DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997              TAG: 9703270058

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Larry Bonko 

                                            LENGTH:  103 lines

THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER CHANNEL 3

LOCAL TV NEWS and views to consider while you wait for the ``Dukes of Hazzard'' reunion on CBS:

Musical chairs on the weather deck - It didn't take long for the WTKR brass to shake up the 6 p.m. newscast in the wake of the disastrous February sweeps in which Channel 3 finished 6 rating points behind leader WVEC.

Jeff Rucker on Monday will replace Greg Padgett as the rooftop weather reporter on the 6 and 11 p.m. news strips. He's been working weekends. That announcement by news director Barbara Hamm sent Padgett shopping for an alarm clock.

Starting Monday, he's the weather guy for ``NewsChannel 3 This Morning'' at 5:30 a.m. and ``NewsChannel 3 News at Noon.'' Pete Grigsby, who had been working the early shift, moves to WTKR's 5 p.m. newscast and will also do the weather for Channel 3's 10 p.m. newscast on WGNT.

Hamm said her ``Storm Team 3'' has openings for two additional weather reporters. WTKR announced a nationwide talent search. Maybe Andy Roberts can be talked out of retirement.

The dip in Channel 3's Nielsens tells me that since Duane Harding was cut loose 15 months ago, WTKR viewers haven't found a weather guy they can love. In this weather-sensitive market, popular forecasters like Harding, Jeff Lawson (WVEC) and Don Slater (WAVY) bring more eyeballs to the broadcasts than the news readers.

Hampton where? - We call ourselves ``Hampton Roads,'' but to TV network people, this is ``the Norfolk area.'' Sandra Pastoor, vice president for network distribution at United Paramount, acknowledged that fact recently when she visited UPN affiliate WGNT in Portsmouth.

UPN's 152 affiliates cover 93 percent of the TV households in the United States. To UPN, we're not Tidewater or Hampton Roads. We're Norfolk, TV market No. 40.

Pastoor said she expects UPN to add a fourth night of programming later this year - perhaps on Sunday. What about UPN's decision to move ``Star Trek: Voyager'' from Monday to Wednesday night? How is that working out?

Just fine, said Pastoor. Ratings are up about a million households.

The big UPN show in this market among young viewers is ``Moesha,'' airing Tuesday night at 8. Pastoor said to ignore talk of UPN and the Warner Brothers network merging. She believes it won't happen.

Weekend buzz - Arriving a week behind schedule, the weekend edition of ``Pilot 13 News'' on Local News on Cable signed on last Saturday with three features that leaped from the pages of The Virginian-Pilot: ``Sports Buzz'' and the culture team's ``Best Bets'' and ``The Arts'' with Teresa Annas. Bonita Billingsley is the weekend anchor.

Also on the weekend LNC: traffic reports, weather from meteorologist Evan Stewart and ``Sports Guys,'' which features Chick Riebel of The Pilot leading a round-table discussion of hot sports stuff. The pace of the half hour is brisk.

Early riser - Linda Vester, who moved up from researcher to anchoring ``NBC News at Sunrise'' in less than six years, will address a women's review luncheon sponsored by the Central Business District Association of Virginia Beach at noon April 4 at the Norfolk Airport Hilton.

Vester will need a strong introduction, because local NBC affiliate WAVY doesn't carry ``NBC News at Sunrise.'' Tickets cost $18.50. Call 490-7812.

Hollywood East - Our local TV superstar, Tim Reid, says he's lined up the first project for New Millennium Studios, which he and wife Daphne Maxwell Reid are building in Petersburg. Blair Underwood will star and direct a feature film, ``Mack With Cheese.'' It's a romantic comedy.

When Reid announced the New Millennium project, he said he wanted to come home to Virginia to make movies and TV shows.

``There's a need for a film studio in Virginia. With its varied climate, beautiful scenery and historic architecture, Virginia is considered an ideal location by filmmakers.''

For the record - The folks at the Christian Broadcasting Network objected to my calling ``The 700 Club'' homophobic in a recent column. Patty Silverman, the media relations manager, called to set me straight.

``The fact that we oppose homosexuality from a biblical standpoint does not make us homophobic,'' she said. ``We do not fear or have an aversion to homosexuals. We preach love for them, but not for their lifestyle. Based on our Christian beliefs, we will always speak out that homosexuality is a sin. And we will reach out with love and compassion to the homosexual.''

Silverman also addressed Ben Kinchlow's departure, saying: ``He announced that he was leaving to pursue his own ministry. He wants to involve himself in preaching and combating pornography in Third World countries.''

Silverman said it's possible that a replacement for former co-host Kinchlow will be hired.

Time flies when you're having fun - Come April 29, the Family Channel will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The Virginia Beach cable giant started with 20,000 subscribers. Today, the figure is 68 million.

You could say FAM is sky high about its 20th birthday. The Family Channel sent its blimp to the recent cable programmers convention in New Orleans.

Mail call - To Jennifer Mooney in Virginia Beach, L. Jennings in Norfolk and others who called my Infoline number (640-5555, press 2486) to ask about the future of the talky but classy drama ``Relativity,'' be advised that ABC will play off the three remaining new episodes starting Monday at 8 p.m. In May, ABC will decide whether ``Relativity'' will return next season.

Its chances are so-so. Same story with ``High Incident'' and ``Life's Work,'' which are two other ABC shows of interest to Infoline callers. And to Oscar Quintin in Virginia Beach, I say worry not about ``Murphy Brown,'' which has been absent from the CBS schedule of late.

Candice Bergen says she'll do another season. But hasn't this sitcom already been on too long? ILLUSTRATION: WTKR

JEFF RUCKER

Linda Vester will speak April 4. in Virginia Beach.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu