An interesting battle is looming on the local TV news horizon.
Brad Remington has been named news director at KDVR-Channel 31, replacing Bill Dallman. Remington, former managing editor of news at KMGH-
Channel 7, most recently was vice president/news director at KTVI-Channel 2 in St. Louis.
KWGN-Channel 2, Fox’s competition at the 9 o’clock news hour, this week turned Carl Bilek from acting news director to full-time news director.
Channel 31 traditionally far outruns Channel 2 in the local ratings at 9 p.m., but both will face a challenge when KUSA-Channel 9 this fall launches its 9 o’clock news on KTVD-Channel 20, which Channel 9 parent Gannett is in the process of purchasing.
On a related topic, Bilek says the Center for Media and Democracy got it wrong in its website report on the FCC’s investigation into stations using unlabeled video news releases, which I wrote about on Monday.
It was a report on fraudulent e-mails, not Christmas toys, that KWGN aired last fall, he said. “We used a 10-second snippet” of a VNR from Trend Micro Software. Whatever the offending video, Bilek said he hasn’t been notified by the FCC that the station is under investigation.
Weekend highlights
Today
Admit it: You laugh at the antics on “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” This episode covers talking dogs and cats. Ha! Ha! (7 p.m., Channel 7).
Saturday
Angry and hilarious stand-up comic Lewis Black rants about life and politics in another of his specials, “Red, White & Screwed” (8 p.m., HBO). Warning: This is not fit fare for children.
Sunday
“The 4400” is a well-written, underrated series more interesting than the plot line about earthlings abducted and returned sounds. It premieres its second season (7 p.m., USA Network).
Around the dial
Sissy Biggers, co-host of PBS’s “The Victory Garden,” talks about summer entertaining for a benefit luncheon at the Denver Botanic Gardens on Thursday. Reservations, 720-865-3500 … PlumTV, the resort channel, has expanded into Telluride. It already is carried in Vail and Aspen … KYGO 98.5-FM hosting the “KYGO Country Cares for St. Jude Kids” radiothon from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 22 and 23 at the American Furniture Warehouse store in Englewood … KGNU 88.5-FM and 1390-AM launches a three-day youth radio workshop on Monday, teaching basic broadcasting, recording and editing skills to area teens. Info at 303-449-4885 … Quotable: “To me, a watch-dog group is usually just some guy who has a fax machine and a TV who just sits there all day, waiting to be offended.” Producer/writer Mike Scully.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
