Too Bad It Wasn’t Ready for Sweeps

The next chapter in “The Dark Side of Camelot” unfolds Thursday when ABC airs a two-hour documentary that is based on the controversial book about John F. Kennedy and co-produced by author Seymour Hersh. “Dangerous World”: The Kennedy Years” is not without its own controversy. In late September, ABC revealed that it had flirted with a “dynamite” story about a supposed affair between Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, supported by documents provided to Hersh that purportedly proved that the president paid the actress to keep their relationship private. The documents proved to be forgeries, and ABC, which had invested in both the documentary and research into the documents, produced a segment on “20/20” about the deception. (Shortly thereafter, the New York Times reported that NBC had previously dropped plans for a film based on the book because of the network’s doubts about the documents.) None of the material about the Kennedy-Monroe papers made its way into the book. “The notion that ABC sort of saved Sy on this thing is, I think, not fair,” ABC anchorman Peter Jennings told the Los Angeles Times in September. Having spent $2 million for the rights, however, ABC has managed to save something--its considerable investment.

Will the Album Hold a Candle to the Single?

If the continued strong sales of Elton John’s record-setting single “Candle in the Wind 1997” are any indication, pop music fans are still mourning Princess Diana. But does that mean we should expect big sales this holiday season for “Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute,” a two-disc benefit compilation due Tuesday from Columbia Records? The collection--which raises money for the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund--offers an impressive outpouring of material: three dozen songs from a culture-crossing roster of international superstars, from Bruce Springsteen and Puff Daddy to Barbra Streisand and Mariah Carey. The vast majority of tracks, however, have long been available elsewhere; only nine were actually recorded for the occasion. And perhaps most important, the John single, which has sold more than 7 million copies in the U.S. since its release in September, is not included. “That’s a hard one to predict,” Bob Bell, a buyer for the Wherehouse retail chain, says of sales projections for the album. “Obviously, the Elton John single has sold phenomenal numbers, but it’s hard to say if that kind of interest is going to carry over to a two-CD set.”

Curb Service Comes to Public Television

As part of its 15-day on-air fund-raising campaign that got underway Sunday (which includes “Jessye Norman Sings for the Healing of AIDS,” tonight at 7:30), KCET-TV Channel 28 is inviting “drive-thru pledging.” That’s right: Drive onto the KCET lot at 4401 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, make a donation of any denomination and receive a Channel 28 beach towel--without ever leaving your car. Of course, you can also call in a contribution during the usual pledge breaks. The station will take it any way it can, having fallen nearly $2 million short of its viewer contributions goal in the last fiscal year. While the on-air pledge drives are the smallest source of such income--there are also direct mail, telemarketing and membership renewal campaigns--they are important. “They are our biggest source of new members,” explains Barbara Goen, vice president of communications at the public television station. “Membership continues to challenge us, and we’re working hard to find new ways to encourage individual support.” Still, beach towels in December? “It’s always beach weather in Southern California,” offers a station spokeswoman.

--Compiled by Times staff writers and contributors