Daily News from New York, New York • 172

64 DAILY NEWS Monday, March 14, 1988 A Tarty9 For Animals WEN 1 RECENTLY RE- fired to Howard Stern's CDS flews Exec on the Outs COS News producer Richard Cohan, who has been supervising the network's political coverage, has locked horns with anchorman Dan Rather and CBS News management once too often and is being forced levlsrd "Neallaee and out of htsjob. Cohen has been involved in a number of disputes with CBS brass over the last year. One in- -votved some comments he made in a published interview in the Des Moines Register in which he said that Rather had made some mistakes in the way he handled his interview with Vice President Bush. (Cohen had helped plan Rather's interview of Bush). Cohen told the paper, "We took a hit.

I think it was very r-J damagingto us, to Dan, to our credibility. Rather was said to have been outraged by Cohen remarks, and reportedly the producer was barred from the CBS News set during the network's coverage of the Iowa caucuses. Things quieted down for a while but heated up again about a week ago during rehearsals for the network's coverage of Super Tuesday. Cohen was assigned the role of playing several possible election-night interviewees, including Jesse Jackson. When Cohen's mock sparring with Rather got too aggressive, Rather called a halt to the rehearsals.

The 40-year-old Cohen reportedly has been offered another position at the network, but a CBS News insider said the producer was not interested. "He considers him Underpants Party as sleay, based on what I had read about the i how and knew about Stem, he should have considered it a four-star accolade and let it go at thai Stern tpent most of his radio airtime last week complaining be cause I had not actually teen the pay-per-view production, however, and a number of curious listeners called to ask precisely what they would be getting if they Shelled out $2403 (close to $30 with taxes and postage) for the vi-deocassette. So 1 have now seen the 2Whour show, and I must apologize for using the words "sleaze" and "garbage" to describe It I was too kind, Prurient and putrid would be more fltting-though In the end. It's mostly just pathetic. On his "Negligee and Underpants Party," Stern In essence becomes a sideshow geek in leather shorts, ordering people who wallow in humiliation to take off their clothes and behave in stupid, disgusting ways.

He cracks the whip and walks away with the profit This show la, In a real sense, worse than dumping garbage on the public. Apparently Stern so despises himself, and so resents the fact he hasn't the wit or talent to host a television show like, say, Steve Allen did in his heyday on the "The Tonight Show." or Da self as being fired," said the source. When reached for comment, all Cohen would say is "there has been a growing problem at CBS over what I've said and written. We have a different view of individual freedom of expression and responsibility to an institution." Cohen is married to "West 57th" correspondent Meredith Vtetra. George Makslan PfcH-lngln Ml Donahue, who served as a regular contributor to NBC's "Today" show from 1979 to 1982, is returning HOWARD STERN at an anti-rCC rally last year.

vid Letterman does now that he tries to drag every viewer down to his level The so-called entertainment here Includes, for instance, someone spitting out food like a pig at a trough. Then Stern, stripped to his leather shorts, cavorts in bed with two semi-nude lesbians. As they paw at him and each oth KAY CAHDZLLA er, he protests that he' a married man. I'm surprised his wife hasn't filed for divorce; there Is only sadness, not humor. In this simulated menage a trout.

The bed scene goes on and on and on, and ends up nowhere. Its "dial a-lesbian" segment attracts a couple of telephone calls-mostly from men and that's it. The bit fizzles, like the rest of the tribe about Stern and references, again, to his anatomy. Even when Penn and Teller decide to finish frying the egg, the result is one more lifeless skit Penn swallows fire, then holds the pan over his mouth. They also repeat their card trick wherein Teller puts a needle through his arm and lets blood drip onto the card.

Another skit is called The Gay Untouchables. You no doubt have the idea by now. At one point In the show, when things are getting pretty raunchy, Stern's assistant, Robin Quivers, says, "It's not commercial television; we don't have to be responsible." She shouldn't worry. Whatever else this show can be called, nothing and no one associated with it is in any danger of being called responsible. The party itself, featuring a lot of screaming voyeurs with their mouths hanging open, seems to go on forever.

As for Stern, he makes it crystal clear why he's never gotten that TV show he wants so badly. In fact, he may have set a record heading in the other direction; over the course of 2Vi hours, he doesn't do one imaginative, talented or intelligent thing. In the end, Howard Stern's "Negligee and Underpants Party" belongs in the same class with the porn on West 42nd Street It stupid and boring, yes, but it's also more than that It shows no respect for its audience. It only exploits them. to the program -this time as a substitute for vacationing co-host Bryant Oumbel during the week of April 4.

Also, Jtas Hertz, another 'Today" show alumnus (he hosted from July 1974 to April 1977), will fill in for Gumbel the week of April 18. At that time, Gum-bel will be off to Korea to prepare for his role as one of the principal hosts for the network's coverage of the Summer Olympics in Seoul (Sept. 16-Oct 2). NBC plans about 180 hours of coverage, with 68 hours in prime time and 30 hours during late night About 75 of the coverage will be live. CM.

MoroMoyors BIN Moyera is planning a new daily public-affairs series this fall to be produced by WNET13 and its sister public-TV station, WTTW, in Chicago. The series, to air in a late-night time period, probably at 11 p.m., is titled "A World of Ideas." It will focus on the workings of democracy during an election year. Movers said the series will feature "voices from all sides that are not ordinarily heard on the air." Included would be historians, philosophers, writers and ordinary people. The series, Movers' first daily project wiH run Sept 5 throughNov.il. Q.M.

Dot's "The Flintstones" might be heading back to prime-time. Hannah Berber a Productions is trying to persuade one of the networks to put on an updated (though still Stone Age) version of the series, which, from 1960 to 1966, was the first animated show to air in prime time. Tony winner James Earl Jones will appear in NBC's "LA. Law" as a sawy lawyer who locks horns in the courtroom with Grace Van Owen (Susan Dey). No air date.

It's Jones' first TV project with exec producer Steven Bochco since their short-lived 1979 CBS cop series "Paris." CBS is developing a sitcom based on last year's hit film "Dirty Dancing." Patrick Swayze won't be involved in the TV show. Jeff Weingrad show. There's some music, lots of foul language (speaking four-letter words seems to be Stern's most dis-cernable talent) and frequent references to people's anatomy. One man sets his penis on fire, for instance, and fries an egg on it Geraldo Rivera, one of the guests on the show, doesn't do much to advance his career with his dia- takes pictures and sends her off In a lovely gown. She says the kids are staying out that night-could she? Dad says yes.

But there's more to Jaime than being a pretty straight-A student. A gang war breaks out that night, her girl friend is killed and Jamie can't be found. ALONG COMES another film tonight in which the parents are all wrong and the kid can justify anything. ABC's "Broken Angel" stars William Shatner and Susan Hlakely as Chuck and Catherine Coburn, parents of a stunning teenage daughter, Jaime (Knit a Elenlak), and a young What's more, he discovers' that his young son, whom he trusted although the child feels his father never listened to him-is hanging out with the wrong kids. "Broken Angel" is not a bad -film, and it makes some good points such as being sure you know more "about your chil-' dren's friends-bui jI credibility by letting kids" off the hook too easily.

-Kay Gardella 1 ii hi II. i 8:00 p.m. (11) "Baseball." White Sox-Yankees. 8:30 (2) "Eisenhower Into." Scott Bakula stars as ambitious young lawyer. (Premiere) A has r.llia, I (2) "Newtiart." Emma Samms.

Tommy Newsom 1 anef red Travalena. isT II son, Drew uatotr jiapsik Some "proMeasa there, but they're worKitii; them-out When Jaime gets dressed for the prom, her doting dad 'searches for her, he learns a Shot king fact Under the code name Shadow, she has been a member of a drug dealing gang. hf 8:30 (13) "Lamer Loewe." Audrey Hepburn and Richard Kiley head salute to songwriters. Sj.