Daily News from New York, New York • 163

1 1 I i I i 3 i I i TV Censored Bloopers' features guests Don Rickles and Crystal Bernard; N3C, 8 p.m. Television 3 INNER TUBE AS THE DAYTIME AWARDS TURN, IT'S LIKE A BAD SOAP OPERA NBC's Feb. 27 telecast of the "Soap Opera Digest Awards" isn't the only daytime awards program to be hit with allegations of balloting improprieties, The News has learned. It seems the annual Daytime Emmy Awards, run by the National Academy of TV Arts Sciences, has also been grilled by the networks about its voting process. Yesterday, sources said that following the 1997 '60 Minutes' said Hewitt, whose telecast has been credited with earning well over $1 billion since it went on the air in 1968.

"So I think the appetite for news magazines is not necessarily to cover news. However, I think the standards that our founding fathers, CBS Bin PaJey, NBCs David Sar-nofT and ABC's Leonard Got-denson, set way back when are still very much in vogue." "Last week, with a 24.3 rating and a 49 share, the highest-rated program in television was something called the evening news. Some people watch it on CBS, some people watch it on ABC, some on NBC. And if you think there isn't an appetite in America for serious news, including foreign news, just look at those figures. I think they tell you everything." Scott Williams Dot's all There's been a slew of renewals this week, including "The People's Court," "Extra," the game show combo "Love ConnectionChange of Heart," "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" and "Vibe." Museum of TV Radio (25 W.

52d St), tonight at 6, offers a seminar on sitcom writing. For more info, call (212) 621-6600. R.H. "Now I can watch football rooting for one team or the other, instead of the clock," Hewitt told TV writers gathered here in Pasadena. "I've been praying for four years that the games wouldn't tie and go into overtime." Hewitt, who marks his 50th anniversary as a CBS newsman this spring, is widely regarded as one of the inventors of modern TV journalism.

He directed the first network newscast, "Douglas Edwards and the News," in 1948, coined the term "anchor" in 1952, describing Walter Cron-ktte's role at a political convention, and produced the first televised presidential debates, between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon, in 1960. Looking at 1998's TV landscape, he believes there may be too much of a good thing. "Are there too many news magazines on television today; more news magazines than there is news?" he asked TV writers gathered here. "I think so. "Does anybody believe network heads Michael Jordan, Michael Eisner and Jack Welch woke up one morning and said to themselves, 'I don't think we're doing enough to inform the American people'? "I think the three of them woke up and said, 'Can you believe the amount of money the first time ever, network staffers will play a role in overseeing the process.

Awards chairman Richard Thrall was not reachable. Word of the Emmy problems follows yesterday's report here of a vote-rigging controversy revolving around the balloting for the Soap Opera Digest Awards. As reported, an ABC employe bought 317 copies of the Soap Opera Digest issue containing the awards ballot from a magazine wholesaler after the issue date. NBC, which airs the awards, threatened to cancel the telecast if Soap Opera Digest didn't change the process. It did so by issuing a second ballot for subscribers of the next issue.

Richard Huff Emmys in May, representatives from ABC, NBC and CBS accused NATAS of having a sloppy voting process and threatened to pull out of the annual show. "The networks made them clean up the awards process," a source told The News. According to an insider, eyebrows were raised last spring when only four women were named in the Best Actress category. Normally, there are five nominees, and the absence of a fifth actress led some to question the voting procedure. Network reps met with Emmy brass over the summer and came up with a new plan for the voting and nominations process.

Sources say that for HE'LL BE BACK: Wayans '60 Minutes' chief: Hooray for football PASADENA CBS News' "60 Minutes" executive producer Don Hewitt, whose show's ratings declined 18 after CBS lost pro football rights four years ago (but still hung tough in the top 10), said he was happy and relieved that CBS bought its way back into the NFL game this week. In the rankings below, for the week of Jan. 5-11, the program is followed by its network and then the number of viewers it attracted, in millions. Repeated rankings indicate a tie. Mings: NEC's big three keep up tfca must-sea spree X.

"Seinfeld'' (NBC) 32.86 2. "ER" (NBC) 32-23 3. "Veronica's Closet" (NBC) 25.74 4. Touched by an Angel" (CBS) 24.05 5. "Friends" (NBC) 23.66 6.

"Trie X-files" (Fox) 2L37 By RICHARD HUFF "Dateline'' (Mon.) (NBC) 21.08 "60 Minutes" (CBS) 19.78 "King of the HiN" (Fox) 19.71 "The Simpsons' (Fox) 19.21 "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC) 18.82 "Union Square" (NBC) 18.82 "NFC Championship Post-game" (Fox) 18.63 "Home Improvement" (ABC) 18.21 "Frasier" (NBC) 13.18 Movie: "The Fugitive" (NBC) 17.90 "2020" (ABC) 17.76 7. 8. 9. 10. 13.

14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

19. 59. "Figure Skating Champ." (Thur.) (ABC) 12.07 60. Movie: "Crimes of Passion" (ABC) 11.95 61 "3rd Rock From the Sun" (8 p.m.) (NBC) 11-85 62. "Beverly Hs, 90210" (Fox) 11.69 63.

"The Pretender" (NBC) 11.44 64. "Party of Five" (Fox) 11.43 64. "Disney: Mouseguest" (ABC) 11.43 66. "George Leo" (CBS) 11.42 67. "Style Substance" (CBS) 11.29 68.

"Teen Angel" (ABC) 11.23 69. "The Nanny" (CBS) 10.79 70. "Public EyeBryant GumbeT (CBS) 10.72 71. "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC) 10.68 72. "Michael Hayes" (CBS) 10.51 73.

"Melrose Place" (Fox) 10.31 74. "America's Most Wanted" (Fox) 10.24 75. "Cops 2" (Fox) 10.09 75. "Early Edition" (CBS) 10.09 77. "Profiler" (NBC) 9.83 78.

"The Gregory Hines Show" (CBS) 9.80 79. "Murphy Brown" (CBS) 9.66 80. "Jenny" (NBC) 9.49 81. The Simpsons" (Thur.) (Fox) 937 81. "Working" (8:30 p.m.) (NBC) 9.37 83.

"Cops" (Fox) 9.06 84. "Pretender" (8 p.m.) (NBC) 9.02 ing a 10.3 rating17 share, with 14,930,000 viewers on average. CBS is averaging a 9.416, with 13,680,000 viewers. ABC is averaging an 8.815, with 13,030,000 viewers. And Fox is averaging a 7.212, with 10,750,000 viewers.

Compared to the same point last season, all four of the major networks are down in ratings. NBC is off 2, CBS is off 4, Fox is down 7 and ABC is down 8. Meanwhile, NBC also maintained its lead in the evening-news race, winning its 11th straight weekly crown and its 27th out of the past 28. For the week, NBC's "Nightly News With Tom Bro-kaw" posted a 9.7 rating18 share, with an average 13,273,000 viewers. ABC's "World News Tonight With Peter Jen-nings" averaged a 9.117, with 12,152,000 viewers.

And CBS' "Evening News With Dan Rather" averaged an 8.716, with 12,060,000. Daily News Staff Writer RMED WITH the top-three most-watched programs, NBC last week JTm strutted to a Nielsen victory. Overall, NBC averaged a 10.6 rating (percentage of the nation's 98 million TV homes) and a 17 share (percentage of the sets in use), with 15,530,000 viewers tuned in on average. ABC averaged a 9.5 rating15 share, with an average 14,350,000 viewers. CBS averaged a 9.0 15, with 13,190,000 viewers.

And Fox an 8.313, with 12,600,000 viewers. While NBC took the crown, there was some bright news at Fox, which placed most of its Sunday schedule among the top-10 most-watched shows for the week. Fox' "The X-Files" finished No. 6, "King of the Hill" No. 9 and "The Simpsons" No.

10. The win keeps NBC well in front for the first 16 weeks of the 36-week-long season. For the season, NBC is averag- "Figure Skating Championship" (ABC) 17.56 "Dharma Greg" (ABC) 17.51 "People's Choice Awards" (CBS) 1738 "law and Order" (NBC) 16.98 "2020" (Mon.) (ABC) 16.83 "NYPD Blue" (ABC) 16.20 "Kids Say the Damdest Things" (CBS) 15.77 "Cosby" (CBS) 15.58 Just Shoot Me" (NBC) 15.30 'America's Funniest Home Videos" (ABC) 15.0985. "Millennium" (Fox) 8.91 86. "New York Undercover" (Fox) 8.79 RADIO HIGHLIGHTS 20.

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51. "Dateline" (Tues.) (NBC) 15.04 "Mad About You" (NBC) 15.02 "Everybody Loves Raymond" (CBS) 14.91 "PrimeTime Live" (ABC) 14.45 "Spin City" (ABC) 14.29 "JAG" (CBS) 14.17 "Grace Under Fire" (ABC) 14.09 "Dateline" (Fri.) (NBC) 14.05 "Boy Meets World" (ABC) 13.94 "Caroline in the City" (NBC) 13.91 "Diagnosis Murder" (CBS) 13.89 "Walker, Texas Ranger" (CBS) 13.83 "Sabrina: Teenage Witch" (ABC) 13.74 "Soul Man" (ABC) 13.72 The Drew Carey Show" (Tues.) (ABC) 13.61 "Ally McBeal" (Fox) 13.47 87. "Players" (NBC) 8.53 88. "Dellaventura" (CBS) 8.43 89. "Ask Harriet" (Fox) 8.08 90.

"Brooklyn South" (CBS) 8.03 91. "Family Matters" (CBS) 8.00 92. "Step by Step" (CBS) 7.55 93. The Visitor" (Fox) 6.99 94. "Smart Guy" (WB) 5.93 95.

"7th Heaven" (WB) 5.49 96. "Sister, Sister" (WB) 5.24 97. "The Wayans Bros." (WB) 5.09 98. The Steve Harvey Show" (WB) 5.04 99. "Malcolm Eddie" (UPN) 4.59 100.

"Good News" (UPN) 4.56 101. "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" (WB) 4.50 102. "In the House" (UPN) 4.38 3HI0 WABC -Sean Hannity Show 3--00 WOW Dob Grant Show 4fc0 WEVD 8HI Bresnan Show WNYC-AM All Thirds Considered. NPR newscast EVENING "48 Hours" (CBS) 13.47 'Sabrina: Teenage Witch" (8 p.m.) (ABC) 13.37 103. "Sparks" (UPN) 4.16 "Promised Land" (CBS) 13.29 AM FM AM FM WABC 770 WUM 1580 WAUt 1370 97.5 WUH 1300 92.7 WAXQ 104.3 WUW 106.7! WBAB 102.3 WUIX 540 WBAI 99.5 WLVG 96.1 WBAZ 101.7 WMCA 570 WBBR 1130 WMJC 943 WBGO 88.3 WNEW 102.7 WBU 106.1 WNJO 1430 WBLS 107.5 WNSR 105.1 WBZ0 103.1 WNWK 105.9 WCBS 880 101.1 WNYC 820 93.9 wCZN 1063 WNYE 91.S WOHA 105.5 WNYU 89.1 WEVD 1050 W0R 710 WFAN 660 WPAT 930 93.1 WFAS 1230 103.9 WPU 95.5 WFDU 89.1 WQC0 101.9 WFUV 90.7 WQEW 1560 WG68 1240 WQHT 97.1 WGSM 740 WQXR 963 WHCH 903 WRHU 88.7 WHU 1100 WRKS 98.7 WHTZ 1003 WRTN 93.5 WHUD 100.7 WSKQ 973 WINS 1010 WVHI 1160 WJWR 620 WVOX 1460 WKCR 89.9 WWDJ 970 WHOM 1380 WWRL 1600 WKIY 983 WWW 107.1 WKTU 1033 WXRK 923 WUB 1190 WZRC 1480 MORNING 5:00 WBBR, WCBS-AM, WINS News and information (Continuous) lftOO WUB Global Black Experience wrrn Imhotep Gary Byrd lfeOO WOR Joan Hamburg Show 10H0 WQEW Lee Arnold Show.

American popular standards IOtOO WWRL Midday Magic. Chrystal Holmes hosts WABC Cd Koch Show AFTERNOON Hon WBAI Natural Living. Author Delores Rtccio for Hmom WEVD Your Health Choices. Or. Robert Atkms Nooa WNYC-AM New York Company.

Author Andi Rierden Noon WOW Food Talk. Restaurant critic Arthur Schwartz, host WOO The Oolans. "What Venture Capitalists Want From You" 2--O0 WNYC-AM Talk of the Nation with Ray Suarez WABC Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby 6.00 WBAI evening News 7:00 WEVD Real Estate Nightmares. Topic: "Rent Control: A National Perspective" 75 WFAN NHL Hockey. Q.

Rangers-Devils jj 70S WO College Basketball. Rutgers-Bostoo College 7:28 WABC NHL Hockey. Devils- Rangers WUW NHL Hockey. Island- ers-Lightning lfMH) WEVD Jay Diamond Show 1O.80 WWBL Night Talk with Bob Law H--O0 WNYC-AM MewsHourWith Jtm Lehrer. News and public affairs 104.

"Star Trek: Voyager" (UPN) 3.92 105. "Moesha" (UPN) 3.88 106. "Clueless" (UPN) 3.76 107. "The Jamie Foxx Show" (WB) 3.61 108. "Unhappily Ever After" (WB) 3.19 109.

The Parent "Hood" (WB) 3.07 110. The Sentinel" (UPN) 3.01 111 "Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher" (WB) 2.78 112. "Moesha" (9 p.m.) (UPN) 2.69 113. The Tom Show" (WB) 2.54 114. "Clueless" (9:30 p.m.) (UPN) 2.34 115.

"Alright Already" (WB) 2.06 "Nash Bridges" (CBS) 13.26 "Working" (NBC) 13.13 "Frasier" (Mon.) (NBC) 13.06 Movie: "Mrs. Doubtfire" (Fox) 12.99 "Ellen" (ABC) 12.86 "Suddenly Susan" (NBC) 12.85 "Dateline" (Sun.) (NBC) 12.74 "3rd Rock From the Sun" (NBC) 12.35 "Chicago Hope" (CBS) 12.34 "NewsRadio" (NBC) 12.29 The Magnificent Seven" (CBS) 12.19 The Practice" (ABC) 12.08 52. 53. 54. 55.

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