5 APR 09: C-Double-U Down the Dial

And you thought the "Big Switch" in local television wasn't supposed to happen until June. A couple of noticeable changes have been announced in the last few days. One of them might be called stealing - except it involves the station showing "Law and Order," so the managers probably would plead not guilty.

WLTZ shook up the Columbus TV landscape, by announcing it will start showing The CW Network in three weeks. And they're bragging about this?! CW is one of the few networks with worse ratings than NBC.

WLTZ will NOT replace its NBC programming with The CW. Instead, the new network is heading to a secondary digital channel, 38.2. We scanned our set Saturday night, and found that channel is NOT on the air yet. You'd think they might run test signals, with Calvin Floyd selling those meat smokers.

Adding a second channel might solve a scheduling problem WLTZ has faced recently. NBC shows on several nights were pre-empted by Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games, and moved to Saturday afternoons. A few Sunday National Hockey League games were pre-empted completely -- and callers probably reminded WLTZ the Cottonmouths have more fans than Columbus State basketball.

When WLTZ's big announcement was posted on the Ledger-Enquirer web site, a few people left comments of concern. They're afraid The CW will NOT be shown in high-definition, as NBC programming is. And if any show on The CW ought to be in high-definition, it's "America's Next Top Model."

But one station's gain of The CW means another station lost it - and the Ledger-Enquirer apparently didn't bother calling WLGA for a comment on the switch. Perhaps the newspaper assumed TV-66 was busy rounding up hours of infomercials, to fill the gap.

So in a BLOG EXCLUSIVE, we have WLGA's response to the loss of its network. We called the office Friday, and were answered with a news release saying TV-66 "will once again become a true independent station...." with an "all new programming line-up." Local churches which were kicked off the air for The CW might feel born again.

People with long memories might recall WLGA used to have several locally-produced programs, aimed primarily at Lee County viewers. It also showed faith healer Leroy Jenkins twice a day, offering his bottles of "miracle water." The Columbus area seemed to break the drought without that....

Mark this blogger's words - it's only a matter of time before one TV station in Columbus goes all-Spanish. The managers at WLGA might have the phone number of Univision in their Rolodex. In case all else fails, appeal to Mexico for an invasion -- at least of "telenovelas."

The WLGA news release also denies claims that the station and owner Pappas Telecasting have filed for bankruptcy. I'm not sure how that rumor started - especially since it has no local news at all, and WRBL is doing the cutting.

That's the other big development in Columbus TV - as WRBL officially ended its 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. newscasts Friday. But General Manager Otis Pickett promises a new "midday webcast" starting Monday, which you can watch anytime in the afternoon. For instance, while you're weaning away from the soon-to-be-canceled "Guiding Light" at 3:00.

We've mentioned WRBL will replace the hour-long "First Edition" newscast at 5:00 with reruns of "Two-and-a-Half Men." Otis Pickett bragged the comedy with Charlie Sheen is not available on cable. Right now, that's true - but it will appear on FX in 2010. Maybe WRBL can reclaim reruns of "The Andy Griffith Show" by then.

(By the way - don't you love a name like Otis Pickett? Shouldn't that be the name of a blues singer on WOKS Radio?)

Otis Pickett did NOT mention what will replace the 12:00 noon news on WRBL. TV Guide's online listings for Monday say only "paid programming." Either daily infomercials are coming, or Rivertown Ford's dancing turkey is trading channels as well.

The end of "News 3 Midday" marks quite a fall for WRBL. When that station had "The Rozelle Show" at 12:00 noon, the ratings were so huge that Atlanta newspapers even did a story about it. Now the station is waving a white flag and surrendering -- unless it plans a big surprise talk show announcement involving Eve Tidwell.

One post on a TV news message board this weekend dared to predict WRBL might shut down its news department completely. I'm skeptical about that. WLTZ's newscasts haven't advanced that far yet - especially not when Stefanie Tiso's name appears over a Columbus Water Works executive, which happened twice Friday night.

We have plenty of other things to review, from the last few days:

+ Residents of the Fox Fire neighborhood began returning home, after a blocked drain made a watershed overflow and flooded several homes. I noticed 2012 Muscogee County Sheriff candidate Mark LaJoye lives in that neighborhood - but so far, his web site somehow is NOT blaming Sheriff John Darr for the damage.

(Did you see the angry Fox Fire resident on TV, who challenged Mayor Jim Wetherington to "take off his tie" and come help his neighborhood? The man noted the mayor ran on a "public safety" platform. Well yeah, Wetherington did - but 99 percent of Columbus voters figured out that meant law officers.)

+ Georgia State Patrol officers joined police in "Operation Visible," catching speeders along Interstate 185. One person was clocked driving 114 miles per hour. I thought the Aflac racing team was in Texas this weekend....

+ Columbus police reported someone broke into the new Muscogee County School administration building, and stole construction equipment such as saws. C'mon, guys - there are better ways to oppose the school sales tax than that.

+ State Senator Seth Harp announced he plans to run for some kind of statewide office next year. Hmmmm - which one is most likely to regulate sales of alcohol?

(Richard Hyatt's web site reports Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley already was planning to run for Seth Harp's Senate seat. Harp may have concluded that idea was.... well, you know.... Jolley good.)

+ WRBL reported the Randolph County, Georgia school board has become so divided that it holds two separate meetings. Two board members attend one, while three attend the other. If this group can hold "split sessions," so can high school students....

+ Port Columbus began a weekend-long celebration to dedicate its Civil War-era replica ship "The Water Witch." So do we call this a "new" ship, if it's modeled after one which is more 150 years old?

+ Missouri's Guido Hibdon captured the four-day FLW bass fishing tournament at Lake Eufaula. He won by five pounds by Tom Mann Jr. - who is NOT the son of the late Eufaula fishing expert. Given Mann's history, his son would have been named after one of his lures: Little George.

(Guido Hibdon fishes for "Team BP," as in British Petroleum. There, you see? Those billions of dollars in oil profits are NOT going to waste. They're helping keep fishermen in very nice boats.)

+ The Columbus Lions battered Baltimore 82-19. Yet the official league box score shows the attendance at the Civic Center was 0. Did WFXE-FM's concert at Golden Park scare THAT many people away?

+ Instant Message to WXTX: I've got a great idea! Next season, ask the new Georgia men's basketball coach to put on a uniform for a game - and make sure the back says "Fox 54."

SCHEDULED MONDAY: A place where people stay on Veterans Parkway, but it's not quite a motel....

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