THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010024
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
LOCAL TV BITS and pieces to munch on while you decide if you like Voyager Capt. Kathryn Janeway's hair up or down:
Would they really try to do the news without ol' Ed? - While the owners of CBS affiliate WTKR are negotiating to sell Channel 3 for a figure reported to be in excess of $100 million, they are also forging a new contract for anchorman Ed Hughes, who's been with the station for decades.
Channel 3's news director, Barbara Hamm, confirmed this week that Hughes is unsigned. Not to worry, she says. ``We're in the process of talking.''
Hamm told me that other on-air talent is unsigned, too. And Hamm said she has three vacancies to fill - a weekend weather reporter now that Janice Lee has left, plus a field reporter and a producer.
There is also an opening at NBC affiliate WAVY now that Peninsula reporter Monique Braxton has announced that she will leave Channel 10 to work for a local all-news cable channel in Springfield near Washington, D.C., starting in March.
Memo to Hamm and WAVY news director Gary Stokes: LeAnne Rains, the former 5 p.m. anchorwoman at WAVY who has been working in Europe for Independent Television News Ltd. of London, writes to say that her contract with ITN will be up soon, and she'll be returning to Hampton Roads.
Let the bidding begin.
Exploring the 60s - Starting this month, there will be a new universe high on the dial for Cox Cable subscribers.
Remember when the 60s were a couch potato's desert? No longer. Peninsula independent WPEN, with reruns of ``M*A*S*H'' and ``Hill Street Blues,'' takes over Channel 62 starting this week. The Travel Channel (Channel 63) and Bravo (Channel 61) will be carried on the Cox system 24 hours a day from now on, and on Channel 65, the Home Shopping Network is back in business.
Also new, on Channel 64, is the Cable Health Club, which is produced in part by The Family Channel in Virginia Beach. A Cox spokesman said he expects WAVY to sign on Channel 66 with a local weather channel within the next 90 days.
And the Disney Channel moves from Channel 55 to 38.
You're not trading one ``Star Trek'' spinoff for another - As WGNT was joining the United Paramount Network last month and launching ``Star Trek: Voyager,'' the second ``Star Trek'' spinoff disappeared from Channel 27's schedule. Don't fret, Trekkies.
``Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' returns to WGNT Saturdays at 7 p.m. with repeat showings on Sundays at 4 p.m., just before Channel 27 gives you another look at ``Star Trek: Voyager,'' which premiered with huge ratings.
New episodes of ``Voyager'' run Mondays on WGNT at 8 p.m. I think it's the best ``Star Trek'' of the bunch. Don't you?
Life'' goes on - Bet you didn't see what could be the last episode of ABC's ``My So-Called Life'' after all. WVEC bumped the 19th episode from prime time for a local special, ``When the War Came to America,'' Thursday, then reeled it off starting at 1:51 a.m. Friday. ``Nightline'' ran long that night when coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial got out of hand.
I taped episode No. 19. If you want to see it, drop me a line (address below). I'll toss your name in a hat and pick a winner.
When WAVY dumped ``Thirty Years of National Geographic Specials'' last week in favor of prime-time college basketball, Channel 10 ran the show starting at 2:41 a.m. Thursday. NBC said the National Geographic show was its highest rated special in two years. Pity it played here only to insomniacs. MEMO: To write Larry Bonko about the last episode of ``This So-Called Life,''
send letters to The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, 150 W.
Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. by CNB