Miller time ends at CNBC

New York — CNBC is canceling comic Dennis Miller’s low-rated political talk show after less than 16 months, replacing it with a business show rerun.

Miller’s prime-time program, featuring a mixture of comedy, interviews and his conservative political opinion, was seen by an average of 168,000 viewers since its January 2004 launch, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That number has dipped to 114,000 this year with the presidential election campaign over.

His show, seen at 8 p.m., will be replaced by a rerun of “Mad Money with Jim Cramer,” three hours after its original airing.

Told of the cancellation, Miller “has let me know that his strong preference is to leave the program immediately,” CNBC President Mark Hoffman wrote in a memo to his staff.

Miller’s last episode will be today, he said.

’60 Minutes’ up for Amanpour

New York — Christiane Amanpour, television’s best-known international correspondent, said Thursday she was ending her part-time stint at CBS’ “60 Minutes” because the arrangement had “run its course.”

Amanpour is continuing as chief international correspondent for CNN.

She had been contributing to “60 Minutes” since 1996, usually four or five stories a year. This season she’s done two: a profile of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, and a story about how the U.S. military sent a psychology unit to Iraq to help deal with battle fatigue.

The arrangement with “60 Minutes” “allowed me to report in-depth international stories for a large and important American audience, a mission I am dedicated to,” she said in a statement. “But I have concluded this unique arrangement has now run its course and therefore I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract with ’60 Minutes.'”

People close to Amanpour have said she’s concerned that the type of hard-hitting international stories she’s done are not valued as much at “60 Minutes” as they were under founding executive producer Don Hewitt.

Brick by brick, Eminem helps hometown restoration

Oak Park, Mich. — Eminem, who grew up on both sides of 8 Mile Road, is helping revitalize the highway he made famous in a hit song and film.

The 32-year-old rapper, born Marshall Mathers III, has autographed 30 bricks from the recently demolished Detroit Artillery Armory on 8 Mile in Oak Park. One brick was auctioned last month, and the rest are to be auctioned on eBay within the next month.

Proceeds will be split between Eminem’s charity, the Marshall Mathers Foundation, and the Eight Mile Boulevard Assn.

The association — a coalition of 13 cities, Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties and several businesses — asked Eminem to sign the bricks. It plans to use its share of the auction proceeds for revitalization efforts along 8 Mile.

The bricks are painted gold and covered with a clear sealant on the side bearing Eminem’s autograph, said Tami Salisbury, the association’s executive director. The bricks will be packaged with DVD copies of 2002’s “8 Mile” film.

R. Miles Handy, supervisor of Wayne County’s Redford Township, submitted the winning bid of $300 for the first brick, which says “Save 8 Mile Slim Shady 2005.”

“Here’s a kid who lived close to 8 Mile, now is one of the largest entertainers in the country,” said Handy, 40. “I think it’s a pretty nice piece of history.”

Birthdays

Singer Stevie Wonder is 55. Actress Beatrice Arthur is 83. Actor Harvey Keitel is 66. Basketball player Dennis Rodman is 44. Singer Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 39.