The Windsor Star from Windsor, Ontario, Canada • 17

THE WINDSOR STAR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20t 1994 07 IMraiftstjffl CBS deal with WGPR iforcm; TrilMunmi to act It ONLY Leamington Kingsville ONLY Windsor By Ted Shaw Star Entertainment Writer CBS may have found a new home in Detroit on WGPR-Channel 62 but it will take some fast shuffling to make it more visible on cable in Windsor and Essex County. Trillium Cable of Windsor had tentatively planned to drop WGPR, currently on cable channel 55 in Windsor and Leamington, once the new Canadian cable services come on line in January. But word over the weekend that CBS had apparently struck a deal with WGPRs owners, the International Free and Accepted Modem Masons, sent Trillium officials scur tying. Obviously, were going to have to do something," said Jack Martin, Trilliums sales manager, Monday. Right now, WGPR is way up the dial (on cable), but wed prefer to have it down with the other (network affiliate) stations in Detroit." CBS is currently on WJBK-Chan-nel 2, cable 7.

The NBC affiliate, WDIV-Channel 4, is on cable 5, and ABCs WXYX-Channel 7 is cable 8. WJBK switches affiliation to Fox at the end of November, so Trillium has a decision to make keep WJBK where it is; find a spot further up the dial for it and insert WGPR in that cable position; or place WGPR in a more visible cable location. One of the reasons Trillium had decided WGPR was expendable, said Martin, is its poor signal quality. Even though it is located in downtown Detroit and operates on 759 kilowatts of power from a tower located near Royal Oak, the signal is often below usual broadcast standards. Thats fine as long as the programs have limited appeal, like the religious and dance shows currently on Channel 62.

But CBS will be eager to show off its highly rated primetime schedule CBS is the top-rated commercial network and stands to lose millions in advertising revenue if its programming isnt easily accessible to viewers in markets like Detroit. CBSS LINEUP, which includes Murphy Brown, Murder She Wrote, 60 Minutes, Late Show with David Letterman, and new drama Chicago Hope, is a solid one. That kind of programming will probably encourage viewers to follow CBS wherever it goes on the dial. Still, CBS having to sign a deal with WGPR appears to be a desper- Athlete Cairn, proves able as actor CANDICE BERGEN stars in Murphy Brown, a heavy hitter for CBS ation move caused by the network getting shut out of deals with other Detroit independents WADL-Channel 38, WKBD-Channel 50, and WXON-Channel 20 which have more desirable UHF signals. The latter two stations also have higher profiles A FORMAL announcement about CBS and WGPR will be made within the next two weeks.

WGPR doesnt have a news department, so CBS would likely have to spend thousands to set one up if the agreement is for affiliation. Local news generates interest and advertising revenue as a lead-in to the network news and, with CBS Evening News, anchored by Dan Rather and Connie Chung, already a poor third in Detroit, the situation is critical. Trillium had already planned to drop Toledos PBS affiliate, WGTE-Channel 30 (cable 39) in January along with WGPR. Martin said one of the several French-language stations, or possibly another Toledo station, will have to be eliminated in place of WGPR. Randall Schroeder, managing partner in charge of media for Detroits Bozell Worldwide, a company which buys time on television for advertisers, said his company doesnt have confidence" CBS can maintain its audience on WGPR.

When making advertising buys for our clients, we will be cautious and conservative in what we buy at CBS, closely monitoring audience trends, said Schroeder. role in Lois Clark. In fact, the entire show has put a fresh, 1990s spin on the classic old Superman saga. The series casts Teri Hatcher as reporter Lois Lane, the woman who has wholeheartedly captured Clark Kents affections. Trouble is, the biggest obstacle standing in Clarks path is his own invincible alter-ego.

And so, the ironic and bittersweet romantic triangle tends to canyon. The first season of Lois Clark added a nice mix of humor and romance to its storylines, focusing most of its plot conflicts on the dastardly deeds of the shows primary villain, Lex Luthor (played by John Shea). When last audiences saw Lex Luthor, though, he appeared to be plunging toward his death. According to producers, Luthor will resurface this fall. However, the character will only show up a handful of times over the course of the seasoa INSTEAD, THE FOCUS of the show will shift slightly, putting a greater emphasis on more action that will involve a steady stream of different villains who will cross paths with Superman.

For Cain, a greater emphasis on action will mean more hours in the special harness that rigs him up for Supermans flying sequences on the show. And although the actor isnt looking forward to the bumps and bruises he invariably suffers during those flying sequences, he does remain enthusiastic about what will lie ahead for the Man Of Steel. Im very excited about this year, says Cain. The show, Cain explains, will continue to concentrate on providing a strong role model to TV viewers, particularly young viewers. The Superman character is one of strength, one of strong values and honesty, "declares Cain.

And I think that stuff shines through to kids. By Erie Kohanik The Hamilton Spectator HOLLYWOOD Dean Cain breaks into a big smile as he thinks back to his days as a professional football player. He remembers all too well the bumps and bruises that he used to suffer in the NFL as a member of the Buffalo Bills. And he remembers the knee injury that ultimately sidelined his football career. It was that injury, though, that prompted Cain to break into the acting world.

But hes been getting his share of bumps and bruises there, too. Physically, its not tougher than football, and I dont think it ever can be," Cain reflects as he settles into his chair in a hotel meeting room in Los Angeles. But mentally, its a heck of a lot tougher because its a grind for nine months. We work 12, 14, 15 hours a day, five days a week, for nine months. NOT THAT HE really minds.

For one thing, Cain has suddenly found himself propelled to superstar status, thanks to his dual stint as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent and his crime-fighting alter-ego on ABCs high-flying Lois Clark; The New Adventures Of Superman (Sundays, 8 p.m, Channel 7, cable 8, and Channel 16, cable 6). The series is only heading into its second season this fall, but Cain is already overwhelmed by his popularity among fans of the show, not only in Canada and the U.S., but in other countries around the world. The biggest shock for me, I think, was going to Europe," Cain recalls. The show is hugely popular over in Britain. And to have people in a country Ive never been to recognize me was very surprising.

It was exciting as hell, but it was also very scary. Cains first big brush with celebrity status came a few years ago during his days as a student at Princeton University, when he was dating classmate Brooke Shields. It wasn't until his weekly television duties on Lois Clark came along, though, that Cain discovered exactly what demands fame would put on him. Everyone always says that when you star in a series, youre going to lose your life, or something like that, he recalls. But you dont really know what it feels like until it happens.

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Sat. this year. It was very interesting. Cain admits that acting was the last thing on his mind during his years in high school. Although he was recruited for a role in The Stone Boy, a 1984 feature film directed by his father, Chris, he says his primary interest had always been football.

My plan had been to screen-write and to play football," recalls Cain. Although his career in football came to an abrupt end, he has kept working on his screenwriting over the years. MEANWHILE, HIS string of TV credits has included guest appearances on such series as Beverly Hills 90210, Life Goes On, and A Different World. Unlike many other TV stars who seem eager to jump into movies as soon as they can during their summer breaks, Cain opted to stay away from all of the acting projects he was offered. I had an enormous number of opportunities during the hiatus," Cain says.

The reason I chose not to do any of them is, basically, I didnt want to make a mistake. I want to come out with a film that feels right and feels good." Instead, Cain opted to write, produce and direct an upcoming ABC special that will focus on the off-camera lives of various celebrities. AS FOR HIS OWN off-camera life, Cain spends much of his time relaxing, playing basketball and surfing. Hes in the gym a good deal of the time, too, getting back into shape for his Superman duties this seasora While part of the reason for Cains overwhelming popularity is undoubtedly his chiselled good looks, a good deal of the allure also comes from the charm and poignancy he has brought to his Athletic Footwear Ft Clothing Specialut 1 hexWindsonStarj EBTjSINffSEQTIOri JNjIODAYSS2S wmsoRmmaw 1994-9 5XSEASON NOTICE: The Windsor Star offers partial insert distribution by F.SA for Windsor Advertisers (Minimum distribution CALL Jan Burnett 255-5794 for details. Friday, Sept.

23, 7:30 P.M. Susan Haig, Conductor Walkerville Collegiate Institute Auditorium Media Sponsor: CBC Radio 1550 Tickets $15 $3 students DO NOT PAY FDD ONE James Ormfton, Clarinet Susan Haig, Conductor ENlfERQ smujRi To order tickets, call: 252-6579 1-800-387-9181.