10 OCT 07: WE'RE THE LEDGER'S TELEVISION ZONE

What could that title possibly mean? Put the first letters of each word together and you might figure it out. It's a much more logical explanation for a TV station's call letters, than the Seventh-Day Adventists having WURY at 97.1 FM -- letters which sound like "worry."

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: We have new details today about WLTZ's efforts to start a daily newscast. For one thing, I'm told NBC-38 will have a partnership with the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. So you may see Calvin Floyd's friendly face in the newspaper, as the new moderator of "Sound Off."

A source I tend to trust tells me the new NBC-38 newscast will include items from Ledger-Enquirer reporter Lily Gordon. She's been appearing in the newspaper's webcasts for several weeks -- which makes you wonder why the newspaper doesn't prepare its own half-hour newscast, and show that on television. Or would that mean splitting the "Ledger" and "Enquirer" all over again?

I'm also told NBC-38 reporters will start appearing on the Ledger-Enquirer's webcasts. Two of them made their Columbus TV debuts last week, on the morning talk show "Rise N Shine." I have yet to confirm whether they were talked into singing gospel songs.

"Something's not right about the local paper being so embedded with a TV station," a source complained to your blog Tuesday. But hold on a minute - WRBL is owned by the same company which prints the Opelika-Auburn News and Eufaula Tribune. If the Phenix Citizen-News doesn't hurry, its staff will have to settle for appearing between "Still Standing" reruns on CW-66.

But wait a second, you're asking me -- didn't we report WLTZ was going to start daily newscasts around October 1? [22 Aug] Oh, you WOULD bring that up. As the late Don Adams might say: would you believe.... I forgot to type in a 3, before the 1?

Another source tells me the launch of WLTZ's newscast has been delayed, because a key piece of equipment hasn't arrived. The new target date is between October 22 and November 1. And if the United Auto Workers go on strike again, who knows when things might start....

The NBC-38 news set apparently isn't finished yet, either. But here's the strange thing - the daily newscast will NOT completely be done at the station. Some of it will come from a news service in Davenport, Iowa. So they're advancing Columbus news from the "Tri-Cities" to the Quad Cities.

A service called Independent Network News apparently will mix the local reporters' work with newscasters based in Iowa. If you have trouble telling the two apart, check in February to see which journalists don't have suntans.

Independent Network News already provides what you might call a "blended newscast" to the ABC station in Montgomery, as well as a TV station in Macon. So if someone in Iowa flips the wrong switch, one of our e-mailers might get more news about Macon Mayor Jack Ellis than he can handle.

(I think Independent Network News used to be on Columbus TV - with a full half-hour of world news at 6:00 p.m., back when channel 16 was WCGT. But then again, only a few dozen people probably even noticed it was there.)

A source also tells the blog Al Fleming's daily commentaries will appear on the new WLTZ 6:00 p.m. news. I won't be surprised if his first one thanks the station management, for having enough brains and good taste to take TMZ off the air.

WLTZ also reportedly plans to air an 11:00 p.m. newscast, but with a twist. It will only be 11 minutes long. It would only be fitting if this newscast was sponsored by Ritalin....

After the 11-minute newscast, I don't know how NBC-38 will fill the time before "The Tonight Show" starts at 11:35. Maybe "Everybody Loves Raymond" will be funnier, when it's played at double-speed.

E-MAIL UPDATE: We also received a compliment Tuesday, about one member of the Muscogee County School Board:

A pat on the back of Cathy Williams of the MCSD board for not taking anything off Dr.Phillips..You go girl!

I'm not sure what brought this on. Please don't tell me Superintendent John Phillips wants to name the new administration building after himself....

There was surprising school news in East Alabama Tuesday. Phenix City Mayor Jeff Hardin suggested it might be time to merge the city's school district with Russell County's. This might save money, but think carefully here. Would most Phenix City residents stand for a grade school named Dixie?

This is what Phenix City voters get, for rejecting that one-cent school sales tax. Now there's talk of merging the city school district with another one known for recent rowdy behavior. No no, I'm not talking about the students - I mean the teachers....

Americus and Sumter County merged their school districts a couple of years ago, and had some difficulties along the way. But there might be one advantage to combining Phenix City and Russell County schools -- and you'll see it in the championship banners on the outfield fence every May.

So what else made news Tuesday? Several things....

+ An afternoon shower brought as much as a half-inch of rain to parts of Columbus. Jail inmates who work outside on lawn-mowing crews didn't know whether to cheer or cry.

(Columbus is becoming SO DRY that I may take bids to jog down specific streets - simply to sweat and spit on people's lawns.)

+ Despite the rain, Columbus city fountains were shut off due to "Stage Four" drought conditions. Maybe now that pillar outside the RiverCenter will get the respect it deserves....

+ Executives from Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola went before the Russell County Commission, urging it to give up the fight for a special sales tax on soft drinks. I actually expected these companies to be on opposite sides of the issue -- you know: Pepsi Max, Coca-Cola Zero.

(One soft drink executive told WRBL Russell County "won't make any money" from a soft drink sales tax. Is this some kind of threat? Would people in Phenix City and Hurtsboro actually be forced to drink fruit juice?)

+ Alabama state conservation officials charged Phenix City's William Gornto with attempting to sell 57 poisonous snakes online. The lesson here should be obvious. Leave the wheeling and dealing in Cottonmouths to coach Jerome Bechard.

(William Gornto told WRBL he didn't know he'd broken Alabama law by bringing in poisonous snakes. But he insisted they were kept well, inside sealed Tupperware boxes. Now there's an original way to liven up your next Tupperware party.)

+ Instant Message to the Atlanta human rights group New Order: The Southeast is in a drought. People are losing their homes in foreclosure. And you're planning to hold several weeks of Saturday night prayer vigils for Michael Vick?! I mean, I could understand it for the Atlanta Hawks....

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