It’s a special time for specials because February is sweeps months for local television, when the ratings race heats up.
KCNC-Channel 4 underway with a five-part series called “Pay It Forward Colorado,” based on the book by Catherine Ryan Hyde and given a rocket boost by Oprah Winfrey.
KCNC gave five viewers $1,000 apiece to help others. Tonight’s episode, says reporter Suzanne McCarroll, features “a darling CSU student who knows the two Berthoud boys who lost their legs in an accident.”
McCarroll says she was amazed at the response. “We got boxes and boxes of suggestions, a lot of them from young people. This would make you think there are some people who aren’t part of the ‘me’ generation.”
The series debuted Thursday with Frank Bingham, who lost his wife and children, 4 and 2 years old, in a hit- and-run accident at a downtown intersection in November.
The “Pay It Forward” episodes air on the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.
JoJo comes back
JoJo Turnbeaugh, who made stops at KFMD 95.7-FM (“Kiss”) and KALC 105.9-FM (“Alice”), is joining the morning team at country station KYGO 98.5-FM.
Turnbeaugh, program director and morning-show host at top-rated KCCY 96.9-FM in Colorado Springs since 2005, joins Kelly & Mudflap on the air Monday. He replaces Jonathan Wilde, who bolted to KYGO country rival KWLI 92.5-FM (“The Wolf”) in November.
KYGO also hired Flip Peters from KSPW in Springfield, Mo., as nighttime deejay to replace Tracy Taylor, who also left KYGO for “The Wolf.” She and Wilde start at their new station on Feb. 20.
Weekend highlights
Today
Jim Nantz and Daisy Fuentes host “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials 2007,” an orgy of fun and eye-popping advertising (8 p.m., KCNC-Channel 4).
Saturday
“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” an all-too-true send-up of TV newscasters starring Will Ferrell, airs (8 p.m., KMGH-Channel 7).
Sunday
Hate football? “Cinema Paradiso,” the 1989 film about a boy growing up in post-World War II Italy (6 p.m., Turner Classic Movies).
Around the dial
Public affairs: University of Colorado president Hank Brown talks higher education on “The Aaron Harber Show” (9 tonight, KBDI-Channel 12), and host Greg Dobbs and state Sen. Ken Gordon discuss Gordon’s opposition to President Bush’s “surge” in troops on “Colorado State of Mind” (7:30 tonight, KRMA-Channel 6) … Michelle Griego has been added to Channel 4’s morning news as a reporter … Quotable: “Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.” Isaac Asimov
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-954-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
