THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 15, 1997 TAG: 9701150050
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
LENGTH: 98 lines
LOCAL TV NEWS and views to ponder while you wait for Edina and Patsy to return in ``Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout'' Sunday night at 8 on Comedy Central:
Four more years - WTKR's Tom Terrific - picture-perfect news reader Tom Randles - will be co-anchoring the 6 and 11 p.m. broadcasts for at least four more years. PortFolio in its Jan. 7 edition broke the story about Randles re-signing with Channel 3 until 2001.
WTKR spokesman Jessica Rappaport confirmed that Randles has, indeed, put his name on a new four-year contract to share the anchor desk with LeAnne Rains. (They also do a 10 p.m. newscast on WGNT). She didn't disclose the terms of the deal, which is no surprise.
Did you really think WTKR would tell us what Randles is paid to sit and read? I'd be surprised if it's a penny under $100,000. I'm wondering. . . will this be the year Randles actually leaves the studio to cover a story?
There was a rumor circulating that WTKR was interested in signing Barbara Ciara if her talks with WVEC about a new contract fell through. It was just that - an unfounded rumor - said Rappaport.
Your humble columnist has learned from a highly placed source at WAVY that Ciara's agent did call Channel 10 to see if there was any interest in hiring Ciara. She worked there before joining WVEC.
After all of that, Ciara has re-signed with WVEC to continue co-anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast and, starting in February, will team with Mike Lewis to do the 10 p.m. ``Pilot 13 News'' on Local News on Cable. She'll also continue with ``This Week in Hampton Roads'' Fridays on WHRO.
With Cox Communications this year taking over the cable operations in Chesapeake, and on parts of the Peninsula, it means the LNC (a partnership of WVEC, Cox and The Virginian-Pilot) will be available to 338,000 subscribers plus thousands more when Cox later moves into Hampton.
Here's a heads-up for the LNC owners: WAVY, as part of its marketing agreement with WVBT, is planning to start a 10 p.m. local newscast on Channel 43 when it becomes a Fox affiliate in September 1998.
Better late than never - A dozen or so readers including Joyce Drew, a retired teacher who lives in Virginia Beach, called to say they were upset because WVEC isn't running ``Politically Incorrect,'' the almost-anything-goes talk show hosted by Bill Maher.
ABC plucked the show from Comedy Central to run at 12:05 a.m. after ``Nightline.'' Good news, Joyce.
Channel 13 is carrying ``Politically Incorrect'' at 1:35 or after repeats of ``Oprah'' and ``Inside Edition'' sign off. The station is bound by contract to run ``Oprah'' after ``Nightline,'' said WVEC general manager Rick Keilty.
That brings us to readers such as Mike Barnes of Suffolk, who says it's great to see Maher on WVEC, but the hour is too late. ``I'm very upset about where they've placed `Politically Incorrect,' '' said Barnes. Ever heard of a VCR, Mike?
Two other developments at WVEC:
The local version of ``Politically Incorrect'' - a Sunday morning roundtable (``On the Record'') hosted by Joel Rubin - has moved back to 11:30 a.m. after several recent time changes. It follows ``This Week.'' Rubin refers to his show as the bedouin of local TV.
Keilty also said his station is rallying 'round the Hampton Roads Rhinos by signing up for a corporate suite if and when an arena is built here for major-league hockey.
And one more note about Ciara: Forget all that WNIS talk-radio static about Ciara being demoted because she's off the 11 p.m. newscast. WVEC promoted her to managing editor of the LNC newscast with this statement: ``Barbara will have expanded responsibilities still under development with Channel 13 and LNC.''
They'll go boldly against Jay and Dave - Just in time for gatherings of ``Star Trek'' followers on Saturday at the Pavilion Towers near the Oceanfront, and in Hampton (at Newmarket Fair Mall), WTVZ has revived ``Star Trek: The Next Generation.'' It's back in re-runs weeknights at 11:30.
Other recent schedule changes at Channel 33: Re-runs of ``The Simpsons'' air weeknights at 5 and 6. ``Martin'' runs back-to-back from 7 to 8. ``Mad About You'' is on at 11.
If you haven't heard, ``Martin'' star Martin Lawrence has been sued for sexual harassment and battery by co-star Tisha Campbell. Shocking! A few months ago, Lawrence and his wife, local girl Patricia Southall Lawrence, split.
It's about time - After telling us all there is to tell about the Civil War, the West and baseball in recent years, Ken Burns of Public Broadcasting focuses on the Virginian who was a giant among men - Thomas Jefferson.
Burns' three-hour documentary about him (``Thomas Jefferson'') will air Feb. 18 and 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS. Said Burns, ``I've been waiting most of my professional life to do this film on Jefferson.'' Burns in the next three years will do other profiles of famous Americans.
Also from PBS and WHRO: With the Titanic exhibit in place at Nauticus, folks hereabouts may be interested in a ``Nova'' special scheduled for Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. ``Titanic's Lost Sister'' is about the sinking of the Britannic. The two were almost identical superliners.
Robert Ballard goes diving for the Britannic in the ``Nova'' special. It's believed a torpedo or mine sank the Britannic during World War I. MEMO: Phone me your questions or comments about local TV at 640-5555,
press 2486. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Comedy Central
``Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout'' airs Sunday night at 8 on
Comedy Central.