NEWS & NOTES : COMEDY CENTRAL GIG A SURPRISE TO CBS SITCOM STAR ROMANO.

Hey, Ray Romano, welcome to Hollywood.

Romano, star of the new ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' has been selected to host a half-hour infomercial plugging CBS sitcoms lined up for fall, including ``Cosby,'' ``Ink,'' ``Pearl'' and ``Raymond.''

The ``show'' will air six times on Comedy Central, which is producing it. George Schweitzer, executive vice president of marketing for CBS, announced the arrangement earlier this week at the Television Critics' Association Summer Press Tour in Pasadena.

Only problem is, nobody told Raymond.

``I read about it for the first time today,'' Romano said late Wednesday.

Romano was trying to track down his manager-executive producer, Rory Rosegarten.

``I know what he'll say,'' Romano said. ``He'll say, `I told you about it.' He always does.''

Play it again, Ted: ABC entertainment president Ted Harbert had a little musical interlude Wednesday.

Network pages banged on mini xylophones to indicate to reporters that the next press conference was set to start.

Harbert grabbed one of the instruments and played the notes G-E-C, which you would recognize as the NBC gongs. In a move of synergy between parent company and network, G-E-C stands for General Electric Co.

When he finished the little ditty, Harbert turned to a page and said, ``That's how I want you to play it from now on.'' He was kidding.

Then he said, ``It sends shivers down my spine.'' He was serious.