14 DEC 08: RUNNING UNOPPOSED

Days of speculation became reality Saturday night, when a CSI:NY rerun appeared on WRBL. It started at 11:00 p.m. ET, not 11:35 - which meant there was no newscast. No David Spunt means they chose to punt....

The change of schedule confirmed a stunning development in Columbus TV news. WRBL has canceled all its remaining weekend newscasts, to save money. Well, hold on -- Saturday at 11:00 and Sunday at 11:00 means all two of them.

We noted here several months ago that WRBL had replaced its 6:00 p.m. weekend news with infomercials. Now the 11:00 p.m. newscasts are gone as well. And they left so quickly, no local church has jumped into the gap to take on WLTZ's Bill Purvis.

Yet here's the strange thing - while the TV newscasts are gone, WRBL kept updating its web site as usual Saturday. Ashley Ball's name appeared on several new stories. And countless single guys across the area wished Ball would put a webcam on her computer -- because simply watching her post stories would be a newscast enough.

. So with a reporter still working online on weekends, is WRBL really saving that much by eliminating weekend newscasts? Maybe those people moving cameras in the studio made more money than we ever realized....

The change at WRBL is rather sad, because it means Columbus is down to only one TV newsroom presenting newscasts on weekends (albeit on two different stations). Even Albany has two stations competing against each other on Saturdays and Sundays. Or has the cold front arrived there yet - as in a lack of cold hard cash, due to recession?

This change also suggests a trend may be ending for local TV news nationwide. I watched during the 1990s as Atlanta stations added newscasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Major broadcast networks did the same thing. But Columbus TV news never advanced that far, and now WRBL has dropped weekend news completely. Our area's image of being slow and sleepy may be reinforced all over again.

But I remember the last time WRBL made a drastic change like this. Several years ago, the station reduced its sports coverage to four days a week - but that changed after several months. Now Shawn Skillman will be on five days a week. And unlike recent months, you can guess which five days of the week those will be.

So Columbus TV viewers now have a "News Leader" that's the undisputed champion on weekends, another station claiming to have "The Look of a Champion" - and where does this move leave WRBL? The Look of a Cheapskate?

This past week was sad all around for local TV stations, as two of them laid off personnel. Yet I didn't notice any changes at what's become a TV viewer's version of the "news wall" in Communist countries. You know, the web pages showing pictures of staff members....

Yes, the news business can be hurt by recession as much as any other. Ask people in Troup County, where the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is ending service in mid-January - nearly two years after service ended for Columbus. What once was "the South's standard newspaper" will barely be available south of Newnan.

But there are glimmers of hope in broadcasting. WLTZ actually has added a new local program on Saturday nights - not a newscast, but a shopping show called "LSZ." It's amazing to see Calvin Floyd offering expensive jewelry, after all those years when his big issue was the forecast for fishing.

And Columbus radio stations must be doing OK - because as I drove north on Veterans Parkway Saturday afternoon, I was passed by three different station vans. Unless, of course, a car dealer offered big money to the first station to show up and offer a live report.

BLOG UPDATE: Auburn University threw a curve at the predictors Saturday night, by announcing Gene Chizik will be its new head football coach. Maybe he'll get quarterback Kodie Burns to stop throwing curve ball passes.

Gene Chizik's name came seemingly out of nowhere, and stumped some people in Columbus when I mentioned it to them. "Never heard of him," said one man I chose at random at a bowling center. But maybe that's the idea - Auburn's Athletics Director wants to sneak up on opponents next season.

"Neeahh," responded another man who wore an Auburn hat. But he remembered Gene Chizik as the defensive coordinator on the Tigers' undefeated 2004 team. Now there's a true Auburn football fan - because most of us can't remember anyone beyond Jason Campbell and Cadillac Williams.

While Gene Chizik has an Auburn background, his record as a head coach is unimpressive. He spent the last two years at Iowa State, and was 5-19. His Cyclones were mere 'Clones of other losing teams.

Remember when Nick Saban arrived at the University of Alabama, with welcoming fans at the Tuscaloosa airport? The Opelika-Auburn News reports Gene Chizik arrived in Auburn Saturday to about 40 people - most of them hecklers. If you've been waiting for good Tiger season tickets, this could be your best opportunity in years.

-> We played poker this past week at perhaps the biggest tournament in Columbus. Read about it at our other blog, "On the Flop!" <--

E-MAIL UPDATE: People are still talking about the federal grand jury investigation of a Columbus attorney....

One can see the information provided to you on this probably came from the same person or group of people who leaked the information to the Ledger regarding the federal probe of Mark Shelnutt to this newspaper, WTVM, WRBL and to Richard Hyatt. My guess it is one or more who have a grudge and have something to gain. I would venture to say that it is the same person(s) or same group of people who sent in the question to WTVM for the tv question/debtate in an attempt to skew the facts and steer votes by giving the idea that if the "firm" is under investigation so Ms. Slater must be as well. I would venture further to say the person or group of people who gathered transcripts and discs for distribution has a grudge with Mark Shelnutt, someone obviously closly involved in the Harris County case perhaps? There is a really short list of names which fit these descriptions.

I don't know about any leaks to the Ledger-Enquirer. But at least Richard Hyatt's analysis of the case included a link to us. Maybe he should put his address and telephone number in the phone book, so mysterious strangers can leave envelopes for him as well.

Someone else has a thought about this case:

Richard, I read in the L-E newspaper that the federal grand jury hearings in Atlanta concerning attorney Mark Shellnut were in reference to money laundering. Reminds me of the federal grand jury in Montgomery, AL a few years ago that charged a Phenix City attorney with money laundering (drug money). He was tried, convicted, and sent off to prison. But now he's back practicing law in Phenix City again. It's no wonder that attorneys rate lower than used car salesmen in polls about integrity!

We checked the Ledger-Enquirer's web site for stories on Mark Shelnutt, and found nothing with the phrase "money laundering" in it. We did find a statement from Julia Slater's attorney about "allegations that client fees might not have been properly accounted for...." Hmmmm - has Phyllis Jones been called before the grand jury yet?

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: We hope to post audio for Monday's blog, from the court hearing where the accusation against Mark Shelnutt first became public.)

Now for some quick notes from a weekend cold enough to require quick walking outside:

+ Beacon University announced it will turn itself into a seminary, and not close next spring after all. It's not clear how Beacon was able to do this. Did some "prosperity gospel" preachers repent, and feel they had to get rid of their wealth?

+ The annual Bi-City Christmas Parade was held - but WRBL reported this year's route was reversed, beginning in Columbus and ending in Phenix City. The symbolism for criminals of Columbus hiring new police officers should not be overlooked....

+ Instant Message to Pastor Jeff Murphy: That's quite a publicity stunt you're doing for your new church - going up 60 feet in a crane, to get donations of bicycles. But if you really have faith, you'll climb down from that crane without any help.

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