Morning Report - News from Oct. 27, 1999

TELEVISION

Marilyn Auction: AMC will televise Christie’s auction of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia today at 3:45 p.m., in the cable network’s first live production. Included in the sale’s 55 lots are the dress Monroe wore to serenade John F. Kennedy on his birthday and her wedding ring from Joe DiMaggio. The collection is being sold by Anna Strasberg, the widow of Monroe’s mentor, acting coach Lee Strasberg. During slow points in the sale, AMC will cut away to the documentary “Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend.”

From Management to Producer: In the latest Telemundo management shift, Nely Galan, president of entertainment at the No. 2-ranked Spanish-language television network, has resigned--a move rumored in August when the network shifted its programming and management operations to Hialeah, Fla., from Santa Monica soon after it named James McNamara president/CEO. Galan has signed an exclusive two-year development and production deal with Telemundo. No replacement has been named, and it’s uncertain whether the network will fill the entertainment post.

‘TV Guide en Espanol’: Aimed at the country’s fastest-growing population, TV Guide unveiled its Spanish-language version this week, “TV Guide en Espanol.” The full-color weekly insert tucked inside 175,000 editions of TV Guide magazine will hit newsstands in the top 15 Latino markets, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Chicago and Houston. Expanded local Spanish-language listings will be provided along with regular listings in each market.

MOVIES

McConaughey’s ‘Nice’ Jail Stay: Actor Matthew McConaughey was charged with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, in Austin, Texas, on Monday by police investigating a complaint of loud music coming from the actor’s home. Police said they found the actor dancing naked and playing the bongo drums. McConaughey, whose films include “A Time to Kill,” “Amistad” and “EdTV,” was released on $1,000 bond after spending most of the night in jail. “I don’t want to rent a place there, but it was a nice stay for a night,” McConaughey said after his release. McConaughey, 29, was originally arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, but those charges were dropped.

POP/ROCK

Escalating Prices: The trend of soaring prices for concert tickets continues with the announcement that the best seats will cost more than $200 each at upcoming shows by Bette Midler and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Midler performs Dec. 16 at Staples Center with tickets ranging from $54.50 to $254.50, while the reunion show of CSN&Y; at the same venue on Feb. 12 has prices from $30.50 to $201. And sandwiched between those shows is the New Year’s Eve Staples performance by the Eagles, with tickets topping out at $1,000. Those hefty sums further propel the trend in which concert prices have increased 50% in the past three years, according to a survey of each year’s top 50-grossing North American shows by Pollstar.

QUICK TAKES

“Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer was recovering at home Tuesday from an emergency appendectomy that forced his NBC series to suspend production. Grammer, 44, was admitted to an undisclosed L.A. hospital Friday and released Saturday, the series’ producers said Tuesday. . . . Latin pop mega-star Ricky Martin makes his first visit to CBS’ “The Late Show With David Letterman” tonight. . . . David Kelley’s newest series, ABC’s “Snoops,” has been picked up for the rest of the season, as has the WB network’s “Angel.” . . . Fox’s “Ally McBeal” had its best season premiere yet on Monday, attracting 16 million viewers. The news wasn’t so good though for Fox’s new Jennifer Love Hewitt series, “Time of Your Life,” which drew only 7.9 million viewers in its initial outing. . . . Fox News Channel is expected to announce today that it has signed former House speaker Newt Gingrich as a political contributor. The cable network has also signed former New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro.