Notebook: Jun. 24, 1996

WINNERS & LOSERS THE MATTER OF TV CHATTER

[WINNERS]

ROSIE O'DONNELL Sans dirt and melodrama, her debut talk-variety show scores with critics, soars in ratings

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD Lengthy pleas and support from pals make her the poster girl for the antisweatshop crusade

TED KOPPEL Talk of a possible departure from ABC is likely to fuel sales of his new book about Nightline

[& LOSERS]

MONTEL WILLIAMS A harassment suit claims he groped employees and conducted meetings in his skivvies

TOM SNYDER Letterman reveals off-camera to Larry King that he's not so sure about his follow-up act

PHIL DONAHUE The dean of daytime talk finally gets to Di, but just to dance; he'd already folded his show

PAT: FIGHT OR FLIGHT?

Bob Dole may be forced to choose between yielding some speaking time at the Republican National Convention to Pat Buchanan or watching Buchanan bolt the party to run at the top of an independent ticket. At least that's what Buchanan would have him believe. Three weeks ago, conservative organizer Howard Phillips courted Buchanan during a four-hour dinner to join his U.S. Taxpayers Party, and Buchanan seemed only slightly interested. But Buchanan aides are giving that option a much closer look since Dole began watering down the G.O.P.'s antiabortion plank. Phillips tells TIME he was contacted last week by a senior Buchanan aide who expressed concern that the Taxpayers Party was not trying to get on the ballot in Indiana, Georgia and Michigan, states important to an independent Buchanan run. So Phillips is raising money to get on those ballots--and dunning Buchanan backers for the purpose. Officially, Buchanan spokesman Greg Mueller says Buchanan is going to San Diego as a Republican to fight for the pro-life plank and other issues. At the same time, Buchanan is angry he hasn't been given time to speak at the convention--or even been invited to attend. So, Mueller adds pointedly, "we have never closed the door on a third-party run." And if Buchanan decides to accept the Taxpayers Party nomination, he won't have far to go. Its convention is also in San Diego, same week.

A BURNING ISSUE

Each year the National Trust for Historic Preservation prepares a new list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places." These are threatened by neglect, demolition or insensitive public policy. This time, however, the trust is adding a 12th: black churches of the South, more than 30 of which have been ravaged by arsonists since January 1995. Others on the just-released list include:

1. WENTWORTH-BY-THE-SEA HOTEL, NEW CASTLE, NEW HAMPSHIRE The site of negotiations that officially ended the Russo- Japanese War of 1904-05

2. SOTTERLEY PLANTATION, HOLLYWOOD, MARYLAND A colonial port of entry; inadequate funding may eliminate educational activities run on the premises

3. ADOBE CHURCHES OF NEW MEXICO The largest assemblage of publicly used earthen buildings in the U.S.

4. KNIGHT FOUNDRY, SUTTER CREEK, CALIFORNIA The last operating water-powered foundry/machine shop closed in '95

MAIL MAULERS

Last week the Postal Sevice and the Humane Society sponsored Dog-Bite Prevention Week and highlighted top danger zones for carriers. (Of the estimated 4.7 people bitten last year, children were usually the victims.)