue once. the show will go on a week earlier than usual. The cable music channel has traditionally held the "Video Music Awards" on the first Thursday in September. This time around, MTV has scheduled its "2002 MTV Video Music Awards" for Aug.

29 at Radio City Music Hall as a way to avoid being too close to the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. '(V doch, chairman of Fox's parent News Corp. "We respect all of our viewers' rights to their opinions," said Fox spokesman Scott Gro-gln. "If this is a show they don't like or feel is appropriate, please don't watch." The special, during a sweeps month where ratings are watched closely to set advertising rates, focuses on a dozen women flown to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams of becoming a centerfold.

At the end, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner selects one for a centerfold shoot. Associated Press Sunday Snow to linger Tony Snow has signed a multi-year deal to remain as host of GDort have a cnS 'SDinnpseinis5' lloves i step of the way. That's why so many ani-; mated projects don't work." ol rn3 as tor tne content ana continuing to vbv nurture "The Simpsons," Groening has noy problems. The Simpsons' has a long life ahead of it, with many new episodes to come," he cowl "Ae Innif 10 f-ttAvn'c iff malra Am ff ess 2. Fox News Sunday." As part of the package, the show will be renamed "Fox News Sunday With Tony Snow." The public-affairs show airs on By RICHARD HUFF DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR IKyon't count Fox's "The Simpsons" as a 1 1 11 goner just yet.

Series creator and executive producer Matt Greening said yesterday he has a contract with Fox for two more seasons beyond this one and has no plans to end the show anytime soon. Greening went on the offensive yesterday after a story published by the Financial Times of London and repeated elsewhere, including in the Daily News suggested he was growing tired of the show and that it might be nearing the end. "The truth is, "The Simpsons' will live long after I'm in the grave," Greening told The News yesterday. "It's a creepy feeling. I have no doubt someone will paint Bart Simpson graffiti on my tombstone." The producer, who also created Fox's animated series "Futurama," maintains his comments to the Financial Times were similar to things he has said before; he can't quite understand how the story started.

He's jazzed about the show, he said. It's just that when he talks about the process r- a CM IN of 2 in tne wona, 1 ne Simpsons wui oe arouncu "Until the world becomes more like The he added, "we're going to have. to live with "The The series is one of the most successful in Fox history. The program draws more than 12 million viewers each week and has generated millions of dollars through the sales of licensed products. The future of "Futurama" is less clear.

Fox has episodes ready for one more season, although the network has yet to order another outing. And because of the time constraints of producing animation an episode takes months to write, animate and edit the network would need to make that order now for Groening to have them ready for the following season. "I'm proud of the show," he said. "I'm confident that it will live on, though maybe in reruns." WNYWCh. 5 at 9 a.m.

At CNN, Suzanne Malveaux, last seen as a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent for NBC, has been named White House correspondent. She replaces Major Garrett, who left the network earlier this week. Answers to yesterday's TV Jumble: LAWYER, AUTUMN, PRIVATE, DEFENSE. Bonus Jumble: INSTANT REPLAY. YPPEE Bart (c.) and Homer (r.) of creating an animated series, he tends to come off as being weary.

"Animation is a difficult medium and it doesn't get any easier," he said. "It remains difficult from day one. It requires sustained attention for every detail every K-1 li.HlitiitUiii'uiUii tiii I i I i 5 it i 4.:.