RADIOSharpes Off the Air: Jim and Melissa...

RADIO

Sharpes Off the Air: Jim and Melissa Sharpe, the husband-and-wife duo who steered the morning drive slot at radio station KYSR-FM (known as “Star” 98.7) since April, 1993, have left the station. Gary Thompson, the station’s production director, is temporarily filling their time slot. Reached at home Wednesday, Jim Sharpe said the couple was “let go” by the station after Monday’s broadcast and no reason for the dismissal was given. KYSR’s program manager Randy Lane declined to comment on the couple’s departure, noting that the station was “still in discussions” with the Sharpes. Lang said it was “not likely,” however, that those discussions might bring them back to KYSR’s airwaves. “We’re going to miss the thousands of people who called, wrote, sent gifts to our baby and shared our lives every morning,” Jim Sharpe said, noting that the couple’s “first hope” is to find employment elsewhere in the Los Angeles radio market.

POP/ROCK

Playoff Inspiration?: “It’s just something to have fun with.” That’s how lyricist Alan Bergman described his latest collaboration with Marilyn Bergman and Marvin Hamlisch. So what is this new project for these three music industry heavyweights, recent Emmy winners for their work on Barbra Streisand’s HBO special? It’s “There’s No One Like Nomo!,” a tribute to--who else--celebrated Dodger pitcher Hideo Nomo. “We’re all baseball fans,” explained Bergman, a transplanted Brooklynite and fan from the Dodgers’ Flatbush days. The trio was approached by Gene Norman, GNP Crescendo Records head, about doing the song, a catchy single that has been sent to local radio outlets and also released in Nomo’s native Japan. Writing the ditty was easy, he said, noting that the principals simply watched Nomo’s pitching and read a few news articles about him. The song--with trumpet and vocals by Jack Sheldon, a regular with Doc Severinsen’s band--includes a strong beat, the canned roar of Dodger Stadium fans and the chorus: “There’s no one like Nomo! Nomo’s pitching today. Nomo, that tornado--he’ll blow you away!”

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Pop Chart: While newcomer Alanis Morissette remains atop the pop charts for the second week in a row with sales of 142,000 for her debut album, “Jagged Little Pill,” three veteran performers have come back strong. AC/DC’s “Ballbreaker” entered the chart at No. 4 with sales of 113,000, according to figures released Wednesday by SoundScan. Prince’s “The Gold Experience” debuted at No. 6 with sales of 91,000, and David Bowie’s “Outside” hit No. 21 with sales of 38,000.

STAGE

If at First You Don’t Succeed . . .: The producers of “Miss Saigon,” who failed to enter their musical for consideration for the Ovation Awards nominations that were announced Tuesday, said Wednesday they would register for the 1996 Ovations. Because the eligibility period for 1996 Ovations began on Sept. 1, the show can still be a contender next year as long as enough Ovation voters see it before it closes Oct. 14. This year, said a “Saigon” spokeswoman, “apparently everybody thought somebody else was taking care of [the registration].” She compared the situation to a 1994 snafu when “Home Improvement” star Tim Allen’s handlers did not register his name for Emmy Award consideration.

TV/VIDEO

The Verdicts, Redux: It has been said that the entire nation watched Tuesday’s verdicts in the O.J. Simpson trial. But for those who missed it, or want to have a tape of the event for posterity, MPI Home Video will release next week “California v. O.J. Simpson: The Closing Arguments & Verdict.” The two-volume video, which includes both the prosecution and defense closing statements in their entirety, will sell for $29.98.

MOVIES

Cowboy King’s ‘Autobiography’: Construction began Wednesday on a $1-million renovation of the 18-year-old Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum in Victorville, with a plan to rename the corner where the museum sits RogersDale, U.S.A. The renovated 28,000-square-foot museum will incorporate interactive video displays to tell the story of the Old West with particular emphasis on the couple known as “King of the Cowboys and Queen of the West.” Former movie star Roy Rogers, 84, has taken a “hands-on approach to every aspect of the museum’s renovation,” said Roy Rogers Jr., the museum’s president. “This is like Dad writing his autobiography.”

QUICK TAKES

Retired CBS newsman Charles Kuralt, 61, was in stable condition and out of the intensive care unit on Wednesday after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery Monday at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. A hospital spokeswoman said there was no indication yet as to when he might be released. . . . Phil Hartman, star of NBC’s “NewsRadio” and a “Saturday Night Live” alum, received the Harvard Lampoon’s Elmer Award for lifetime comedic achievement this week. Past recipients include Bill Cosby, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal.