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Showing posts from January, 2010

COLTS INJURY REPORT

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We're nine days away from the Super Bowl, and the Colts have several players who are dealing with injuries.  Here's how the list stands right now: QUESTIONABLE Dwight Freeney (DE; ankle) Jerraud Powers (DB; foot) Donald Brown (RB; foot) Melvin Bullitt (DB; knee) PROBABLE Antoine Bethea (DB; back) Austin Collie (WR; foot) Jacob Tamme (TE; ankle) Hopefully everyone will be back at full strength in time for next Sunday's big game, but it should be noted that Freeney and Powers have missed all three of this week's practices.  Brown missed today's practice, and Bullitt, Bethea, Collie and Tamme were limited. Thanks to NEWS25 Sports Director Lance Wilkerson for the info!

Snowtastic! Who's calling for what?

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Here are the latest snowfall prognostications being given by our local TV meteorologists: FOX 7 Carmi 1.5", Evansville 2", Owensboro 3", Madisonville 4-5" 14NEWS North of and along the Ohio River 1-2" Madisonville and southern portions of the viewing area 3-5" NEWS25 Between I-64 and the Ohio River 2-4" Morganfield/Owensboro/Calhoun area 4-6" Madisonville/Greenville/Central City/Hartford/Beaver Dam area 6-8"

Ho-hum, la-dee-da ...

There's not much happening today.  Everyone must be waiting for the snow. Oh, I guess I could talk about the snow that's coming, but we'd all get tired of that pretty quickly, wouldn't we? I guess we'll use this as an open thread:  Is there anything YOU would like to talk about today?  Let's go!

Tonight's guests on "SOUND OFF"

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As I told you on Tuesday, WEVV-My44 is broadcasting a special call-in show starting at 6:00 tonight called "SOUND OFF," where fans can call in and talk about the Indianapolis Colts , who will face the New Orleans Saints next Sunday in Super Bowl XLIV . Tonight's special guests include John Clayton of ESPN and former Purdue standout and Houston Texans safety Bernard Pollard . For those of you who want to call in tonight, the toll-free number is 1-800-670-WEVV (9388).

Randall Parmley in Indy covering the Colts for NEWS25 Sports

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I got word this afternoon that NEWS25's Randall Parmley is in Indianapolis today, and he'll bring us a Super Bowl preview with the Colts on their home turf. His reports will air during the 6:00 and 10:00 newscasts tonight on NEWS25 (channel 25.1).

Will it never end?

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Oh boy, here it comes ... another "Bachelor" wedding! If you can sense a bit of sarcasm in that sentence, you're right on the money.  I've never liked ABC's "The Bachelor," and I've got a new reason to dislike it coming March 8.  That's the night when ABC will air "The Bachelor: Jason & Molly's Wedding," featuring Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney. You may recall that Mesnick jilted poor Molly only to return to her when things with his first choice -- Melissa Rycroft -- didn't work out.  And of course this all played out on national TV. ABC is hoping for ratings dynamite with this wedding, the kind it got when 17 million people with nothing else better to do tuned in for the wedding of Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter several years ago. We'll see on March 8, I guess.  It'll be broadcast on WEHT-NEWS25 (channel 25.1).

It's Over: ABC gives Ugly Betty the boot

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Thanks to NashDigie for the heads-up on this one! ABC has decided that "Ugly Betty's" time has run out.  The network announced earlier today that the show will be canceled at the end of the season, and that is currently scheduled for late April. "Betty" suffered early in the season from being placed in a timeslot in the "Valley of the Shadow of Death," an evening otherwise known to most Americans as Friday, and a midseason move to Wednesday night didn't help revive the show's poor ratings. To paraphrase Governor Ahnuld, "Hasta la vista, Betty."

Martha Stewart leaving My44 -- and broadcast TV in general

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Many of you may have heard this yesterday, so I apologize if that's the case. Martha Stewart , host of TV's "Martha Stewart Show," has decided to end her run on broadcast TV and take her show to cable's Hallmark Channel beginning in September. The move follows Oprah Winfrey's recent decision to end her own long-running daytime broadcast program next year. Stewart's program is seen locally on WEVV-My44 at 11:00 AM each weekday morning, so this means that the folks at 44 Main will have a programming hole to fill in fairly short order. All I ask is this:   PLEASE , folks, don't let it be this woman .  WARNING:   The image at the link may be offensive or disturbing.  Click at your own risk.

UPDATED: NEWS25 still having difficulties?

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UPDATE #2, 10:33 PM:  The 10:00 newscast looks fine.  Whatever problems existed earlier seem to have been resolved, at least at this point. UPDATE, 9:20 PM: The 9:00 PM newscast on RTV25 (channel 25.2) seems to be OK, but, then again, I didn't see any problems last night, either.  The problems seemed to be confined to NEWS25 (channel 25.1).  I'll let you know what I see at 10. I'm hearing tonight that NEWS25 had some continued audio-visual difficulties during their earlier newscasts this evening, but -- for obvious reasons, given the events of earlier today -- Ginger and I were resting this evening and did not watch any news, so I didn't see what happened. I will, however, watch the 9:00 and 10:00 newscasts and will be sure to let you know if there's anything out of the ordinary. As you may know, most -- if not all -- programming generated at the station level yesterday had a significant delay between the audio and the video.  Network programs weren'

BIG NEWS: WFIE and WEVV teaming up for Colts' Super Bowl Weekend

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As if there wasn't enough excitement to go around with the Indianapolis Colts going to the Super Bowl, there's even bigger news locally as two of our local stations are teaming up to bring viewers full TV coverage of the Colts.  In a joint press release today, the stations announced their plans to collaborate.  You can read it below: CBS 44 WEVV and 14WFIE are pooling resources and airtime to produce Colts-themed programming specials that will air on both stations during the upcoming Super Bowl weekend.  The 14NEWS special, “The Colts: March to Miami” will air Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:00pm on 14WFIE and will repeat at 8:00pm, Saturday, on 14Xtra . The WEVV special, “Colts: A Season of Success” will air Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7:00pm on WEVV and will repeat at 10:00am on Super Bowl Sunday prior to the start of network coverage of pre-game festivities.   WEVV General Manager Tim Black said, “CBS 44 has the Super Bowl, but we don’t have a satellite truck parked

The Non-Surgery

UPDATE, 1:55 PM:  Ginger and I are back home after her surgery was stopped.  Her oxygen level dropped below 90% before the actual procedure began, so they put a halt to everything and brought her out of the anesthesia. Many of you know that I'm not a big fan of OMHS, but this time the folks did a fine job.  Ginger will have to see a pulmonologist sometime in the next few days to see what happened, and once we know the answer to that, we can go from there.  Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers -- we certainly know they worked today! EARLIER:  I'm getting ready to head out the door to take Ginger to the hospital for her surgery, but I wanted to check in first to let you all know that there won't be any TV news posted today, for obvious reasons. I'll be sure to let you all know how things go with the operation, and once again, I'd like to thank all of you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.  We both appreciate it very much.

NEWS25 audio/video difficulties tonight

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UPDATE, 10:00 PM:  OK, so it's not fixed, after all.  Oddly, the 9:00 newscast on RTV25 was not out of sync, but the 10:00 is almost as off-kilter as the 6:00 was. As of 7:30 PM, it seems the audio/video synchronization problems that were plaguing NEWS25 are fixed.  There was a bit of a delay that I noticed during the 6:00 newscast, and then no audio at all for a brief while during "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" ... but now things seem to be back to normal. For reasons I'm not sure of, this is sometimes a problem for the station, as we saw during the early minutes of the high school football playoff games on RTV25 this past fall.  Hopefully they can get things fixed permanently -- soon.

Ready to SOUND OFF about your Colts? My44 is ready to listen on Thursday night!

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Thursday at 6:00pm, My44 (channel 44.2) will broadcast SOUND OFF , an hour-long sports call-in show featuring discussion and debate on the Colts ’ run to Super Bowl XLIV .  SOUND OFF will give a voice to the fans and allow them to ask questions of those who cover Indiana sports every day. My44 General Manager Tim Black says, “We are very excited to give Tri-Staters an exciting and entertaining place to debate the Colts as they head into Super Bowl XLIV.”   Viewers who wish to participate in SOUND OFF should call 1-800-670-WEVV during the show.   My44 is available over-the-air for free with an antenna on digital channel 44.2. Following is a complete list of area cable operators and channels for My44: Insight – 17 Wow! Cable – 103 (digital tier only) Time Warner – 305 (digital tier only) Avenue Broadband Vincennes – 132 (digital tier only) Thanks to WEVV-My44 for the information!

14 NEWS to cover the Colts' trip to Super Bowl XLIV

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I've gotten word this afternoon that 14 NEWS will be traveling to Miami to cover Super Bowl XLIV -- and our Indianapolis Colts -- beginning Monday, Feb. 1. The station will also air a live one-hour special on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 PM. I'll bring you more information as soon as I have it.

Fox 7 News to air stories from Haiti beginning tonight

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Fox 7 News reporter Jason Claspell returned from earthquake-stricken Haiti on Sunday, and beginning tonight at 9:00, the station will air stories that he filmed while in the devastated island nation. Claspell traveled with a mission team from Newburgh known as Bosko, and Fox 7 News Director Bob Walters tells me that the team delivered relief supplies last week for an orphanage that Bosko supports. The stories will air from tonight through Friday night.

Update on TBN

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Well, it looks like what Trip Ericson told us back in November is true.  W38BK , the Evansville translator of California-based Trinity Broadcasting Network , is off the air, probably for good.  What's interesting, though, is the reason, which I discovered in the station's official Notification of Suspension of Operations to the FCC, which was filed in early December: Licensee has temporarily shut down broadcast operation of W38BK, Evansville, Indiana, due to a reduction in local support which we believe is associated with the national transition from analog to digital broadcasting.  The station anticipates completion of a market analysis to determine the viability and level of local support or the alternative possibility of a sale of the station.  In the interim we respectfully request special temporary authority, nunc pro tunc, to remain dark. So there you go.  Based on that, I think it's done for.  With so few people in the market still relying solely on antennas for r

R.I.P.: Pernell Roberts, "Bonanza" and "Trapper John, M.D." star, dead at 81

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The last of the original Cartwrights is gone. Pernell Roberts , who portrayed Adam Cartwright on NBC's "Bonanza" from 1959 to 1965, died  of cancer Sunday at his home in Malibu, California. Roberts was 81. Roberts left "Bonanza" in 1965 due to creative differences and a desire to return to "legitimate theater," but he didn't leave his TV acting career behind.  Indeed, he continued to guest star in a number of series in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Finally, in 1979, he garnered the role that many of us of a certain age best remember:  As Dr. "Trapper" John McIntyre in CBS' "Trapper John, M.D.," Roberts was, for me personally, one of my earliest exposures to doctors on television.  Indeed, this role would eventually lead him to make commercials for Ecotrin, a brand of pain reliever. His final television performance came in 2001, when he guest-starred on an episode of CBS' "Diagnosis Murder.&quo

R.I.P.: James Mitchell, best known as Palmer Cortlandt, dies at 89

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James Mitchell , who portrayed businessman Palmer Cortlandt on ABC's "All My Children" for over 30 years, died Friday. He was 89. Mitchell died from complications resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, according to news reports. His career, which spanned seven decades, began in the world of dance, and he was known as a suave and debonair performer who, in the role which earned him his greatest notoriety, brought class and grace to a character who wasn't intended to be classy or graceful. Mitchell left AMC in 2008 because of declining health, but he was retained on contract until September 2009.  His final appearance as Palmer Cortlandt aired earlier this month.

Gray Television rolling out local HD

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While I no longer cover the Bowling Green TV market, I saw a n interesting piece this afternoon that caught my eye, and thought I would share it. TVNewsCheck reports that Gray Television , which owns WBKO-13 , the ABC/Fox/CW affiliate in the Corvette City, has entered into a "long-term partnership" with Ross Video, which will allow the company to roll out locally-produced high-definition programming -- think news in HD -- in the near future. HD has been rolled out at the company's stations in Omaha, Neb., Tallahassee, Fla. and Rockford, Ill., and will soon be installed at WNDU in South Bend, Ind. and KOLO in Reno, Nev. The company owns 36 TV stations in 30 markets.  There's no word yet on when it'll hit Bowling Green, but since they've already gotten three stations done and two more are coming on soon, I would expect it won't be too terribly long before it trickles down. The question I have is this:  Will HD news happen in Bowling Green before i

In brief: Walters to host "This Week" next week

As ABC plays musical chairs with the host seat on "This Week," I learned today that the next person to host will be none other than Barbara Walters .  She'll handle the job next Sunday morning. Terry Moran , co-anchor of "Nightline," anchored yesterday's show. The network is still shopping for a permanent replacement for George Stephanopoulos , who recently moved to "Good Morning America."

On a FG in OT, the Saints will meet the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV

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It took overtime and a textbook right-down-the-middle FG kick to make it happen, but the New Orleans Saints punched their ticket to Miami -- and their first-ever Super Bowl -- tonight, defeating the Minnesota Vikings by the score of 31-28. The Saints will, of course, face the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in two weeks.  GO COLTS!!!

The Shootout in New Orleans

Not much to say about this one except that I can only wonder what might have been without Brett Farve Fahrve Favre's egregiously large number of interceptions.  We're heading into OT; the Saints and Vikes are tied at 28.

HOW SWEET IT IS!!!

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After falling behind in the second quarter, the Colts came out big in the third and put the Jets away 30-17 to earn a trip to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on Feb. 7. Now we await the winner of the NFC championship game (coming up at 5:40 PM CT on WTVW-Fox 7) between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints .

Jets up 17-13 at the half

Well, it's been a much tighter game than I figured on so far, and the Jets have managed to put up a 17-13 lead over the Colts. You can definitely tell that the Jets want this win, but don't expect Indianapolis to just lie down and take it. Let's get on with the game!

Predictions

I'm going to keep this simple.  There are two football games today, and if you don't know who's playing, obviously this post won't interest you. But at the end of the day, we will know who will play for all the marbles in Miami. My predictions: GAME #1:  AFC CHAMPIONSHIP, JETS at COLTS -- CBS (WEVV-CBS44, channel 44.1), 2:00 PM Central The New York Jets may be hungry for a Super Bowl, but the road to Miami goes through Indianapolis this year, and you can be sure that the Colts remember the sting of the Dec. 27 loss to those very same Jets.  That won't happen again today, and I believe you can bank on that.  You can also bank on an absolutely electric atmosphere inside Lucas Oil Stadium.  Winner:  INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. GAME #2:  NFC CHAMPIONSHIP, VIKINGS at SAINTS -- Fox (WTVW-Fox 7, channel 7.1), 5:40 PM Central Down in New Orleans , the Superdome is playing host to the NFC title game between the Saints and the Minnesota Vikings .  I don't like Brett Fa

First-ever televised "State of the Judiciary" address to air on WNIN Monday evening

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WNIN is doing something new on Monday evening.  Indiana's Chief Justice, Randall Shepard (an Evansville native), delivered the "State of the Judiciary" address to a joint session of the Indiana General Assembly on Wednesday, and the address will be televised for the first time at 6:00 PM Monday evening. Follow the jump for the official press release from WNIN.

Don't forget the ball game!

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I want to remind everyone to tune in tonight for the Washington/Princeton boys' basketball game.  Lance Wilkerson and Randall Parmley will bring you all the action as the game is broadcast live on RTV25 (channel 25.2).  It all starts at 7:00 PM Central time. If you can't get RTV25, you'll be able to watch online at news25.us.

AROUND THE COUNTRY ... in brief ...

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Just a few brief notes today: Lowe leaving "Brothers and Sisters" ...  Rob Lowe is exiting the Sunday night series (which airs locally on ABC affiliate WEHT-NEWS25, channel 25.1), after four seasons, but no date has been set for his departure. Fox seen courting O'Brien, says 60-70% of affiliates could pick up new show ... As tonight marks Conan O'Brien's last appearance on NBC (14WFIE, channel 14.1), it's looking more and more likely that Fox is going to make a play for him.  There are a good many unknowns for Fox to deal with, such as how many stations would be on board (locally that would be WTVW-Fox 7, channel 7.1), and O'Brien does not come cheaply, as evidenced by the $33 million it's costing the Peacock network to get him to walk away quietly. As Leno heads back to "Tonight," he might make a side trip to visit "Oprah" ... As Jay Leno finds himself yet again in the driver's seat at NBC's "Tonight Show,"

A few brief notes ...

Just a few quickies this afternoon: I've got the link for the live stream of Friday night's Washington/Princeton basketball game which will be aired live on RTV25 (channel 25.2).  Here it is: http://www.news25.us/global/Story.asp?s=11840655 President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address next Wednesday evening.  I'm not sure on the time yet, but the date has been firmed up. Meanwhile, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will deliver his State of the State address tonight , and it will be broadcast live on 14Xtra (channel 14.2).  You can also catch it online at 14WFIE.com . That's it for today.  Thanks to everyone for your kind words and prayers for my wife.  We greatly appreciate them.

Taking some time off ... again

As much as I hate to do this, I need to take a few days off again. First of all, my wife, Ginger, is having surgery this week, and I want to ensure that I have time to devote to her both prior to and following the operation.  I also request your prayers that her recovery is quick and pain free. Second, some other pressing issues have arisen that will require my time and attention to deal with, and I need time to deal with them appropriately. If you do have a news tip to pass along, please feel free to do so, but please be aware that I may not be able to respond or post anything immediately. Thanks -- as always -- for your patience and understanding.

Conan leaving with a pretty sizable settlement; staff might get golden parachutes as well

As of late yesterday, NBC and representatives of Conan O'Brien were hard at work hammering out a severance package that may be worth as much as $40 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Certain members of O'Brien's staff may also get compensation, but THR seems to think that will come out of O'Brien's total.  We'll have to wait and see. More to come ...

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE SET ... Who will be in Super Bowl 44? We'll know next Sunday!

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THE JETS ARE COMING ... After defeating Chargers, Jets to face Colts next Sunday

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There's much you can say for this one, but in my own opinion, the Chargers really blew it late in the game, as the Jets got a lead going and never looked back.  And, with a late fourth-down conversion, the Jets held that lead, going to their first AFC championship game since 1998. And the Jets will face off against the Colts, whose perfect season the Jets ended just a few weeks ago.  I certainly hope the end result is different than that game!

Cowboys go down in flames; Vikes will face Saints for NFC championship

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Some folks may have thought Minnesota ran up the score on Dallas toward the end of this game, but as Jimmy Johnson  -- who just happens to be an ex-Cowboys coach -- said on Fox, "If you don't want your butt kicked, you play better." We certainly know beyond the shadow of a doubt who played better today.  It certainly wasn't anyone with a mailing address in Texas. Now we await the Jets/Chargers game!

COLTS WIN! Costly mistakes end season for Ravens

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OK, so maybe resting was a good idea, after all. The Colts topped the Ravens by the score you see above, and they'll move on to face the winner of tomorrow's Jets/Chargers game, and it's hard telling what the outcome of that one will be. The Ravens just couldn't get it together tonight, with a multitude of dropped passes, interceptions and just plain old mistakes.  Indeed, the boys from Baltimore were unable to even find the end zone again after scoring a field goal early in the game. The Colts, for their part, did an excellent job, with solid performances on both sides of the ball -- it was pretty clear that they used the time off to get their stuff together, and it paid off handsomely. We'll just have to see if they can repeat the performance next week.

Saints send the Cardinals packin'

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GET READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

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Today's the day!  Are you ready to watch the divisional games?  Well, ready or not, here they come: The Arizona Cardinals swoop into New Orleans to take on the Saints .  The game starts at 3:30 on WTVW-Fox 7 (channel 7.1). The Baltimore Ravens flap their way into Lucas Oil Stadium, where they'll face off against the Indianapolis Colts at 7:15 tonight on WEVV-CBS44 (channel 44.1). And don't forget that Chris Goodman will host "Colts, A Season to Remember" at 6:00 on WEVV.  It'll be great to see Chris back on the air again here in the Tri-State, and especially so since he's covering the Colts!

NBC to pay O'Brien $30 mil to leave

I've heard and seen just about all of this mess that I can tolerate for one lifetime, so after I tell you that NBC has apparently agreed to pay Conan O'Brien $30 million to buy out his contract , I'm done with it.  I'm going to say no more on the subject.

NEWS25's Courtney Fischer heading to Haiti

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I got word this afternoon that NEWS25 will send reporter Courtney Fischer to the Haiti earthquake zone next Wednesday, Jan. 20.  She will travel with members of Evansville church The Cathedral , who are preparing to assess the damage to the orphanage that the church sponsors. Fischer is expected to report live next week in the station's newscasts via broadband connection, which is one of the very few ways that reports are able to be sent from the devastated area. According to the church's website , the orphanage itself is still standing, but the church there was badly damaged.  All of the children at the orphanage are reported to be OK, which is certainly good news.

Coroner: Lewis' death due to natural causes; USI setting up fund for his son

Some notes to update you on things: Earlier today, the Daviess County Coroner, Bob Howe, said that preliminary autopsy results reveal that USI basketball player Jeron Lewis may have died from a heart condition. The University of Southern Indiana and Old National Bank are setting up a fund for Lewis' infant son. The massive outpouring of love and support has been very moving.  Kentucky Wesleyan fans have been mobilizing and will wear red during KWC's game tomorrow.   In addition, a Facebook page in memory of Lewis has already well over 3,700 members. For more on Jeron Lewis and what the community is doing to remember him, tune into tonight's newscasts on all three stations.

A little humor for you

Since I think a good many of us could use something to lighten our day a bit, I found this and thought I'd share.  It turns out that things are so bad at NBC, even the peacock is sick! NOTE:  This video is a modified version of the actual "NBC Living Color" tag that was shown at the beginning of NBC color programs beginning in 1962.  The folks at "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" got hold of it in 1968 and created the video you just watched.  

WNIN preparing to air three new local-interest programs

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WNIN is readying three new programs of local interest that will premiere in February, showcasing Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens, old-time shoot-em-ups and the fabulous Frog Follies.  Each new program looks to be very interesting, so read on for full details after the jump!

UPDATED: Jeron Lewis, player on USI men's basketball team, dies after collapsing during game against KWC in Owensboro

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UPDATE #4, 11:10 AM FRIDAY:  NEWS25 will also carry the USI press conference live at 2:00 PM on news25.us. UPDATE #3, 11:03 AM FRIDAY:  The press conference will air live on WFIE channel 14.1, not 14Xtra as I reported earlier.  The Courier & Press reports that tomorrow's games, which have been postponed, will be rescheduled at a later date. UPDATE #2, 10:10 AM FRIDAY:  14WFIE reports that USI will hold a press conference at 2:00 PM this afternoon, and that Saturday's men's and women's basketball games have been postponed.  WFIE will carry the presser live on 14WFIE.com and 14Xtra (channel 14.2) . UPDATE #1, 12:28 AM FRIDAY:  Here is an official statement from the University of Southern Indiana: University of Southern Indiana senior center Jeron Lewis (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) died Thursday evening (January 14) at Owensboro Medical Health System after suffering an injury in the basketball game at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Lewis fell hard to the floor with jus

NEWS25 Sports to broadcast Washington/Princeton boys' basketball game on RTV25 next Friday night

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It looks like those of you who wanted to see more live, local sports have finally gotten your wish. I got word this afternoon that NEWS25 Sports will begin broadcasting high school basketball games next Friday night, Jan. 22, on RTV25 (channel 25.2).  The broadcast will begin at 7:00 PM. Lance Wilkerson , the station's sports director, tells me that they will air the Big 8 Conference matchup between 3A powerhouses Washington and Princeton .  Washington's Hatchets are currently undefeated at 10-0 and the Princeton Tigers, 7-5 this season, won the state title last year with an undefeated 29-0 season. In other words, it should be a great game to watch! The telecast will feature Wilkerson doing the play-by-play announcing and Randall Parmley doing the color commentary, and the pair will do an extended post-game show as well. NEWS25 is the only local station that currently broadcasts local high school sports, having begun this past fall with the IHSAA football playoff

TMZ says Leno gets the full "Tonight" hour; NBC sets 9:00 PM schedule

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TMZ is reporting this afternoon that Jay Leno has inked a new deal with NBC that will give him back "The Tonight Show" lock, stock and barrel.  Since People earlier reported that Conan O'Brien is leaving effective next Friday, it would seem that things are shaking out -- not exactly the way it would seem that most folks would prefer, but if these reports are accurate, then at least some finality is being reached. And as Leno vacates the 9:00 PM hour, NBC has released the new slate of shows that will air in that time period Monday through Friday: MONDAY:  "Law & Order" returns March 1 with a new two-hour episode (8-10PM), then goes to its usual one-hour program on March 8. TUESDAY:  "Parenthood" premieres March 2. WEDNESDAY:  "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" returns with new episodes March 2, with encores preceding from 8-9PM. THURSDAY:  "The Marriage Ref" (produced by Jerry Seinfeld) premieres March 4; sn

THE LATEST: Who's doing what?

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You know, this thing is getting out of hand. I can't keep track of the rumors and "news" without a scorecard.  Conan's leaving, Leno's leaving ... which is it, folks? People magazine reports that Conan's last show will be next Friday night, Jan. 22.  The New York Post says Leno is so mad about the manner in which Conan's being treated that he's heading for the door as well. So, what's real?  What's fantasy? About the only real truth in all of this is that NBC's screwed things up, big time. I'll keep ya posted.

Televangelist Robertson says Haiti earthquake was the result of "pact with the devil" ... WHY is this guy still on TV?

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I really, really, REALLY do not like Pat Robertson. The televangelist and former Presidential candidate said yesterday on "The 700 Club" that the devastating earthquake which struck Haiti is the result of a "pact" with Satan that slaves on the island made during a voodoo ritual in 1791: I'm just going to give you a taste of it here, because it's really more than I can wrap my mind around at this point, just because it's so stupid: "Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it ... They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal." Let that sink in for a moment. You know, Robertson's probably done a lot of good for a lot of people over the years, but he also has a propensity for sayin

IN THIS WEEK'S COLUMN: Yanking of Leno makes NBC affiliates happy

In this week's Courier & Press column, I discuss the ouster of Jay Leno from his 9:00 PM show, and also the new Sezmi service which will make its way across the country later this year.  And finally, new Nielsen numbers reveal only 9% of Tri-Staters depend on antennas alone for their TV reception. Read it all by clicking here.

Special Colts program to air prior to Saturday night's game on WEVV-CBS44

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WEVV-CBS44 is planning to broadcast a special program at 6:00 Saturday evening, which will take a look back at the Indianapolis Colts ' solid 14-2 season before Saturday night's game.  The game airs (also on CBS44) at 7:15 PM. Here's the official release from the station: CBS44 will air “Colts, A Season to Remember”.  Saturday at 6:00pm preceding the CBS NFL coverage of the Indianapolis/Baltimore divisional playoff game.  The program is presented by Expressway Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Evansville, and will air in high definition. “Colts, A Season to Remember,” hosted by local sports personality Chris Goodman, will look back at the Colts many successes throughout the 2009 season.  The show will also feature exclusive interviews and insights from the players, as they head into an exciting run through the playoffs.

AROUND THE COUNTRY ... in brief ...

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Out of respect for the possibility that hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives in yesterday's Haitian earthquake, I am going to make this my only post today.  I would ask that each of you consider giving whatever you can toward the relief effort, and if you are unable to do that, I'd ask that you simply pray . "IDOL" PREMIERE WINS BIG ... Last night's premiere of "American Idol" helped Fox win the night, ratings-wise; it scored an 11.7 rating among viewers ages 18-49, even with last season.  The last two season premieres saw ratings drop, so this is good news.  But does anyone besides me think the big ratings had at least a little to do with Simon Cowell's announcement that this go-around would be his last?  [Media Life] ABC ORDERS MATTHEW PERRY PILOT ... ABC seems to be trying the "Friends" thing, sort of.  Courteney Cox has "Cougar Town," and now the network has ordered a pilot starring Cox's ex-TV-h

Louisville-area readers: WAVE news director leaving Mar. 5

I've heard through the grapevine this evening that Louisville's NBC affiliate, WAVE , is losing its news director, Lee Eldridge .  Here's what the station released: Lee Eldridge is leaving WAVE 3 (his choice) to pursue some personal business opportunities.  His last day will be March 5th. Eldridge, a native of the Louisville area, has been ND at WAVE for about three years.   You may recall that WAVE is now the employer of former NEWS25 anchor/reporter Jon Chrisos and producer Ryan Nash .  Owned by Raycom Media, WAVE is a sister station to our NBC station, WFIE.

Conan won't host "Tonight" at 11:05 PM

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Well, as the saying goes, "the plot thickens ..." Conan O'Brien released a statement today that, according to The New York Times , says he's not willing to move "The Tonight Show" back to 11:05 PM (12:05 AM ET) just to accommodate Jay Leno. So ... now what??? I've made no secret that I've never been terribly fond of Conan, but I do respect him.  He's only had seven months to make "Tonight" work, and now they're pulling the rug from under him.  It ain't right, but it sure does fit with NBC's modus operandi of late. What do I mean? The NBC brass pulled all of their 9:00 dramas -- which were at least moderately successful -- and  moved the ones they kept to earlier time slots, just to give Jay Leno a new home, which he promptly wrecked, taking the late news ratings of damn near every NBC affiliate with him. Failing there, now they decide to ship Jay back from whence he came -- 10:35 PM -- and expect everyone el

Bleccch ...

It's another slow day here at JDTVB HQ, but I'm not all that upset about it. I woke up this morning feeling positively rotten, so if you have a news tip, let me know, but don't expect much else this afternoon.  I'm going to take it easy today.

WEVV-My44 to air SEC basketball doubleheader on Saturday

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It's nice to see other stations step up to the plate when sporting (and other) events of local interest get bumped elsewhere.  WEVV-My44 is doing so this coming weekend with the SEC basketball games on Saturday. Here's the official press release from the station: Due to a scheduling conflict with the NFL Divisional Playoff line-up on WTVW FOX 7, My44 will present an SEC college basketball doubleheader, live, on Saturday, January 16 th . 12:30pm – Ole Miss vs. Tennessee 3:00pm – Kentucky vs. Auburn Some area cable operators have agreed to move My44 from the digital-only tier to a channel location that will allow ALL subscribers to see the games.  Time Warner Cable in Owensboro will air the games on channel 8.  WOW! in Evansville will carry the games on channel 7. Following is a complete list of area cable operators and channels for My44: Time Warner Owensboro – 8 and 305* Time Warner Newburgh – 305* Insight – Channel 17 Wow! Cable – Channel 7 and 103* Avenue Br

AROUND THE COUNTRY ... What a day!

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While there isn't much going on locally in TV today, there sure is a lot to tell you on the national scene: NFL PLAYOFF GAMES LEAD TO SPECTACULAR RATINGS:   Fox pulled in a massive 21.8 rating and 36 share during last night's high-scoring NFL playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers , which was the highest-scoring such game in league history.  If you missed it, Arizona won, 51-45.  For its part, CBS drew a 19.4 rating and 38 share for the Baltimore Ravens' lashing of the New England Patriots yesterday afternoon. [Associated Press via LanceWilkerson.com] COWELL SAYS GOODBYE TO IDOL, BUT HE'S STAYING FOR THIS SEASON:  Simon Cowell, the man everyone loves to hate, says this is going to be his last season as a judge on Fox's "American Idol."  Could the bloom finally be off the rose? [AP via TVNewsCheck] PALIN JOINS FOX NEWS:   In a move that should come as a surprise to no one, ex-Republican VP nominee and ex-Alaska governo

Not much going on today

I apologize for the lateness of getting going today, but I'm putting the finishing touches on my column, and there's not much else going on. I'll give you some updates shortly.

We're getting closer to the Super Bowl ...

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CARDINALS DEFENSE WINS IN OT

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The Arizona Cardinals finally held off the Green Bay Packers to punch their ticket to New Orleans, where they will face off against the Saints next Saturday at 3:30.  The game will be aired on WTVW-Fox 7 . In the other game next weekend, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings at noon on Sunday.  That game will also be aired on Fox 7.