Columnist Kate Maddox: Katz marks territory in Philly

Kate Maddox

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2001 | 8:18 a.m.

KXNT 840-AM morning radio personality Jeff Katz will host his final show on Friday -- then he's packing up and heading back home to Philadelphia.

"I start on Monday at the new station," said Katz, who has been pulling double duty by taping the afternoon Philly talk show from Las Vegas for weeks. "And I'm really looking forward to not having to wake up in the middle of the night to get to work."

That's not to say the popular talkmeister won't miss Vegas. "I loved it here. I had a really good year-and-a-half and had great response from the community," he said.

Katz, who grew up in Philadelphia, says he is returning to be closer to his family and friends, and to take advantage of the city's substantially larger media market -- Vegas is No. 39 and Philly is No. 4.

Alan Stock and Heidi Harris have been tapped to fill Katz' shoes. Some sources say the team is already grumbling about being paired as co-hosts (Stock has hosted KXNT's afternoon program since 1999 and Harris has a show on Saturdays). But KXNT Program Director Gavin Spittle says the duo are excited about the new format and that "they have a certain chemistry" that will appeal to listeners.

Stock's 3-6 p.m. drive-time slot will be replaced by syndicated radio host Sean Hannity's national program. Hannity is half of Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" pundit fest.

Perhaps it's a new beau that has "The Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler moving to Las Vegas ...

Sigler, who plays feisty Meadow Soprano on the HBO mob hit, has been spotted in Las Vegas in recent weeks with a slick-looking guy who many eyewitnesses say is a dead ringer for Jackie Jr., the character Meadow loved and lost last season. One source, who saw the two young (read: underage) canoodlers getting cozy at V Bar, said Sigler "looked happy, but the guy was a total greaser."

Sigler is expected to take up residence in town once she is finished shooting "The Sopranos" this fall.

Two actors who wanted to celebrate the Las Vegas premiere of their new flick got more than they bargained for when they were held up outside the Hard Rock Hotel.

Jerry Doyle, who starred in the TV show "Babylon 5" and also made a 2000 congressional run in California, and Patrick Van Horn, who played Sue in the indie hit "Swingers," had just come out of the hotel early Sunday morning when a man approached them with a gun and robbed Van Horn of approximately $250.

Doyle, who said the assailant held the weapon to the back of his head, was able to escape without giving up any cash. The duo's low-budget film, "Devious Beings," opened Friday at local cinemas. Both actors said they were shaken but still filled out a report with Metro before returning to Mandalay Bay, where they were staying.

Hard Rock spokeswoman Tanya Tumminia acknowledged the incident occurred outside the property, adding that hotel staff and security "tried to help as much as possible." Tumminia stressed that crimes such as the one that occurred Sunday are "extremely rare" at Hard Rock. The investigation has been turned over to police.

No, that wasn't creepy Michael Jackson at Saturday's Janet Jackson concert at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Gloved One wasn't the reason for the excitement that spread through the VIP section.

It was only LaToya.

Janet's older sister joined parents Joe and Katherine and brother Tito for the show, but Michael, who was scheduled to attend, never made it.

Tiger Woods, apparently a big Janet fan, was in the audience on Friday night.