The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 35

Crossword JJ-O DearAbby Horoscope. THURSDAY, Sept. 8, 1983 Section h. 30 Hopes Delay May Mean Being Best TV Column I i' 5 4 1 I a 4 I i i iwrn 't, 'mm: mmJm i "i 1 I A i 4i Jii-. tising dollar be able to stretch far enough to cover six commer-.

cial TV stations, including three independents? "I know there's plenty of activity here for two independents," McDonald said. "And who's to say there's not enough for three?" The TV industry is changing every day, he said, and what's been true in the past may not hold true in the future. "If you don't like the fast track," he said of today's independent broadcasters, "you shouldn't play this kind of game." Local investors in Channel 30, in addition to Fulton, include former owner and publisher of The Tennessean Amon Carter Evans, Nashville attorney George Barrett, state Rep. James R. McKin-ney, Citizens Bank president Richard Lewis, and Nashville attorney William R.

Willis. Twins for Elaine As if Elaine Ganick hasn't had enough "surpises" in the past year now she's learned she's expecting twins. Well-meaning friends had been discussing her rather inflated size for weeks, and Ganick, nearly seven months pregnant, decided early this week to resolve the questions once and for all. Although, her doctor thought the possibility of twins was remote (he'd only heard one heartbeat), he agreed to request an ultrasound test. The results confirmed those friends' suspicions and yes indeed, there will be two young Ganick-Bowles arriving in mid to late November.

After picking husband Woody Bowles off the floor, Ganick said the couple is starting to get used to the idea. "IT WAS quite a surprise," Ganick said. "As Woody says, 'We didn't expect twins just a Ganick, well-known to Nash- (Turn to page 3-D) By DIANE BARTLEY Being best beats being first. At least that's the philosophy of the Channel 30 "team," a trio of determined broadcasters eager to launch Nashville's seventh television station in the first quarter of 1984. "I KNOW there's room for one independent station," said Tim McDonald, president of the Virginia-based Television Corporation Stations (TVX for short).

"And that's us." McDonald, who founded TVX four years ago with one station in Norfolk, said Nashville's Channel 30 was the second station his group went after. A group of Nashville business and political leaders, including Mayor Richard Fulton, joined TVX as investors in the effort, but over the ensuing years, the Federal Communications Commission dragged its feet, the 12 other Channel 30 applicants tested their muscle and TVX kept right on growing. WJTM-TV in GreensboroWin-ston-Salem, N.C.; WRLH-TV in Richmond, and WMKW-TV in Memphis followed the original WTVZ in Norfolk. WHEN THE FCC finally granted the license for Channel 30 just last month, McDonald and his group were already well on their way to building an independent television empire and, they say, they've worked out a formula for getting a new station on the air easily and successfully. The first step, finding a tower site, is completed: It will be located on a parcel of land west of Interstate 24 near Brick Church Pike and Channel 5's tower.

Next comes the search for studio and office space, and TVX Chairman of the Board Gene Loving said the group is "very close" to selecting that site, "probably in the downtown area." McDonald, Loving and TVX Executive Vice President John A. Trinder were all in town earlier this week to check out possible headquarters for WCAY-Channel 30 (call letters tentative, pending FCC approval); a Nashville realtor said the group probably will make a decision within the next 10 days after the sites are checked out by TVX engineers. BUT THE KEY to successful independent television lies in the shows themselves, said McDonald, the programming wizard of the group, a veteran programming chief in the Washington, D.C., and the man who custom programs each of his station's on-air schedules four times a year. The trick, he said, is to figure out what the people who aren't watching the Big Three networks want to watch instead. Two ideas: Movies when the rest of the world is watching sports, and sports on weekday nights not weekends.

In fact, McDonald said, sports will be an important part of Channel 30 programming. BUT THE MAN in charge there is Trinder, who usually handles advertising sales. When it comes to sports, McDonald admitted, Trinder takes command. Trinder said he plans to bring "national level" sports to Nashville television as well as the station's first priority, local sports. At TVX's Memphis station, he said, all Memphis State games have been cleared for airing.

Nashville sports contracts are still in negotiation. Channel 30 won't be the first Nashville station to try this "counterprogramming" technique, however. WZTV-Channel 17 is doing quite well with its alternative programming, WFYZ-Channel 39 in Murfreesboro (with signal coming into Nashville) plans a similar strategy when it goes on the air Nov. 1. NASHVILLE TV viewers will certainly enjoy the new diversity of free over-the-air programming, but one very big question remains.

Will Nashville's adver Staff photo by Bill Welch Together this trio comprises the Television Corporation Stations group, major stockholders in and the force behind Channel 30, Nashville's newest TV station scheduled to launch in late March-early April, 1984. From left are TVX Executive Vice President John A. Trinder, President Tim McDonald, and Chairman of the Board Gene Loving. 70s Star Inaugurates A Brand New Label .4 i. mw 3f i ill Pi L5 The Nashville City Ballet shown here in Peggy Burks' Group.the ensemble hopes to develop into a "commu- v.upnte noias us auditions on Saturday, nity company" for Nashville.

Formerly known as the Young Dancers' Concert Nashville City Ballet Leaps Into New Season By ROBERT K. OERMANN Freddy Weller's comeback story involves more than new music from the country-pop singer; it centers on the formation of a new Nashville record company. Weller, a highly successful Columbia Records star of the 1970s, is returning to disc on B.T.B. Records, a label backed by Bob Montgomery of Warner Brothers Music. Montgomery is one of Nashville's most powerful and successful producers and song publishers.

"I HAD BEEN an admirer of Montgomery's work for a long time," Weller said yesterday. "I guess for now his label's been created for me." Montgomery said he formed the label to display Weller's work. "I basically started B.T.B. for Freddy," Montgomery said. "I've got a record I believe in with him.

It's a one-artist label until I get him off the ground." B.T.B. WILL BE independently distributed and nationally promoted, Montgomery said. "The major labels have worked themselves into a box where they can't make a profit on a record that sells 50 to 60,000 copies, but an independent label can," he said. "I think there are a lot of artists like Freddy who can still sell records, but there are really only four major labels left in Nashville that are doing anything, and their rosters are full." Weller does have a proven track record. The handsome Atlanta-born singer-songwriter was a member of the superstar pop group Paul Revere The Raiders in the 1960s.

He is also a successful pop composer. With Tommy Roe he wrote Dizzy and Jam Vp, Jelly Tight, both Top-10 hits. Bob Luman's 1972 hit Lonely Women Make Good Lovers was co-written by Weller and Spooncr Oldham. WHEN WELLER switched to country recording in 1963, he began enjoying hits of his own. Cames Peode Play.

These Are 4 Freddy Weller Focus of a new Nashville label Not My People, Promised' Land, Indian Lake and Too Much Monkey Business made him a regular in the country Top-10. Records such as Ask Any Old Cheater Who Knows (1976), Co For the Night (1979) and Lost In Austin (1980) demonstrated his stylistic depth. "Bob and I looked together for material for this project." Weller said. "We eventually settled on a song I co-wrote with Buzz Cason called Wild Streak for my single." CASON WROTE Weller's Bar Wars (1978), and the two co-wrote Fantasy Island (1979) which resulted in Weller's guest appearance on the popular TV series. Weller's later singles on Columbia were in a country-rock style similar to the one Bob Montgomery has recently used as a producer for Janie Fricke and Razzy Bailey hits.

Weller said the style is attrac-live to him, although it is not a continuation of his previous orka (Turn to page 3-D) By JOHN BRIDGES A new season brings a new name as the Nashville City Ballets formerly Young Dancers' Concert Group, holds its company auditions Saturday. "I felt that I wanted the company to be a community company," said Peggy Burks, Nashville City Ballet's recently appointed artistic director. "I wanted people to know that this was a company that gets involved in the community. "That's why I wanted 'Nashville' in the name. Plus, there was the fact that I never could remember 'Young Dancers' Concert Group." FURTHERMORE, Burks said the original name of the company, formed in 1981 under the aegis of Theater Dance Company.

failed to give an accurate picture of its members. "They're young in age, all she said. "But when you seehem onstageyou'd never people 'how young' these dancers are. What they are is dedicated young artists." Burks, who officially assumed the company's artistic leadership Sept. 1, said that, while her en-, semble will rehearse at the Dancers' Studio, Bandywood Drive, she resists the idea of "a company attuned Just to the Dancers' Studio.

"We want others to feel free to join us in the company aspect of our activities, as long as they can reach certain standards," Burks said. ALSO HIGH on the priority list for the re-named company is attaining accreditation with the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association (SERBA). "That's one of the most important things we can do," Burks said. "We've already begun the paper work with SERBA. and we'll know in a few months." Saturday's Nashville City Ballet auditions begin at 12:30 p.m.

at the Dancers' Studio. Audition ing dancers, 13 and older, will be required to bring pointe shoes. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the same day, Burks will also hold auditions for members of her apprentice company, made up of dancers 10 and "Apprentice company members won't have to have experience on pointe," Burks said. "I'll offer that with great fervor." OTHER TEACHERS for the company include Jane Fabian, Robin Owen, and Marianne Leach.

Already on the calendar for the group, which made its premiere appearance of the season at last weekend's Italian Street Fair fund-raiser for the Nashville Symphony Association, is an April concert for the Friends of Music series at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Further information concerning Saturday's auditions is available from Burks at 889-5037 or Fabian at 3J3-2125. v. Peggy Burks iVCB artistic director have any idea. I've told the other teachers quit always telling.