Katie Couric to stay at NBC

Los Angeles — Katie Couric isn’t going anywhere.

NBC Universal Television Group President Jeff Zucker tried to shoot down rumors that the “Today” show host was a candidate for the soon-to-be-vacant job as anchor of the “CBS Evening News.”

Zucker said he expected Couric to remain at NBC for a long time. Her contract extends for another year and a half, and he said negotiations over an extension had already begun.

Zucker did have a friendly warning for CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves, who will decide Dan Rather’s successor at the evening news.

“We’ve decided that if CBS goes after Katie Couric, we’re going after Julie Chen,” he said Friday.

‘Are We There Yet?’ arrives in first place at box office

Los Angeles — The road trip comedy “Are We There Yet?” earned $18.5 million to quickly arrive at first place in the weekend box office.

The family picture starring rapper-actor Ice Cube in its opening weekend sent “Coach Carter” back to the bench when the basketball drama brought in $11 million for second place, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

“Assault on Precinct 13,” a remake of the 1976 “cult classic” about cops and criminals joining forces against a jail siege by gang members, took in $7 million in its first weekend and finished sixth in the box office tally.

Other estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

3. “Meet the Fockers,” $10.2 million.

4. “In Good Company,” $8.5 million.

5. “Racing Stripes,” $7.06 million.

7. “The Phantom of the Opera,” $5.02 million.

8. “White Noise,” $5 million.

9. “The Aviator,” $4.8 million.

10. “Elektra,” $3.8 million.

Something funny about ‘Reba’

Los Angeles — Reba McEntire says she loves being on a sitcom because it allows her to be funny in a way she never could in her music career.

“I always sang such sad songs, and I always was looking for the funny songs, an up-tempo funny song,” she told reporters Saturday. “When I would release one, it wouldn’t do very well, so I’d go back to the sad, heart-wrenching songs, and so that’s kind of what I was known for.”

Her sitcom on the WB network is now in its fourth year.

Show her the money

Melbourne, Australia — Pop star Kylie Minogue is suing the British record producer who helped launch her career.

The Australian singer has claimed in the Victoria state Supreme Court that PAL Productions, run by famed pop producer Pete Waterman, underpaid royalties for her “Greatest Hits” album which was released in 1992 and rereleased in 2002, the Sunday Age newspaper reported.

An auditing firm hired by Minogue and her family found that Minogue was underpaid by more than 10 percent, or about $830,000. PAL since paid nearly $500,000, but Minogue’s company lodged papers seeking unspecified damages, interest and costs, the paper said.

Bring on the Altoids

Los Angeles — Longtime fans of the WB series “Gilmore Girls” have expressed delight that the gruff coffee shop owner Luke portrayed by actor Scott Patterson has finally started a romance with Lorelai, played by Lauren Graham.

Fans are curious about something more personal when they stop Patterson on the street.

“They want to know primarily if we’re dating in real life,” Patterson told reporters on Saturday, “and I always tell them we are.”

Not true.

The characters’ transition from friends to lovers has caused some changes on the set, however.

“Altoids,” Patterson said. “A lot more Altoids.”

Not so psychic

Los Angeles — Actress Jenna Fischer can claim she was a professional psychic — for two days.

Fischer, who stars in NBC’s upcoming remake of “The Office,” took a job as a telephone psychic for a few days to earn some extra money. The only job requirements were an ability to read tarot cards and a claim that she felt intuitive.

The calls were routed to her home.

“I never collected my paycheck for that job, because I ended up feeling very guilty,” she told reporters Friday. “People who called were very needy, and I felt sad. So I quit after two days.”

Paris Hilton investigated in petty theft case

West Hollywood, Calif.– Paris Hilton is being investigated for suspicion of petty theft, authorities said.

“There was an incident, and she is alleged to have taken something,” sheriff’s Deputy Steve Suzuki said without disclosing further details.

Calls to Hilton’s publicist, Gina Hoffman, were not immediately returned.

On its Web site, the TV show “Celebrity Justice” posted a security video taken last month of Hilton as she bought several magazines at a newsstand and was given change. It goes on to show her grabbing her infamous sex video and walking off with it.

Gerry Castro, an employee at Swing News in West Hollywood, told “Celebrity Justice” that Hilton became enraged after spotting the sex video “One Night in Paris” on sale at the newsstand.

“She threw her 80 cents change at me and took the video and said, ‘I’m taking this and I’m not buying it,”‘ Castro told the show.