Update on WB30

Well, as of this fall, there won't be anymore "WB30." The station, WHCP, isn't going off the air, but they will have to change their nickname. On Tuesday The WB and UPN announced a merger of sorts. Both networks will shut down in September to be replaced by a new entity called "The CW." That stands for CBS and Warner Bros. It is not a tribute to C.W. McCall, who had the hit single "Convoy" back in 1976.

The interesting thing about this move is that local viewers won't really see much of a change. WHCP already carries both network's programming. This is good for them in that they'll have a few more hours available to fill with syndicated programming. It would be really cool if they sought out some quirky innovative fare, but in all likelihood they'll just fill the time with infomercials or more hours of "Shop At Home".

This move does make a heck of a lot of sense. I predicted it five years ago. Each network had almost enough quality programming for half a good line-up, so between the two of them, they might put together a really strong collection of shows. UPN will bring "Friday Night Smackdown!," "Veronica Mars," "Everybody Hates Chris," and "America's Top Model" to the mix, while The WB will contribute "Smallville," "Everwood," and "Charmed." Cult TV fans are already salivating over the prospect of "Smallville" and "Veronica Mars" airing back-to-back.

Now if WHCP could only bring their broadcast signal up to modern-day standards, we might all enjoy these shows.

Speaking of WHCP, of late, they've added a new feature to their newscasts. For the last few weeks they've had a problem keeping the audio and video in synch. It takes a harmonic convergence of ineptitude to accomplish this on a live broadcast. Some nights the sound is so far off that a person might expect the newscasters to start screaming that Godzilla was attacking. One night you could tell they were struggling to fix it with digital delay, but the end result caused so much stuttering and skipping that Tom McGee was made to look and sound like Max Headroom. I'm begging you guys, hire a chief engineer! You're supposed to be improving with time, not finding new and exciting ways to screw up.