Lowe, Eminem on 'SNL' Kickoff

By Stephen M. Silverman

07/31/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

PEOPLE's cover boy this week, "The West Wing" star Rob Lowe, will host the Oct. 7 season opener of "Saturday Night Live," reports Variety. The musical act booked that night is Eminem. Even Lowe last hosted the program in 1990. There have been reports that "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch was first choice to host the initial show of the season, but CBS (which airs "Survivor" and must reportedly approve all of his TV appearances) is said to have nixed the booking. Meanwhile, spokespeople for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation say that the group plans to protest Eminem's nominations at tomorrow's MTV Music Awards ceremony at New York's Radio City Music Hall by picketing outside the auditorium. At issue are some lyrics contained in the controversial rapper's multi-platinum "The Marshall Mathers LP," which many perceive to be anti-homosexual and anti-women.