The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 90

2003:02:28:15:08:11 HEATHCLIFF By George Gately DENNIS THE MENACE By Hank Ketcham FAMILY CIRCUS By Bil Keane MARMADUKE By Brad Anderson GARFIELD By Jim Davis PEANUTS By Charles M. Schulz E32 TELEVISION LOSANGELESTIMES TELEVISION RADIO By Josh Friedman Times Staff Writer More than three centuries later, the story of the Salem witch trials remains as disturbing as ever. Twenty innocent people lost their lives during a year of terror, when a Colonial culture of shame and fear spawned mass hysteria. Those of us who only know the story from grudgingly reading Arthur classic play in high school may be intrigued by Witch a two-part movie (9 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday on CBS) that purports to be a more accurate retelling of events.

This version has its bewitching moments, but no thanks to a bewildering casting choice. The crafty comic actress Kirstie Alley seems out of place as one of the main accusers behind the village witch hunt, and the arc her character ultimately takes is less than convincing. Part one starts on a winter night in Salem, in 1691 when two tragedies strike: A barn is leveled by fire, and Ann Putnam (Alley) delivers a stillborn baby as her daughter, Annie (Katie Boland), watches in horror. When husband, the vindictive Thomas Putnam (Jay O. Sanders), learns of the loss, he and his friend, the Rev.

SamuelParris (Henry Czerny), wonder if the events were caused by dark within the community. Months later, when Annie and several other girls suddenly seem to fall into demonic fits, the adults are too quick to believe their explanation: that they have become by witches living within the community. Parris and the supercilious prosecutor William Stoughton (Peter Usti- nov) set out to purge the town of evil, and soon no one is beyond suspicion. In part two, when the devout elder Rebecca Nurse(Shirley MacLaine) falls prey to accusations, doubts about the validity of the witch hunt finally start to take hold. Despite its flaws, Witch has a mysterious pull that stems in part from the ambiguity of the motives.

Director Joseph Sargent and writer Maria Nation vividly evoke the harshness of 17th century New England, and the themes of religious persecution and the dangerous power of distrust have, sadly, lost no relevance in world. TUNED IN Ben Mark Holzberg CAUGHT UP IN THE HYSTERIA: Kirstie Alley and Jay O. Sanders co-star in Witch Story of Salem still has the power to bewitch By Greg Braxton Times Staff Writer Frantic interactions and off- the-cuff strategy meetings are everyday occurrences in the news department at KNBC-TV Channel 4 as staffers go about the business of preparing several daily newscasts. But the kinetic atmosphere of the operation is about togo bilingual. Starting Sunday, KNBC is joining together, physically and synergistically, with Spanish- language network Telemundo and its stations KVEA-TV Channel 52and KWHY-TV Channel 22.

NBC owns both KNBC and Telemundo in one of several du- opolies in the local television market. Under the duopoly rules, two stations can be owned by the same company. The KNBC-Telemundo merger is the only two-language duopoly. Earlier this week, the KNBC building in Burbank was in the fi- nal stages of remodeling to accommodate about 250 Telemun- do employees who will be relocating from Glendale. The English and Spanish news operations will maintain separate identities and focus, as well as different state-of-the-artstu- dios.

But the news operations will be positioned adjacent to each other on the same floor, working together in developing news, other programming and community outreach. want any walls up said Paula Madison, president and general manager of KNBC. want to create this creative environment where everyone will move back and forth with She noted that most Telemundo employees speak English. The merger between KNBC and KVEA is getting off to a running start Sunday when the stations simultaneously broadcast the L.A. Marathon in separate English and Spanish presentations.

The two live broadcasts will have different anchors and reporters, and will cover the event from distinct cultural perspectives. But executives said the goal of both stations is the same to celebrate the multicultural nature of the event. The joint efforts will continue April 27 with billed as the largest Cinco de Mayo-related celebration, drawing more than 500,000 people to downtown Los Angeles. KNBC and KWHY will tape the daylong festivities in separate productions, and air them in a one-hour special May 3. NBC is anticipating that the KNBC-Telemundo in which NBC owns three stations, one over the current limit be allowed under new rules being considered by the Federal Communications Commission, which has offered indications that it favors increased deregulation.

NBC is hoping to maintain ownership of the smaller KWHY, and, along with Viacom and Fox Entertainment, has urged the FCC to scrap all remaining media-ownership rules, which they say are no longer needed to spur competition. Madison said the effort to make the two operations into a powerful, singleentity is in full swing. executives at NBC knew back in 2000 that the network needed to be on the ground floor in this increasingly Spanish-language she said. with Telemundo gives us the profile we need. It enhances our Added Manuel Abud, vice president and general manager of Telemundo Los Angeles: opportunities are huge on our side.

This gives us a substantial increase in resourcesand really gives us a chance to Tele- mundo is a distant second to Un- ivision, the top-ranked Spanish- language network in the country. But Madison is quick to point out that, unlike the merger between KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV in which on-camera reporters bounce back and forth between the two stations, there will be little if any on-camera crossover between KNBC and Telemundo. The stations will have separate studios and news teams. not our intention to turn our station into KNBC en espa- nol Madison said. serve different audiences, and we want to cannibalize each viewership.

But in terms of finance, engineering, human resources and business, we will be very much together. There is efficiency in our working Gary Friedman Los Angeles Times JOINT VENTURE: KNBC President Paula Madison, left, and Telemundo Vice President Manuel Abud say that the union will help both stations grow, increase visibility and serve audiences. The language of synergy Telemundo and KNBC merge to offer programs in Spanish and English. start with a bilingual broadcast of the L.A. Marathon.

SERIES On the brink: (5 and 8 p.m. today, 5 and 8 p.m. Sunday, CNN) offers an in-depth look at the U.S.-Iraq conflict. Get off my McCloud: Dennis Weaver guest stars on the drama by an (8 tonight, CBS), an episode that mirrors his real-life advocacy for hydrogen- powered automobiles. She blends: Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei lends her voice to (8 p.m.

Sunday, Fox). Grave situation: The Emmy-winning drama Feet (9 p.m. Sunday, HBO) returns for a third season. back: Anna Nicole (10 p.m. Sunday, returns with a new series of mumbling misadventures.

SPECIALS Safe as houses: The newly created Department of Homeland Security is profiled on (8 tonight, History). Monumental undertaking: The Discovery Channel reexamines commonly held notions regarding the Great (9 p.m. Sunday, Discovery). MOVIES It takes two: Music and movement merge the Argentine way in director Carlos stylish 1998 drama (2:30 p.m. today and 12:15 p.m.

Sunday, IFC). By the horns: Robert De Niro stars in (8 tonight, TCM), director Martin masterful 1980 biopic about boxer Jake LaMotta. Fuzzy britches: Raquel Welch goes prehistoric in the 1966 adventure Million Years B.C.”(1 p.m. Sunday, Sci-Fi). SPORTS College basketball: The Bruins visit Oregon (1 p.m.

today, CBS), and the Trojans meet Oregon State (4 p.m. today, FSN). Marathon: Tens of thousands will make a run for it at the 18th annual Los Angeles Marathon (8 a.m. Sunday, NBC). Highlights TODAY The Capital Gang Iraq; the Middle East; Democrats in 4 p.m.

CNN 557826 The Chris Matthews Show President vision for remaking the Middle East; Dan interview with Sad- dam Hussein; politics and the possibility of war. 6:30 p.m. KNBC 7 McLaughlin Group vision for the Middle East. 6:30 p.m. KCET 16807 SUNDAY Meet the Press Iraq: Sen.

Lindsey Graham Tom Andrews, director of Without former Sen. Fred Thompson 6 a.m. KNBC 73424 This Week With George Stephanopou- los Iraq: French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, Sen. John Warner (R- 8 a.m. KABC 85395 Fox News Sunday Iraq: Sen.

Joseph Biden 8 a.m. KTTV 10005 Face the Nation 2004 presidential campaign: former Gov. Howard Dean Iraq: former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Joseph Ralston (retired). 8:30 a.m.

KCBS 58956 Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer Afghanistan, Iraq: Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan; Iraq, North Korea: Sen. Trent Lott Sen. John Rockefeller (DW. Iraq: former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski; former U.N. weapons inspectors David Albright and Bill Tierney; the Middle East, Iraq: Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel; the economy, cost of war: BET founder and CEO Robert Johnson.

9 a.m. CNN 300111 60 Minutes Saddam hidden financial assets; sports utility vehicle sales increase; Indian engineering students in the U.S.7 p.m. KCBS 6685 Listings include talk shows that provide aguest list. Weekend Talk Shows TIPS FOR TODAY 10:30 a.m.-1:40 p.m.—Chevron/ Texaco Metropolitan Opera Broadcast: Puccini with Adrienne Dugger, Norah Amsellem, Richard Margison), KUSC-FM (91.5). 8-10 p.m.—The the Thing: Tennessee Glass with Julie Harris, Calista Flockhart, Zeljko Ivanek and Kevin Kilner, KPCC-FM (89.3).

p.m., a.m.—The Jack Benny Program: Jane Wyman guests (originally broadcast Feb. 18, 1945), KNX (1070). 10-11 p.m.—Romantic Hours: Guest Denyce Graves reads romantic poems of Spain, KMZT-FM (105.1). DRAMA-COMEDY FAMILY 11 a.m.-noon—Wait! Wait! Tell Me! quiz show, KPCC-FM (89.3). Noon-2 p.m.—Whad’ya Know? FM (89.3).

1-4 p.m.—DJ Web Fingors, live from Disneyland Park, KDIS (1110). 5-10 p.m.—David Jordan, KDIS (1110). 6-8 p.m.—A Prairie Home Companion KPCC-FM (89.3). p.m., a.m.—The Great Gildersleeve: Gildersleeve jumps into action when a palm reader comes to town (originally broadcast Jan. 20, 1946), KNX (1070).

10-11 p.m.—Selected Shorts KPCC- FM (89.3). 10 p.m.-3 a.m.—Radio Disney Late Night, KDIS (1110). p.m.—Rewind satiric look at the news, KPCC-FM (89.3). 11:30 p.m.-midnight—Says You! quiz show, KPCC-FM (89.3). HEALTH-CONSUMER 6-10 a.m.—Handel on the Law KFI (640).

8-10 a.m.—Garden Compass KRLA (870). 9-11 a.m.—The Computer Show KABC (790). 10-11 a.m.—Legal Help Live KRLA (870). 10-11 a.m.—Car Talk KPCC-FM (89.3). 10 a.m.-1 p.m.—On Computers KFI (640).

11 a.m.-noon—Good Food KCRW-FM (89.9). 11 a.m.-noon—Geri Best Bargains KRLA (870). 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.—Chef Talk with Jamie Gwen, KABC (790). Noon-1 p.m.—Market Wrap, KLSX-FM (97.1). 1-4 p.m.—FoodTalk with Melinda Lee, KFI (640).

4-5 p.m.—Living on Earth KPCC-FM (89.3). Radio By Frank Stewart In middle age, apt to hear two voices: One says, The other says, After West declined to sacrifice at five hearts, East played the deuce on the first heart, and West shifted to the jack of clubs. South muttered, and finessed with the queen, and East took the king and led a diamond: 10, jack. West then led the ace of hearts. South ruffed and drew trumps, but when he finessed with the queen of diamonds, West took the king.

Down one. do I South sighed. never win for End play South can always succeed, and not a lot of bother. He can end-play West, but let East get in to lead a diamond and break up the end play. South takes the ace of clubs at Trick Two and leads the queen of hearts, pitching his last club.

South ruffs the next club, leads a trump to dummy and ruffs a club. He leads a trump to dummy and returns a diamond to his 10. West must then lead a diamond from the king or yield a fatal ruff-sluff. South dealer Both sides vulnerable NORTH 10 9 7 6 6 6 5 3 A 6 WESTEAST 4 3 A 10 7 3 9 5 4 2 8 9 7 4 10 9 8 7 4 3 SOUTH A 8 5 2 8 A 10 2 5 2 SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST 1 2 2 4 4 All pass Opening lead 2003, Tribune Media Services Bridge Where: KNBC-TVChannel 4 (in English); KVEA-TV Channel 52 (in Spanish) When: 8 a.m. to noon Sunday L.A.

Marathon.