FINALLY

Staying on: James Conlon, who had been under contract as music director of L.A. Opera through June 30, 2009, has extended the pact for an additional two years.

Anchor named: Matt Frei, the BBC’s lead TV correspondent in the United States, has been named anchor of “BBC World News America,” an hourlong nightly newscast scheduled to premiere Oct. 1 on the BBC America channel.

New series: The Jim Henson Co. will team with L.A. public television station KCET to produce “What’s the Big Idea?,” a series to promote interest in science among preschoolers. The 40 half-hour episodes will premiere on PBS in 2008.

Concert scrapped: The Pet Shop Boys, who were scheduled to perform at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 27, have canceled the concert because of “logistical issues,” Bowl officials said Wednesday. Refunds are available at point of purchase.