Pete Ciarrocchi, grand supreme of the Chickie's & Pete's sports-bar empire, is preparing for a milestone sometime late next month: the serving of the five millionth order of Crabfries since he first shook spice on fries at the Robbins Avenue flagship on New Year's Eve 1978.

The five millionth customer will not be hungry or thirsty again. Ciarrocchi says the winner will get free Budweiser and Crabfries for life - plus other prizes, including a weekend at Bally's in Atlantic City, a wardrobe from haberdasher Frank Ventresca, a Tag Heuer Tiger Woods watch from Jay Roberts Jewelers, two tickets to an Eagles game (and dinner with two players after), and autographed sports gear.

Ah, but there could be a rub. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board frowns upon giveaways of alcohol. An LCB rep pointed me to Section 13.53 under Title 40 of the Pennsylvania Code, which limits any offering "to one standard-sized alcoholic beverage per patron."

Told of this, Ciarrocchi said Bud Light also would be offered.

Put on the brakes

Traffic reporting in Philly without Rod Carson? Metro Networks on Friday announced layoffs at outlets around the country. Carson - a founder of Metro predecessor Shadow Traffic and a guy who's been calling congestion since Corvairs rode the Schuylkill - was on the list, as were veterans Mary Cantell and Deborah Byrne. The genial Carson, who's been on overnights lately on KYW (1060), referred me to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which recently began representing Metro employees. A meeting on the layoff list is set for Tuesday, an AFTRA rep said.

What's reel

Organizers of the first U.S. Sports Film Festival, setting up here from Oct. 23 to 26, have 20 slots for films but report receiving nearly 100 entries. Ten have been selected so far, including the classics Invincible, Miracle and The Rookie. Two films will premiere: the mixed-martial-arts documentary Renzo Gracie: Legacy and Basketball in the Barrio, the story of two former University of Texas-El Paso basketball players who started a program teaching basketball to kids in South El Paso. Info: www.ussportsfilmfestival.com.

The first Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, running Oct. 9 to 12, will host a preview party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine St. Info: www.PhillyAsianFilmFest.org.

Media activity

Conservative morning talker Laura Ingraham is out at WNTP (990), apparently over a national tiff between her syndicate, Talk Radio Network Enterprises, and station owner Salem Communications. Salem's Mike Gallagher starts tomorrow in the 9 a.m.-to-noon slot. Ingraham will turn up on another Philly station, her syndicator, Mark Masters, said Friday.

Thomas Drayton moves east this week to join Fox29 as news coanchor at 5 p.m. (with Kerri-Lee Halkett) and 10 p.m. (with Dawn Stensland). The well-traveled Drayton, last at the Fox station in Sacramento, Calif., is an Army kid who spent his adolescence in Pemberton Township while his father was at Fort Dix. Drayton, 31, replaces Dave Huddleston, whose contract was not renewed.

Eagles Post Game Live's Michael Barkann, Ray Didinger and Vaughn Hebron will live-chat during the third quarter of tomorrow's Eagles-Cowboys game at www.comcastsportsnet.com.

Ed Snider gets a bit misty-eyed while talking about the Spectrum in an interview with CBS3's Beasley Reese, airing tonight at 11:30.

Gala notes

Walk on by? Dionne Warwick shuttled to and from Tuesday's Rhythm & Blues Foundation gala in a cab, and here's why: The singer's contract dictates that she not ride in white cars. (Why? Ask the Psychic Friends Network.) Someone interpreted the directive to mean white limos, so a white Mercedes sedan was dispatched to fetch her at the Loews Hotel. Nuh-uh. Warwick instead secured a yellow taxi for the hop to the Kimmel Center. She also cabbed it back, and found herself at the Loews' Market Street entrance. As she walked past SoleFood restaurant, a mob of well-wishers descended until hotel staff rescued her.

A while back, Aretha Franklin called Details, the Rittenhouse Square boutique, to order 15 boxes of custom Bernard Maisner stationery adorned with butterflies. Franklin called again last week to tell owner Sonia Forcina that she'd be here for the R&B Foundation gala. Rather than ship the stationery, Forcina took it to Franklin at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Briefly noted

Hurricane Ike caused Solange Knowles, sister of Beyoncé, to cut her visit to Philadelphia short. After Thursday's mini-concert at the Luxe Lounge for WPHI (100.3), she got a seat on the last flight of the day to Houston so she could secure her house and take her son to higher ground.

Jessica Simpson, talking up her new country career, stopped at WXTU (92.5) on Friday to find the Evans & Andie show wearing Eagles jerseys - an obvious slap at Simpson's beau, Cowboys QB Tony Romo. She sang "Pray Out Loud" and dedicated it to Romo. "I told her he would need it," cohost Andie Summers says.

Philly playwright Bruce Graham sold a script to Hallmark that begins filming tomorrow in Vancouver. The rom-com The Most Wonderful Time of the Year will be shown this Christmas on the Hallmark Channel. Cast: Henry Winkler, Brooke Burns and Warren Christie. Producer Dan Wigutow produced Graham's Ira Einhorn miniseries, The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer.

Ugly Betty star Ana Ortiz, caught last week at the New York fashion shows, let on that her father, former City Councilman Angel Ortiz, has been a regular on the set now that it's in New York. "He practically lives there," the actress told photog HughE Dillon, adding that her father's not a pest.

CN8 exec Melissa Kennedy, part of a group lunching with John and Cindy McCain last week at Reading Terminal Market, told the presidential candidate that on Dec. 3, 2004, she named her daughter Sydney with him in mind. "Does she have a maverick spirit?" asked John Sidney McCain. Kennedy assured him that she does.

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Contact columnist Michael Klein at 215-854-5514 or mklein@phillynews.com. "INQlings" also appears Tuesdays and Thursdays, and there's even more online at http://go.philly.com/insider.