XU Game No Super Bowl

Not everyone watched the Xavier-West Virginia NCAA tournament game last night. The CBS telecast on Channel 12 was Cincinnati’s top TV attraction Thursday night -- but it was no Super Bowl in terms of TV ratings.

Xavier's thrilling overtime victory over Bob Huggins' West Virginia Mountaineers drew 32 percent of local TV households, according to overnight Nielsen Media Research meters.

The game's 19.3 rating (174,529 TV homes) on Channel 12 equaled the combined 8-9 p.m. audience for programming on Channels 5, 9, 19, 48, 64 and the CinCW. By the end of the game at 9:45, the audience had built to a 29 rating (262,247 homes).

But the game average of 19.3 was less than half of the viewership here for Super Bowl XLII (42.9 rating, or 387,944 homes) on Feb. 3, when the New York Giants upset the undefeated New England Patriots.

If you're curious: "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader" was second (6.1) at 8 p.m., followed by "Deal or No Deal" (5.2). At 9-10 p.m., "The Apprentice" was second (8.7), followed by "Don't Forget The Lyrics" (6.2) and "Lost" (4.8).

Does that surprise you to see "Lost" fourth last night?

Former Cincinnati DJ Wally Phillips Dies

Wally Phillips, the popular Chicago radio personality who got his start in Cincinnati, has died in Naples, Fla. He was 82.

Born in Portsmouth in 1925, Phillips moved with his family to Cincinnati at age 6, when his father died. He dropped out of high school here to enter the Army Air Forces for World War II, the Chicago Tribune said.

After the war, he worked for a DJ in Grand Rapids, Mich., for about a year before coming home to work for old WCPO-AM (1230) and WLW-AM (700). He went to Chicago’s WGN in 1956, where he was the No. 1 morning personality for 18 years (1968-86). He retired from WGN in 1998 after 42 years.

Phillips also did a WLWT-TV show with announcer Bob Bell and producer-director Don Sandburg. All three went together to WGN, where Bell became "Bozo the Clown" on WGN-TV, Myers says.

"He came to WLW radio after a stint at WCPO radio, probably in 1953," recalls Bill Myers, a former WLW-AM/WLWT-TV employee. "He did an evening disk jockey program. One of his calling cards was to have the engineer insert recorded one-liners during Phillips' chatter. Then he'd make some appropriate rejoinder. I.e., "When did he change his name to James Drake?" "There are no strings attached to this, and there never have been." "Didn't you know he was big bootlegger?" "You figure out a way; you know all the angles." These things were all individual cuts on a 16" transcription - disks that the engineers would make by taking a sentence here and there from the station's daily soap operas, which still were plentiful at the time. It was hilarious.

"On at least one occasion, Richard King (WLW afternoon DJ) worked out something with Phillips (then on WGN) wherein the two of them chatted - their programs were on the air at the same time. It was a classic half hour between two of radio’s sharpest wits. Wish I knew if there was a recording.

"Once in a while, there were atmospheric conditions which caused the WLW helicopter's communications frequency to "skip" into Chicago - and vice versa. Thus, Wally Phillips' traffic 'copter reporter, Sgt. Baldy, could be heard here. So the producers had to be careful to coordinate between Baldy and WLW's Lt. Art Mehring when it was time for their respective traffic reports. So King decided it would be fun to have the two 'copter guys heard on both stations at once. So Mehring was giving Ft. Washington Way and I-75 info, and Baldy was giving Eisenhower and Edens Expressway info. More hilarity!!!"

Former WSAI-AM newsman Joe Gillespie, now at a Lexington station, reminds me that Wally Phillips called WCPO-TV in 1980 and spoke to gunman James Hoskins, who had taken nine employees hostage. Here’s his email:

"Thanks for the piece and link to Wally Phillips. I learned about Wally first hand, programming against him in Chicago. Didn't hear the magic until the day the guy took the hostages at WCPO. Wally called the gunman and talked to him, urged him not hurt anyone and offered to fly to Cincinnati to talk with him in person.

Most major broadcasting companies, including mine (then Group W), had very specific rules about calling into a hostage situation, it was against the rules, but the way Wally did it, he managed to pull it off. After the conversation ended and after the situation ended Wally's newsman said "You know, if you'd only had a little more time, I think maybe...", Wally answered "You know, people helping people, that's what we're all about." It doesn't read well, but when I heard it I understood why he owned the mornings in Chicago."

Here is the Chicago Tribune story, which has a great story about Phillips Cincinnati native Doris Day:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-wally-phillips-dead-webmar28,0,4894919.story

So Long, Sasha

Reporter Sasha Rionda is leaving WKRC-TV on Friday, the third Channel 12 on-air person to depart in two weeks.

Rionda, 30, whose Spanish-language "Nuestro Rincon" weekend morning newscasts were canceled a year ago, is heading to Atlanta. The Mexico City native came to Channel 12 four years ago for "Nuestro Rincon," the city's first and only Spanish-language newscast.

"My husband and I are moving back to my second hometown of Atlanta, closer to our families," she says. And to be closer to CNN Espanol, where she has hosted "Detalles con Sasha," the network's monthly prime-time program about architecture, design, fashion and lifestyle trends.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/rionda.sasha.html

While at Channel 12, she also has commuted to Atlanta monthly to tape movie features for Cinecanal, the Latin American movie channel.

http://www.cinecanal.com/zoom/site/biografia/biografia.html

Rionda moves from Mexico to Atlanta with her parents in 1997, after she finished high school. She married John Scott Randall of North Carolina two years ago.

Last week, Channel 12's Steve Hortsmeyer and reporter Richard Jordan resigned. Horstmeyer leaves Monday to become chief meteorologist at WXIX-TV (Channel 19). He'll start on the Fox 19 10 p.m. news on August 7. Jordan, who speaks English and Spanish, will report for the Fox affiliate in Miami-Fort Lauderdale. He grew up in Miami, Fla.

So what's going on at Channel 12? Why three resignations days after Newport Television acquired Channel 12 and the other Clear Channel TV stations? Or is this just a coincidence?

"Yes, it's a coincidence that they’re leaving at roughly the same time," says Elbert Tucker, news director.

Will all three be replaced?

"The first step for us will be to look at options when our new general manager arrives," Tucker says. New GM Les Vann arrives Monday, April 7.

The Uncle Al Election

Could this be a first? An "Uncle Al Show" mention in the New York Times?

New York Times columnist Gail Collins today compares the Democratic presidential race to watching the "Uncle Al Show" while growing up in Cincinnati.

Put your toys away -- and don't delay -- then click on this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/opinion/27collins.html?th&emc=th

My Few Minutes With George Clooney In Maysville

OK, first of all, you can see why I'm a writer and not a photographer. But I thought you'd like to see my view from the red carpet of George Clooney's "Leatherheads" premeire Monday night in Maysville... while you read my account of the evening.



The FAQ when I returned from Maysville was: What's George Clooney like? And here's what I tell people: He's as nice as you'd want him to be. A total class act.

In my 20+ years on the TV beat, I've been to Hollywood red carpet events. In LA, when the stars walk down the red carpet, they wave to the crowds and talk to the press -- then hurry inside the door. In Maysville, Clooney and co-star Renee Zellweger arrived at 10 till 7 p.m. -- 70 minutes early -- and spent at least a half hour greeting the fans. They signed autographs, posed for pictures, and talked to folks up and down the temporary police barricade.



They don't do that in Hollywood. The stars really pleased the crowd, as you can see from my lame photos (we were up against the storefronts, across the red carpet from the barricades. Wish I had a better flash. Oh well...)

After George and Renee had gone the entire length of the crowd barricade, they retraced their steps and started down the red carpet to chat with the media. Clooney and Zellweger -- plus Gov. Steve Beshear, Mayor David Cartmell and George's dad Nick -- stopped and talked with each media outlet. Universal Pictures representatives had promised George would chat for a minute or two with each media outlet, since there was no press conference in Maysville. (George and Renee are doing press conferences in their other stops this week in Duluth (home of the "Leatherheads" fictional Duluth Bulldogs football team), and Salisbury, NC, and Greenville, SC, where they shot the film a year ago.)



George fulfilled his obligation with grace and humor in Maysville with the regional media, and representatives for People and Variety magazines, "Extra," "Inside Edition" and "Entertainment Tonight."

When he saw me, George greeted me like an old friend. I've known him since 1985 -- but hadn't spoken to him in eight years, and hadn't seen him since his aunt Rosemary's funeral in 2002 in Maysville. My first big story as the Enquirer TV writer in 1985 was about George as a regular on "Facts of Life." Every trip to LA I'd look him up, and he'd tell me about his latest regular role on a TV series -- "Roseanne," "Baby Talk," "Bodies of Evidence," "Sunset Beat," "Sisters." I remember talking on the phone with him in April of 1994, and he was telling me that his latest project was "the best thing I've ever done." He had turned down a starring role in a detective drama for a role in an ensemble drama called "ER." And he was right.



As he started to talk to me, the crowd shouted "George!" repeatedly. He turned to the crowd and told them, "Not right now, or John Kiesewetter will get mad at me!" That was pretty cool. Then I had my 3-4 minutes with him.

--About coming back to Maysville: He had always wanted to do a premiere in Maysville, where his father and aunts Rosemary and Betty were born. His aunts started their singing careers here, and his father started in radio. Rosemary premiered her "The Stars Are Singing" in Maysville in 1953. "There is sort of a full circle feeling because Rosemary was here years ago."

--Why now: "I've always wanted to do this. You have to find the proper film to do his, that feels like the right vibe to come back here. We couldn't bring 'Syriana' here. Since it ("Leatherheads") is a movie where they go on whistlestop tours all the time, it seemed like the perfect place to come." (The 1920s pro teams traveled by train to Akron, Ashland, Ironton, Dayton, Cincinnati and other towns with teams.)

--I knew he dreamed of playing football for mighty Moeller HS, which won five state championships in six years (1975-77, 1979-80). He wanted to attend Moeller after finishing at St. Susanna School in Mason. But the family moved to Augusta, KY, when he was in seventh grade. "I got traded to Augusta," he joked. "Gerry Faust was the Moeller coach, and he had great football teams. I would never made that cut."



--On playing football at age 45, with guys half his age, for the movie: "I got beat up.... I got smacked around. It hurt."

After I asked my questions, he had some for me: "How have you been? How's work? Is the paper doing alright? They're not bailing out too, are they?" (His father wrote for the Cincinnati Post, which ceased publication Dec. 31.) I assured him the Enquirer was doing very well these days. We shook hands and he said, "It's good to see you," and moved down the line to speak to Lexington and Louisville papers.

Like I said: He's as nice as you'd want him to be. A total class act. Hasn't forgotten his roots, or the people he's met along the way. Right before the "ER" premiere, George told me that had been able to work steady in LA because "I never got famous from working." His theory was that if you became famous for a role, you get pigeonholed and can't get other parts. He told me: "I managed not to get famous. And you can always work if you're not famous. The minute you're a hit, you're done -- unless you're a big hit. So I attribute it (constant work) to luck. Or shows getting canceled."




Well, he hit it big with "ER." He's world famous. Yet he hasn't ignored the small-town values from his childhood. He's giving back on a big scale for Darfur, and on a small scale to his family's hometown in Maysville. He made it sound in Maysville Monday that helping other people is no big deal:

"People grow up with parents and family who all did that. I'm not in any way unusual, from many of my friends and family in this area that do the exact same thing. I just happen to be a little bit more famous. There isn't much difference."

What more can I say? George Clooney is as nice as you'd want him to be.

Channel 12's NCAA Lineup

Here's the WKRC-TV (Channel 12) lineup for the NCAA Sweet 16 Thursday and Friday:
Thursday
7 p.m.: Pregame show.
7:10 p.m.: Xavier-West Virginia
9:57 p.m. (approximate): Louisville-Tennessee.
Channel 12 will have "constant" coverage of XU, so CBS shouldn't cut away. The Louisville game will be "flex" coverage, so CBS may switch to the Western Kentucky-UCLA game during the late game.
Friday
7 p.m.: Pregame show
7:10 p.m.: Davidson-Wisconsin
7:57 p.m. (approximate): Memphis-Michigan State

Jericho Ends Tonight

It looks like the season finale will be the series finale for "Jericho" (10 p.m., Channels 12, 7), unless another network rescues the drama. CBS says tonight's show – the seventh and final show produced this season – will be the last on the network, due to low ratings.
"Jericho" was given a seven-episode order last summer, after a robust protest by fans.

"Jericho" was No. 56 of 89 shows last week, and ranks No. 99 of 198 shows for this TV season.

Here's the statement from Nina Tassler, CBS Entertainment president:

"The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale. Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We're proud of everyone's efforts."

TV Guide quotes star Skeet Ulrich as saying: "We've shot two separate endings, and one's more final than the other."

Is this the end of "Jericho?" If you've been watching, tell me if the show creatively this year was as good as last year, and worth saving.

"Made" Auditions Here April 5

MTV's "Made" produducers are coming back to town for an open casting call 1-4 p.m. April 5 at the Main Public Library downtown.

It's limited to people ages 15-21. Each applicant will have a two- to five-minute interview with MTV representatives about how the show can help them reach a goal, according to information posted by the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County at All should bring of photo of themselves, and fill out the "Made" questionnaire at http://teenspace.cincinnatilibrary.org/

All should bring of photo of themselves, and fill out the "Made" questionnaire from the library site or MTV.

MTV has filmed several "Made" episodes here, including a November show about University of Cincinnati student Kristine Kauffman of Loveland wanting to become a plus-size model.

Time Warner Adding Reds in HDTV, National Geo HDTV

Yes, it's true. Finally! Time Warner will carry Fox Sports Net Ohio's Reds games in HDTV this year, after refusing to provide them last year. FSN Ohio HDTV will be on Cincinnati Channel 968, and in Dayton on Channel 768.

FSN Ohio will do 71 games -- of its 145-game Reds schedule -- in HDTV, up from 33 games last year.

The HDTV games will be available at no extra charge to Time Warner customers with the company's HD converter. It's the same deal Insight cable offered to Northern Kentucky customers last year (and again this year).

So what changed at Time Warner?

"Contract negotiations. We were able to reach a deal with FSN Ohio," says Karen Baxter, local Time Warner public affairs director.

Of course, the Reds are thrilled. "We're very excited about Time Warner bringing the Reds in HDTV," says Jennifer Berger, Reds senior entertainment and events director.

Time Warner will launch the channel Tuesday, along with the National Geographic HDTV (Channel 757). I heard an ad during the Reds game tonight for FSN Ohio HDTV. But hold your excitement -- FSN Ohio won't have any HDTV games until the Cleveland Cavaliers game 3 p.m. on April 5. And the first Reds game in HDTV will be the sixth TV game of the season, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8 from Milwaukee. (As I noted last week, Opening Day will not be in HDTV because FSN Ohio couldn't get transponder time.)

Another thing: Time Warner is providing Great American Ball Park live game feeds, from the MLB Extra Innings package, to a dozen wide-screen TVs in the new "hh gregg Highlight Zone" in the leftfield corner on the terrace (first) level. Fans can watch games in progress while seated on Watson's patio furniture. It's just beyond the concession stands way down the third base line, near that entrance-exit under the Machine Room. It should be a pretty cool thing. And if there are no baseball games, the Reds might put other sporting events on the multiple screens -- perhaps the NCAA basketball tournament or the Masters?

Time Warner partnership with the Reds also provides high-speed access to all the Reds offices. But again this year, GABP won't be a wireless hotspot. Maybe someday.

B105 Nominated For Station of Year

WUBE-FM (105.1) staffers have an added incentive to watch the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards May 18.

B105 has been nominated as a major market "radio station of the year" by the academy along with WXTU-FM, Philadelphia, Pa.; KYGO-FM, Denver; WQYK-FM, St. Petersburg, Fla.; WMIL-FM, Greenfield, Wisc. It's B105's first nomination from the Academy of Country Music.

Judging is based on the station's involvement in the community, its commitment to growing the country music format, and ratings and revenue success.

The winner will be announced -- but not presented -- during the live telecast on CBS May 18 (8-11 p.m., Channels 12, 7).

Friday's NCAA Lineup On Channel 12

Here's the Channel 12 NCAA Tournament lineup for Friday. All games will be in HDTV and standard definition.

All four games are CBS "flex" coverage, which means the network could jump around to other games if there's a blow-out. (Channel 12 has requested "constant" coverage for the Xavier-Georgia game today, so CBS should stick with it for the entire game.)

Noon: Pregame show
12:25 p.m.: Davidson-Gonzaga
2:35 p.m.: Butler-South Alabama
7 p.m.: Pregame show
7:10 p.m.: North Carolina-Mount St. Mary
9:30 p.m. (approximately): Indiana-Arkansas

Channel 12 Reporter Headed To Miami

Channel 12 Reporter Richard Jordan is headed home to Miami. Jordan was hired by Local 12 in August 2006 when the station launched its 10 p.m. newscast on Channel 64.

He's going back to Fox affiliate WSVN-TV (Channel 7) in Fort Lauderdale/Miami, where he was a writer and associate producer five years ago.

Jordan is the second person to quit since Newport Television bought the station last Friday from Clear Channel. Morning meteorologist Steve Horstmeyer announced Monday he's quitting (as of March 31) to become chief meteorologist at WXIX-TV (Channel 19).

Here's the link to the Jordan story:

http://www.sfltv.com/2008/03/18/former-wsvner-comes-back-to-the-newsplex/

Clash of Choirs Thank You Concert March 30

If you wanna see the long anticipated "Clash of the Choirs" thank-you concert March 30, you'd better get on line fast and place an order.

Only 3,200 tickets will be available for the 6 p.m. concert at Crossroads church, 3500 Madison Road, Oakley.

Choir director Nick Lachey will present the $250,000 check won by his singers on the TV show to Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital Medical Center. But he will neither sing nor direct the choir, says Amy Caruso, hospital spokeswoman.

All but three of the 20 singers will perform, says Ellen Schnier, 25, a choir member from North College Hill.

General admission tickets are $10 each -- what a great deal! -- with children under 2 free. Tickets may be ordered at http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ or by calling the hospital at 513-221-5437.

Tickets purchased online must be picked up after 4:30 p.m. March 30 at Crossroads.

"We're so happy to be able to finally do this. We've been talking about this concert since we got back from New York on Dec. 22," Schnier says. (Actually, they've been talking about it since they were in NY for the four days of live TV. I'm told my blog suggestion of doing a big local homecoming concert was read to the choir during rehearsals in NY.) "We particularly wanted to show our appreciation to Children's Hospital, the city and everyone who voted for us."

Viewers voted Cincinnati No. 1 on the four-night live TV show over choirs from Philadelphia, Houston, Oklahoma City and New Haven, Conn.

Choir member Kenny Smith, and his Peace & Serenity gospel choir, also will perform that night. The concert will benefit the same two hospital divisions which will receive the "Clash" prize money – the transport team and the Regional Center for Newborn Intensive Care.

This should be a great night!

Channel 12's NCAA Thursday Lineup

As expected, WKRC-TV (Channel 12) tips off the NCAA men's basketball tourmament with Xavier University at 12:20 p.m. Thursday. All four CBS games on Channel 12 will be broadcast in HDTV.

Here's the Thursday lineup I just got from Channel 12:

Noon: Pregame show
12:30 p.m.: Xavier-Georgia
2:30 p.m.: Kentucky-Marquette
7 p.m. Pregame show
7:10 p.m.: USC-Kansas State
9:40 p.m.: Notre Dame-George Mason.

Dayton's WHIO-TV (Channel 7) lineup will be released Wednesday. Channel 7 tentatively plans to carry Kent State-UNLV at 2:45 (instead of UK), and may carry Wisconsin-Cal State Fullerton as the late game (instead of Notre Dame). I'll update tomorrow.

Change In UC Tourney TV Plans

The UC-Bradley basketball tournament game at 7 p.m. Wednesday has been moved to new Time Warner and Insights channels, due to technical difficulties.

The Bearcats' inaugural College Basketball Invitational tournament game will be seen on Time Warner Channel 99 in the Cincinnati area, including the former Adelphia systems, not Channel 43 as announced Monday.

The NHL Columbus Blue Jackets will play Detroit on Fox Sports Net Ohio, Channel 43. FSN Ohio could not split the feed to show the hockey game in Columbus, and the UC game in Cincinnati, says Kent Walsh, FSN Ohio program director.

Weds AM update: The UC game will be on Insight Channel ICN6 at 7 p.m., says Maggie Woolf, Insight marketing coordinator.

The UC game also will NOT be seen on DirecTV or Dish Network FSN Ohio channels, he says. Any late satellite deals will be announced on www.GoBEARCATS.com

Time Warner sports tier customers also will see the UC game on Fox College Sports Atlantic, Time Warner Channel 171 in Cincinnati and Channel 143 in Dayton. There is no TV coverage for Miami Unversity's first-round CBI tournament game, Walsh says.

As for the NCAA men's tournament, Channel 12 has not released its TV lineup beyond carrying Xavier at 12:20 p.m. Thursday.

The Sound's New Program Director

Detroit area native Jay Kruz has been named program director for Bonneville's "The Sound" WSWD-FM (94.9).

He replaces Tommy BoDean, who mysteriously left the station in January immediately after the station had its best ratings book. The Sound jumped from No. 10 to a No. 3 tie with sister station WUBE-FM (B105.1) in the 18-34 demographic in year-to-year ratings. The Sound format debuted in November 2006.

Here's the Bonneville release:

WSWD FM (94.9) announced today the appointment of Jay Kruz to Program Director.

Recently named one of broadcasting's "30 Under 30" by Edison Media Research, Jay Kruz has a diverse background with experience in New York, Detroit, Toledo, and the Cayman Islands. He has worked as a program director, air personality, imaging director, and voice-over artist. He has also been a panelist at broadcasting events including the 2007 Conclave, 2006 Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) Great Lakes Conference, and the 2005 and 2007 MAB Career Builder Conference.Additionally, he has hosted educational sessions on radio for young broadcasters in his hometown near Detroit.

"The Sound is truly a unique station that stands out without resorting to gimmicks and hype. I'd like to thank Greg Solk, Jim Bryant, and Patti Marshall for the opportunity to work with a talented team who choose to take a fresh approach to creating great programming," said Jay Kruz.

"We’re excited to have Jay join our team. His left-of-center view on life and solid programming skills make him a perfect fit," said Jim Bryant, Vice President and General Manager for Bonneville International, Cincinnati.

CET Arts Forum Tonight

CET broadcasts a live discussion at 7 p.m. tonight about the impact of the arts and cultural resources in Cincinnati, with help of the Cincinnatus Association's Arts and Culture committee.
Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, will participate in the "Focus Special Edition: Arts & Culture in Greater Cincinnati" (7 p.m., Channel 48).

He'll be on a panel with Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber President Ellen van der Horst; University of Cincinnati President Nancy Zimpher; Agenda 360 Livable Communities co-chair Nique Swan; Cincinnati City Council member Roxanne Qualls; and US Bank Cincinnati President James Schwab.

They will talk about the importance of arts education and the economic impact of the arts. Viewers may e-mail questions before or during the show to questions@cetconnect.org.

CET Connect Site Expanding

Audio podcasts, personalized options and more video will be added to http://www.cetconnect.org/ , the Cincinnati public TV station’s Internet site, with a $200,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasts.

Launched two years ago, the website offers more than 1,000 arts, educational, history, family and public affairs videos on demand. The federal funding will allow CET to redesign the website, offer podcasts and let users customize their areas of interests, says Susan Howarth CET president and CEO.

The grant was announced during a station reception Monday evening with PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, who cited CETconnect as a model for other PBS stations.

"This is one of a handful of the best examples of local (PBS) stations using video. As I travel around the country, I send a lot of people to the CET site to see what they're doing," Kerger says.

"They are doing some really interesting experiments. This is a space we need to be in. I've been really impressed. They're doing it extraordinarily well."

During the event, CET board member Marty Humes of Wyoming was presented the Charles W. Vaughan Award for organizing last year’s "Live on CET!" fund-raiser.

Weather Alert: Horstmeyer Joins Fox 19

Steve Horstmeyer quit WKRC-TV (Channel 12) today to accept the chief meteorologist job at WXIX-TV (Channel 19). Wow! What a shrewd move by Fox 19!

This will pay double dividends for Fox 19: Not only do they get the most veteran TV meteorologist in the market -- and one of the most respected -- but the "Fox 19 Morning News" ratings could go up without reliable Horstmeyer on Channel 12's top-rated "Good Morning Cincinnati" newscasts.

Horstmeyer, 54, gave notice this morning. He will continue to work at Channel 12 through March 31, then sit out his "non-compete." He starts at Fox 19 on August 7. He will do the 10 p.m. news.

The 1971 Moeller High School graduate was hired by WLWT-TV weather icon Tony Sands to work off camera in 1977. He started on air at Channel 5 in 1978 doing weekend nights. In 1989, a year after Tim Hedrick came to town, Channel 12 hired him. He has worked for most of his 18 years at Channel 12 on the morning weekday news -- arriving at the station (often bicycling from his Madisonville home) at 2:30 a.m., and doing live weather segment for three hours.

Horstmeyer tells me he just wanted to have a normal life, and be a chief meterologist (which wasn't happening at Ch 12 as long as his buddy Tim Hedrick was there). He was chief meteorologist briefly at Ch 5 in the early 1980s, when DJ Pat Barry was hired to do the 6 & 11 p.m. weather.

"After all these years of doing mornings, you'd think you'd get used to it, but you never do. It was getting harder and harder. And at Channel 12, there's nowhere I could really go, " he says. "I have no ax to grind. I was treated nicely. I have no complaints."

He started talking to Channel 19 after his contract expired Feb. 4. He signed a deal Saturday with John Long, Channel 19 vice president and general manager. Then he surprised his boss, Channel 12 News Director Elbert Tucker, with the news Monday morning. Horstmeyer will remain on the air at Channel 12 through March 31 (Opening Day), then sit out his the rest of his six-month "non-compete." Ch 19 has been without a chief meteorologist since Paul Horton quit in September. The station has two meteorologists hired in the last 10 months, Christie Dutton and Frank Marzullo.

"Steve brings more than 30 years of television weather experience to Fox 19 along with the trust he has earned from an entire generation of Cincinnati viewers," said Steve Ackermann, Channel 19 news director, in the station's announcement today.

Long noted that Horstmeyer "has consistently ranked as one of the top two meteorologists in the market." He declined to name the other one, but I'm guessing it's Hedrick.

Tucker announced Horstmeyer's departure to the staff by saying his "contributions to our weather coverage have been phenomenal." He didn't mention that void he creates in the morning. Losing Horstmeyer means Channel 9's Larry Handley has the most tenure among the morning meteorologists.

Hedrick wishes his longtime colleague well: "I wish him the best. He's a great guy. It's been absolutely awesome working with him."

New Channel 12 General Manager

WKRC-TV and the CinCW have a new boss, with Newport Television finally closing on the purchase of Clear Channel's TV stations last Friday for $1.1-billion. Les Vann from Syracuse has been named vice president and general manager for both stations.

Vann has been executive vice president and general manager over two Granite Broadcasting Corp. stations in New York: CBS affiliate WTVH-TV in Syracuse, and CBS/CW affiliate WBNG-TV in Binghampton.

GM Chris Sehring left Channel 12 in September to become President and GM at KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon.

Basketball Tourney TV Plans

Details are trickling in for TV coverage of the basketball tournaments starting this week. As I get info, I'll post it here. This will be a work in progress...

Channel 12 Thursday: The first two games Thursday will be Xavier-Georgia at 12:20 p.m., likely followed by Kentucky-Marquette at 2:30 p.m. As of 1:30 p.m., Channel 12 doesn't know its evening games. And CBS says that "virtually all" NCAA men's games this week will be in HDTV, says Rick Wager, Channel 12 program manager. Ch 12's complete CBS Thursday lineup will be confirmed Tuesday after noon, he says.

UC Wednesday: THIS JUST IN AT 4:15 P.M.: The UC-Bradley game will air on Fox Sports Net Ohio in the Cincinnati-Dayton-Northern Kentucky area, instead of the scheduled Cavalier game. Cleveland-based FSN Ohio will do a split feed so Cincinnati area can see the Bearcats. They did this after local stations (Ch. 19, Ch 12 and CinCW) turned down chance to broadcast the game.
6 P.M. MON. UPDATE FOR DISH OWNERS: For now, the UC game will not be seen on FSN Ohio channels on DirecTV or Dish Network, UC says. Negotiations were ongoing late Monday for distribution to satellite customers, says Mark Waddell, UC senior associate athletic director. Any satellite deals will be announced on www.GoBEARCATS.com


Below is what I wrote earlier today...

I haven't heard of any local station televising the UC-Bradley game in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational Wednesday night at Bradley, though it should be one of the Fox College Sports cable/satellite channels (Time Warner Chs. 171, 172, 173). The likely suspects -- Channels 12's CinCW and Channel 19 -- aren't going to carry it. Channel 12 and its CinCW digital sister station will NOT carry the game, says Rick Wagar, program manager. As of 2:30 p.m., Fox 19 has declined to carry due to previous Fox programming commitments to the "American Idol" results show and "Moment of Truth." The game has been offered to local stations by Fox Sports Net Ohio, which has a Cleveland Cavaliers game Wednesday night.

Insight Renews Reds In HDTV

Insight customers in Northern Kentucky again will see the Fox Sports Net Ohio's Reds games in HDTV. Play ball!

The 71 Reds games in HDTV from FSNO again will be available at no extra charge to customers with an Insight HDTV converter box and digital choice level service, says Tim Klinefelter, Insight NKY vice president. The FSNO HDTV games will be on Insight Channel 929, the special events channel.

Time Warner Cable officials are expected to announce carraige of some or all of FSN Ohio's HDTV games before Opening Day on March 31.

The Reds will broadcast 145 games in standard definition, and 71 of those games also in HDTV.

Why Can't Delhi See XU Game Today?

I'm getting calls from Time Warner customers in Delhi Township asking why they can't see the XU-Dayton A10 tourney game on Time Warner basic Channel 2, as TWC announced earlier this week.

Apparently everyone else is getting it -- we've only heard complaints from the TWC customers on the old Adelphia system. (This happened last fall too, when the former Adelphia customers couldn't get the St. Xavier HS football game that all other TWC could watch.)

As soon as I get some answers from TWC, I'll post them.

2:30 p.m. Update: You're out of luck again, former Adelphia cable customers on systems bought by Time Warner. Contrary to the TWC announcement earlier this week, not all subscribers will see the XU games this week (today and Friday) on basic Channel 2.

Customers in communities formerly served by Adelphia cable -- Delhi and Liberty townships and Amelia -- will not get the game at 6:30 p.m. Friday on Channel 2. Today's quarterfinals also was not seen on those systems bought by Time Warner about two years ago.

Here's what Karen Baxter, local TWC public affairs director says:

"We're sorry we've left those people out. We simply don't have a way of providing that feed to to those systems yet.... We know this is disappointing to some people. We're working on the problem, but I don't know when we'll have it resolved."

MTV Shoots TV Pilot At SCPA

This sounds like a great idea: Nick Lachey is producing MTV reality series pilot at his alma mater, the School for Creative & Performing Arts.

Lachey, a 1992 SCPA grad, is executive producer on a "Fame"-style series blending "performances by the students with the narrative about what takes place in the school," according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"The stories and relationships are all set to music that's organic in what’s going on in the school and also performed by the kids," said Tony DiSanto, MTV executive vice president for series development and programming, in the trade publication.

People magazine's web site said the show "sounds a lot like a real-life 'High School Musical.' "

As you know, Lachey, 34, a former College Hill resident, starred in one of MTV's first reality hits, "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica" (2003-05) with then wife Jessica Simpson. He scored another reality TV success in December, leading a Cincinnati choir to the $250,000 top prize on NBC's "Clash of the Choirs."

In early January, the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission began working with MTV on obtaining equipment , crews and hotel rooms. Some shooting was done at the school and around town in February.

I'm still trying to nail down all the details. More when I know it.

5:40 p.m. Update: MTV executives will decide "in several months" whether to shoot the musical drama reality series at SCPA. Shooting on the pilot here was completed March 1.

Under the Cincinnati Public Schools contract with MTV, the school system will be paid $10,000 for the pilot, and $10,000 for each episode the first season, if it goes to series. MTV has an option for five additional cycles or seasons, according to the contract.

To allay parents' fears about the content for the possible cable series, the contract stipulates that MTV "will not intentionally broadcast" students consuming drugs or alcohol, fighting, using any dangerous weapons, or intimidating or harassing SCPA students or staff.

Lachey received permission from SCPA and Cincinnati Public Schools last spring to shoot a brief presentation film at the school. He then pitched the concept to MTV. He is an executive producer on the project with Marc Platt (producer of the "Legally Blonde" movies), Russell Heldt ("Real World") and Colton Gramm, Lachey's manager.

TV Tourney Plans for XU, UK

Time for March TV madness: Here's how to watch Xavier and UK men's basketball teams in their conference tournaments this week:

XAVIER: XU’s A10 tournament games will be available to all Time Warner customers on basic cable Channel 2 (which usually runs infomercials).

Xavier plays the Dayton-St. Louis winner at noon Thursday in the quarterfinals. If XU wins, the semifinals will be on Channel 2 at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The A10 Men's championship will air 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

KENTUCKY: Kentucky's opening SEC tournament game will air live at 9:45 p.m. Friday on WSTR-TV (Channel 64) against the winner of the Georgia-Ole Miss game. If the Wildcats win, they play at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on Channel 64. The championship game is 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS (Channels 12, 7).

Channel 64 will not broadcast any SEC tournament games Thursday or at 3 p.m. Friday.

Here is Channel 64's revised Friday lineup due to the tourney: "Stars On Ice" syndicated special (8-9 p.m.); "Friends" (9 p.m.); then basketball. The Friday MyNetworkTV movie, "The Good Son," will air about 11:30 p.m. "Law & Order," "My Wife & Kids" and "Scrubs" will be pre-empted.

If UK plays Saturday, Channel 64' will air a noon movie, "The Best Man"; "Made in Hollywood" (2-2:30); "Friends" (2:30 p.m.); and UK. If UK loses Friday, no SEC games will air Saturday on Channel 64.

WMKV-FM Auction Today

A Crosley replica radio and a 78 rpm record autographed by Rosemary Clooney will be auctioned today by WMKV-FM (89.3), the nonprofit nostalgia station broadcasting from Maple Knoll Village in Springdale.

All proceeds will benefit the station and its programming. More than 30 items will be auctioned from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. They include:

--A Columbia recording of "Hey There" and "This Ole House" signed by Rosemary Clooney.
--An art-deco replica Crosley radio with CD player.
--Signed Jim Borgman "East/West" poster, a Hillary and Bill Clinton Cartoon and a "Zits" cartoon.
--An autographed Marvin Lewis football.
--A Cincinnati Arts package with tickets to the Playhouse, Pops, Ensemble Theater and Shakespeare Company.

Items can be seen at http://wmkvfm.org/

Q102, B105 Up For NAB Award

WKRQ-FM (Q102) and WUBE-FM (B105.1) are among the 50 finalists for the 2008 Crystal Radio Awards for community service from the National Association of Broadcasters.

The two Bonneville stations are the only Cincinnati stations among the 50 to be honored April 15 during the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Ten winners will be announced that day. The awards have been presented annually since 1987.

"Our WUBE and WKRQ teams worked hard to make a difference in Cincinnati. To receive this special recognition for our efforts from the NAB is very rewarding," said Jim Bryant, vice president and general manager of both stations, in a statement.

71 Reds Games in HDTV

After being shut out last season, it sounds like Time Warner customers may be able to see Cincinnati Reds games in high-definition from Fox Sports Net Ohio this year.

FSN Ohio plans to televise nearly half (71) of its 145 Reds games this season in the wide-screen format. That's also more than double the HDTV games from last year (33). But Opening Day again won't be in HDTV.

We should know in the next few days if Time Warner – and Insight -- will carry the HDTV games this year.

Time Warner , which didn't carry any of the 33 FSNO HDTV games last year, will release a statement about Reds' HDTV games this week, says Karen Baxter, public affairs director for Time Warner’s southwest Ohio division.

"We hope to be able to offer the Reds in HDTV this year," Baxter says. "I don’t have a full green light to make my announcement yet. But this is good news. We're excited about it."

Insight Communications officials also were not prepared Monday to say if Reds would be back in HDTV next month. Insight carried all 33 HDTV games last year, providing them at no extra charge to Insight digital customers with HDTV converter boxes.

"We have not yet made a decision as to whether or not we'll air them. I hope to have an answer for you Tuesday," says Maggie Woolf, Insight marketing director.

DirecTV and Dish Network also have access to the 71 FSN Ohio HDTV games, says Steve Pawlowski, spokesman for the Cleveland-based regional sports network.

FSN Ohio managers did not want to comment Monday about HDTV carriage by area cable companies. "We understand that Reds fans want to see these games in HDTV, and we're happy to provide them. We're hopeful and confident that everyone will be able to see them,: says Steve Liverani, FSN Ohio senior vice president and general manager.

FSNO will do five games in standard definition from Great American Ball Park before the first HDTV telecast at 8 p.m. April 8 from Milwaukee. The Reds TV season starts with two Arizona games (Opening Day on March 31, and Wednesday April 2), and the April 4-6 weekend home stand with Philadelphia.

"It just kills me that we couldn’t do Opening Day in high-definition. There just wasn't enough satellite HD transponder time for the game," Liverani says.

FSNO opens the Reds season tonight with the Reds-Yankees from Tampa at 7:15 in standard definition. Two more spring training games in standard definition are scheduled: Reds-Tigers at 1:05 p.m. March 17, and Reds-Blue Jays at 7:05 p.m. on March 24.

Below is the Reds TV schedule. HDTV games are in bold.

TUESDAY UPDATE: I tried to post the TV sked, but it didn't work. If I can figure out another way, I'll get it back up.

Paul Dixon Chicken Wedding On The Square

Happy anniversary, Harry and Pauline!

The 39th anniversary for the two rubber chickens married on Channel 5's old "Paul Dixon Show" will be celebrated Tuesday with the program shown on Fountain Square's giant LED Board.

Dixon, the long-time Cincinnati TV personality who inspired David Letterman's comedy, officiated at the March 11, 1969, wedding as "Mayor of Kneesville," one of his characters for the show. It's the most talked about TV episode from Dixon's old live morning show, which aired from 1955 until his death in 1974.

The rubber chickens for years were props on the show. Dixon sidekicks Bonnie Lou and Colleen Sharp were the matrons of honor, while Channel 5 noon TV host Bob Braun was best man.

The entire two-hour "Dixon" show begins at 11:30 a.m. The wedding ceremony will be seen about 12:30-12:45 p.m. Channel 5 provided a DVD copy of the show to Fountain Square Management Group for the telecast.

Tuesday's chicken wedding anniversary party was suggested by Josh Crabtree, a huge Dixon fan from Covington. The Lucasville native is too young (34) to have ever seen Dixon’s show; he found out about Dixon after enrolling in UC in 1991.

"Even though Paul Dixon passed when I was only 1 year old, I have always been fascinated with the popularity of his show. I really enjoyed it when Channel 5 broadcast some of the old shows a few years back. I can’t help but wonder what ever happened to the original Harry and Paulette props…

"Watching those old episodes is like peeking into a Cincinnati time capsule and observing an era I wasn't around to see first hand… Nothing is more appropriate than airing a 39-year-old chicken wedding video on a public square where thousands gather each September to perform a chicken dance. My wish for next year is that everyone's favorite rubber chickens, Harry and Pauline, celebrate their 40th anniversary by renewing their vows on Fountain Square with Jerry Springer as master of ceremonies."

You can also see chicken wedding clips on Channel 5’s web site:

http://www.wlwt.com/station/11172332/detail.html

Years ago, Channel 5 sold VHS copies of Dixon's Chicken Wedding. But the station doesn't have any more. Channel 5 folks have talked about releasing some old shows on DVD, if they could find sponsors -- but nothing is in the works, says Lisa Snell, an executive assistant at Channel 5.

Will Sterrett Lands In Houston

Former WLW-AM reporter/anchor Will Sterrett soon will be working for Clear Channel again. Sterrett lost his job due to budget cuts in December, three months after he came to Cincinnati from CNN Radio Network in Atlanta.

Sterrett starts March 17 as assistant news director for Clear Channel’s KTRH-AM, NewsRadio 740, in Houston.

Breaking News From Channel 12

From the "Breaking News" scroll during "Survivor" on Channel 12:

"Potholes are a growing problem around the Tri-State."

If potholes are Breaking News, then what else qualifies? Post your suggestions and headlines.... If you can tear yourself away from the Live From The Salt Pile reports today....

Blue Ash Company On SNL

Did you see the "TV Funhouse" cartoon on "Saturday Night Live" last weekend? The one about Barack Obama trying to keep Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton away from his presidential campaign?

In "The Obama Files" cartoon, the candidate gave Sharpton an "honorary collar" indicating he was a key member of the campaign team. It actually was a "Pet Stop" pet containment collar, which gave Sharpton electrical jolts to keep him away from Obama.

When I watched "SNL" Saturday, I didn't know that Pet Stop was owned by Perimeter Technologies of Blue Ash. You can clearly see the Pet Stop name on Sharpton's collar. "SNL" also referred to Bill Cunningham's remarks at the McCain rally during the "Weekend Update" newscast. So two local references in the same "SNL"....

Here's the cartoon:

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/index.shtml#mea=224714

Where The News Came First?

Folks at Channel 5 (and Channel 9) must be pretty frustrated this morning, after their aggressive coverage of the Ohio primary results last night.

Though there wasn’t a lot to talk about, Chanel 5 made the commitment of being on the air all night, 7:30-11:30 p.m., blowing off NBC programs. If you wanted to know what was going on here – or how few votes had been counted – you could tune into Channel 5.

Channel 9 pre-empted ABC at 9 p.m. – an hour earlier than scheduled -- to carry Mike Huckabee's concession, and stayed local through the 11 p.m. news.

Channel 19 did a full hour of election news at 10 p.m.

And then there's Channel 12, with the city's No. 1 newscasts in the morning, noon and 11 p.m. What did they do? Not much. They did their usual half-hour newscast on My64 at 10 p.m., and their 11 p.m. news.

It had to be frustrating for the other stations to look at the 11 p.m. ratings, and see that Channel 12 had the most viewers (as usual) for the least effort.

I watched much of Channel 5's election coverage. I give them credit for being there. In my opinion, there was too much commentary from Bill Cunningham and others. (Did Cunningham really say he wanted to drive a stake through Hillary Clinton's heart last night on 5?) Sometimes Channel 5 was behind, like when Sheree Paolello announced about 9:15 p.m. that Huckabee might drop out – while other stations were carrying his concession speech at that moment.

Channel 9 also did the right thing by going with elections over "According to Jim." Looking at the ratings, it's apparent that viewers found Channel 9's election coverage at 9 p.m., which beat Channel 5 at that point.

This is not the first time that Channel 12 has done minimal coverage on a big news event… and made money by carrying network shows and commercials, instead of losing money by pre-empting them. "Big Brother" at 9 p.m. was second in the time period, behind Fox's "New Amsterdam" premiere, and ahead of election news on Channels 9 and 5.

At 10 p.m., Channel 12's "Jericho" dropped to fourth, behind local news on Channels 19, 9 and 5, so there clearly was an appetite for election info at that hour. Channel 12's news on My64 was a distant fifth.

Here are the numbers:

8-9 p.m.: "American Idol" wins big (15.6 rating); Channel 5 election results fourth behind entertainment shows on 12 and 9.

9-10 p.m.
19: New Amsterdam, 9.6
12: Big Brother, 7.0
9: Election results, 5.6
5: Election results, 5.2

10-11 p.m.
19: Election results/news, 8.5 (Biggest local news rating for local news tonight, bigger than 5-9-12 at 11 p.m.)
9: Election results, 6.6
5: Election results, 4.8
12: Jericho, 4.7
64: Election results/news, 2.8
64: (10:30) Raymond, 3.6

11 p.m.
12: Election results/news, 7.6
9: Election results/news, 6.7
5: Election results/news, 4.4
19: Simpsons, 4.4

I don't know if last night may change viewing habits or hurt Channel 12 in the long run. But I'm guessing that some Channel 12 viewers wanting local election news last night switched to Channels 5 or 9 or 19.

Who's Your American Idol Favorite?

Who's your early pick to win "American Idol?" The final 12 will be revealed on Thursday, after the 16 performers sing Beatles songs (8 guys tonight, and the 8 women Wednesday) on 8-9 p.m. on Fox, Channels 19, 45.

TV Guide.com's weekly American Idol Power Rankings Poll say David Archuleta is the favorite, with 63% of the votes. Michael Johns is second among the guys with 15.4%.

Carly Smithson, who Randy Jackson named as the top female while visiting here last Friday, is running a very tight second (26.2%) to Brooke White (26.6%).

The TV Guide poll says Kady Malloy and Chikezie will be heading home this week.

Each week, TVGuide.com surveys its readers asking them to rank the final standing contestants, with results announced Monday. Find them at

www.tvguide.com/IdolPollTop16

Here is the current ranking:
Women
27.6% Brooke White
26.2% Carly Smithson
20.7% Ramiele Malubay (last week’s No. 1)
8.6% Syesha Mercado
6.3% Kristy Lee Cook
4.9 % Asia’h Epperson
3.6% Amanda Overmyer
2.0% Kady Malloy

Men
63.6% David Archuleta
15.4% Michael Johns (last week’s No. 1)
7.0% Jason Castro
5.6% David Hernandez
4.9% David Cook
1.4% Luke Menard
1.1% Danny Noriega
1.0% Chikezie

Which four will be sent home this week, and won’t make the final 12? Who are your favorites?

Insight Adds More Video On Demand

Insight cable has added more video on demand programs, free HDTV movies and music channels for digital customers.

The new "Digital 3.2" service – the second digital upgrade in three months -- provides free HDTV movies from the Sundance Channel and FEARnet and more music channels. Insight has replaced Music Choice (48 channels) with Urge, a MTV Networks digital music service with 56 channels, including music from Nick Kids and Noggin.

"Digital 3.2" service automatically is available at no extra cost to current digital customers, says John Dobken, Insight Communications spokesman. Starz subscribers also will find more movies on demand, he says.

"Digital 3.2" increases Insight's HDTV on demand content from 40 to 90 hours, he says. Northern Kentucky’s major cable company also has added about 125 hours of standard definition on demand programming, he says. A guide to free on demand programming can be found listed on the Channel 99 "free spot."

Insight's "Digital 3.0" upgrade in December gave viewers access to video on demand from 19 channels.

Local TV Ohio Primary Plans

Election coverage on WLWT-TV (Channel 5) begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, as soon as the polls close, and goes four straight hours until Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.

I think it's a risky move – will Ohio be counted before dawn? – but Ch. 5 News Director Brennan Donnellan says he has plenty of material to fill four hours. (All the other stations will do news cut-ins and crawls until 10 p.m., then you'll see newscasts on Channel 19, Channel 64 (from Channel 12) and on Channel 9 (pre-empting ABC News "Primetime" special.)

Says Donnellan: "We have reporters specifically assigned to vote counting in Hamilton, Butler and Warren counties, plus a statewide perspective. If there are more delays, that's a story and we'll have it covered. We've also prepared a signficant number of political perspective stories, so it'll be lively and informative even if the vote count is delayed."

Channel 5's gameplan includes:
--Sandra Ali, Sheree Paolello, Dave Wagner and Courtis Fuller anchoring from our studios.
--Live reporters throughout the Tristate, plus reporters in Columbus reporting on statewide returns.
-- National perspective from our Hearst-Argyle Washington DC bureau
--Emphasis on the Presidential primaries in Ohio, but also reporting on the Cincinnati Schools levy, the Zoo levy, 1st Congressional District, and other local races
--Political discussion with Bill Cunningham, Lincoln Ware, Gene Galvin and Roxanne Qualls.

HBC's “The Biggest Loser” will air 2:05-4:05 a.m. early Wednesday (late Tuesdsay).

Here are the other stations' plans:

Channel 19: Says News Director Steve Ackermann: "We'll have numbers on FOX19.COM and on our lower-screen ticker throughout the evening. We'll start both the website and the ticker results as quickly as we have numbers, but keep in mind that Hamilton County counted VERY slowly last time, so I don’t know how quickly after 7:30 we'll see things. FOX gives us positions during prime-time -- including American Idol — that we'll use for live updates and we'll be on the air promptly at 10 p.m."

Channel 9: GM Bill Fee says "WCPO will produce a special hour report on the Ohio primary Tuesday 10-11 p.m. anchored by Clyde and Carol. We'll be live from both party HQs in Cincinnati as well as the board of elections. Brendan Keefe will be live in Columbus with Clinton's campaign. We'll be in Cleveland as well, teaming up with Scripps-owned WEWS there. No plans to go beyond 11:35 p.m. because we believe viewers will want to see Nightline at 11:35 for national news on Texas and Ohio. We'll also do election updates on the half-hour, about 2-3 minutes, starting at 7:30."

Channel 12: News Director Elbert Tucker says: "We will have seven crews in the field here and in Columbus. We will be focused on breaking election news on the air and on our web site throughout the course of the evening. We will have comprehensive live coverage with Local 12 News at 10 on My64. We will have comprehensive live coverage and a breakdown on the big election stories on Local 12 News at 11 p.m."

And Tuesday night and Wedneday you can tell me who did the best job...