Cable channels strut their stuff

Cable channels strut their stuff National Cable Month caters to viewers' varied tastes Tired of reruns and insipid new spring shows that won't be renewed for the fall TV season? If you have cable television, you're in luck. The best viewing in April is on cable for "National Cable Month," which has a little something for everyone. The major events this week are Child Abuse: Innocence On Trial (10 p.m. Wednesday) on the Lifetime cable channel, and the Family Reunion Gospel Celebration (8 p.m. Saturday) on the CBN cable network. Gathered for the Reunion are The Commodores, Thelma Houston, Janie Fricke, Rita Coolidge, Billy Preston and Richie Havens. CBN also plans a live two-hour salute to Laurel and Hardy at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 16, on CBN. Actors Chuck McCann and Jim MacGeorge, who impersonate the comedy duo for Anco windshield wiper commercials, will host three famous Laurel and Hardy short films The Music Box, Another Fine Mess, and: a third film to be chosen by the audience in a telephone poll during 1 the show. Poison, a new comedy series from Ron (Gung Ho) Howard and Brian Grazer, premieres Saturday, April 16. Two SCTV veterans - writer Bob Dolman and director Jim Drake are behind the cameras for the series, which stars James Van Patten, Victor Slezak and Mary Jo Keenen. Kids Choice - billed as the first annual awards show for kids' favorite films, music and TV shows will be broadcast Monday, April 18, on the Nickelodeon channel. Several cable movies premiere this month, such as Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam on Home Box Office (April 12, 17, 20, 25 and 30) and Showtime's twopart Edward Woodward miniseries, Codename: Kyril (April 17-18, 24, 27-28). John Kiesewetter Radio/TV Critic Opening Day plans If you don't have an Opening Day ticket, or can't come downtown for the parade, there are still many ways to enjoy the day: WLWT (Channel 5) has pushed up its noon news to 11:30 a.m. today to cover the Findlay Market Parade. The news will be followed by This Week In Baseball at 12:30 p.m., a special one-hour Pete &amp; Johnny Show at 1 p.m., and the Reds Cardinals game at 2 p.m. CitiCable 14, the City of Cincinnati government access channel on the Warner Cable system, will televise the parade at 10 p.m. today. Legendary funnyman Bob Shreve will host the telecast with Jani Gardner and Pat Garry, cable board chairwoman. I Baseball fans may see what probably was Edd Roush's final TV interview on the debut telecast of the Major League Baseball Magazine tonight (11 p.m., ESPN cable). Warner Fusselle and his Major League Baseball Productions crew interviewed Roush at his Bradenton, Fla., home on Feb. 29, three weeks before his death. Several radio stations plan special Opening Day coverage today. WUBE. has resurrected "Mr. Red," the club's former baseball-head mascot, for the parade. Baseball will dominate WLW. AM (700 kHz) all day, from Jim Scott's broadcast from a billboard to reports starting at noon from the Riverfront Stadium plaza and field. Two seasonal features return Headfirst with Pete Rose and Trumpy at 7:55 a.m., and Brennaman 1 And Bench On Baseball at 5:55 p.m. A Farewell To Arm Holds From Hulk Hogan to Hemingway: WIll TV. no longer the the IOUs of Cincinnati, has splurged on a new Hemingway miniseries. United Cable Television recently took control of Channel 64, which filed for bankruptcy in 22 months ago. One of the first moves was to dump wrestling at 7 p.m. weeknights and purchase a premiere showing of Hemingway, a six-hour miniseries starring Stacy Keach. Channel 64 will broadcast Hemingway May 2-4, Monday through Wednesday. Channel 64 also has bought reruns of the old Dick Van Dyke show, one of the greatest sitcoms ever. They air nightly at 11 p.m. Around the dial Hot waxy build-up: As I waited for the WEBN-FM Fools' Parade to start last Friday, I spent most of the time listening to Mark "The Mouth" Elliott on WLLT-FM (94.9 mHz). LITE95 turned back the clock to April 1, 1969. Elliott quoted a Frank Weikel column, invited everyone to a boss sock hop at the Rink's store in Evendale, plugged the movies playing at the Jolly Roger Drive-In and the Teens for Decency Rally at Cincinnati Gardens. Newswoman Brenda Hart, using name Adrienne Cronauer, read the latest Vietnam War headlines all morning. Just fooling: No, Earl Pitts has not replaced Jerry Springer as Channel 5's commentator. Pitts (Gary Burbank) just did the Friday night commentary as an April Fool's joke.

The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cable channels strut their stuff

Cable channels strut their stuff

The Cincinnati Enquirer