Daily News from New York, New York • 749

television 2 Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood star in 1947's 'Miracle on 34th Street'; Ch. 11, 8 p.m. INNER TUBE Clooney exiting VER' in February By RICHARD HUFF CABLE RATINGS SOAR AFTER ATTACK The U.S. launch of bombs on Iraq sent ratings for the cable networks soaring on Wednesday, according to Nielsen statistics. MSNBC, CNN and the Fox News Channel all recorded viewer increases in the triple digits during the height of the coverage early NBC and show producers now will have a chance build some hype for the remaining episodes and next season without the shadow of Clooney' exit hanging over them.

Also, February is a sweeps month, when the networks attempt to pump up their ratings, which are used to set future advertising rates. "ER" is already the most-watched show on the air this season, and with a strong promotional push for the exit episode it's sure to retain that position. No word on how Clooney's Doug Ross will be worked out of the show, though earlier this season there was an episode in which Ross was being wooed by another hospital. It's possible that story line could be picked up again. Clooney is leaving "ER" to continue his feature film career and to work on developing movies and TV series.

Wednesday evening. However, the audience was nowhere near the number of people who tuned in when the U.S. launched its attack on Iraq in 1991. For example, between 5 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, an average of 4,086,000 homes "uned in to CNN, which it called its highest ratings .1 Imus guest this morning, has given no public indication he intends to do either.

Noting that Gomes is African-American and gay, Nobile says he is "perfectly situated to drive a stake in the heart of a racist, homophobic program." When Imus and sidekicks Charles McCord and Bernard Daily News Staff Writer THE EMERGENCY room at NBC's "ER" will be one doctor short in February, when George Clooney bails out of the hit medical drama earlier than expected. Clooney who previously had said he would leave the show at season's end will be cast off during a February episode written by the show's executive producer, John Wells, according to a report in the trade paper Variety confirmed by a source close to the show. Clooney has played the hunky Dr. Doug Ross since the show's inception four seasons ago. And while his castmates have all signed longer deals, Clooney has decided to stick with his original commitment and leave this season.

By having him leave in February, this year. (That's up 448 from its average during the -same period in November.) But on Jan. 16, 1991, the first night of Desert Storm, CNN averaged 11 million homes Of course, at the time iti was the only all-news cable channel. Stealing from CNN's viewership now are MSNBC, which on Wednesday, 5 to 8 p.m., averaged 648,000 homes tuned in, an increase of 118, and the McGuirk make insulting comments about blacks, Jews, gays, Asians, Arabs and pretty much everyone else, says Nobile, it's offensive. The Imus team, and presumably most of its several million listeners, disagree.

David Hinckley WYNY comeback The radio call letters WYNY are returning to New York and fittingly, country station Y-107 (Eeorge Michaels i suits uu hoi si; IMUS ON SPOT: Racism charged. jfi Brand Name SUITS Fox News Channel, which averaged 481,000 homes, a 212 increase over its November average. Richard Huff Goading Imus' guest Philip Mobile, the controversial journalist whose profile of Al Sharpton became an issue in the Tawana Brawley defamation case, has asked an Imus radio guest to either cancel his appearance there or use the appearance to attack what Nobile calls "Imus" racism and homophobia." The Rev. Peter Gomes, author of "The Good Book" and scheduled as an (107.1 FM) has got 'em. WYNY was the call name of the city's major country station for a decade, until it was sold and became rhythm-music WKTU in early 1996.

Y-107 is actually four suburban stations simulcasting on the 107.1 frequency: WWYY and WWZY in Jersey, WWVY in the Hamptons and, until now, WWXY in Westchester. WWXY is the only one changing to the WYNY call letters but that's enough for on-air identification purposes. The station's primary on-air identification will continue to be "New Country Y-107." D.H. SIZES. 36 TO 60 Single or double breasted SUITS 358 Free hirts 3Ties tr mm Freehirts i lies AA CBS DEVOTES its first two hours tonight to Christmas- themed programs and there's not T7- 2 Shirts 3 Shirts 3Ties Free rice 2Ties IMC VII Mil.

SPOKT JACKKTS Cashmere Overcoat MIK IN ITM.Y Portly Slits sizes 36 to 60 BUY 1 SUT GET I FREE TUXEDOS NOW ONLY $49 Linkletter of old interviewing kids about Christmas, with the Art Linkletter of new providing a fresh introduction. The other approach calls on host Bill Cosby to lead kids in Christmas carols, and urge them to recite familiar (or not so familiar) Christmas poetry. (5) "Millennium." Jon Polito, formerly of "Homicide: Life on the Street," guest-stars. 9:30 (CBS) "Candid Camera." In this new edition, all of the gags are tied to the holidays including one that seems to strike all parents this time of year, whether or not cameras are recording the reactions. I refer, of course, to the impossibility of assembling toys based on indecipherable directions.

10:00 (CBS) "Nash Bridges." Two former stars of Steven Bochco dramas guest-star tonight: Joe Spano of "Hill Street Blues" and Peter Onorati of "Cop Rock." 87 W79 much by way of competition, unless you're into the dark supernatural series on Fox. 8:00 p.m. (CBS) "Mickey's Christmas 'Carol." The 15-year-otd title toon, featuring Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit, is repeated, along with cartoons hailing from the '50s and '40s. 8:00 (5) "Brimstone." Stone and Ash may feound like a rock in more ways than one, but it's actually two of this show's respectful adversaries who, in this episode, become romantically entwined. 9:00 (CBS) "Kids Say the Darndest Things." This installment is a two-pronged approach to the holidays.

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