The State from Columbia, South Carolina • 32

JVil 'HUM IM V-I COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20 2003 SECTION Efwt-HJi n-wyii-mraii vyw1 mmrtfC- htfirf frMTil IMa imiii mu pn j'nvp Iyw wjiiMmyy iiuijiiiii ij i')M Vfyiwt v- Comedy A thin line between humor offense in racially tinged shows 1 I grown so has their ability to make their voices heard when they feel humor slips into insult That mean comedians will stop treading the line between the two Race in comedy just like race in everyday situations" said comedian DL Hughley always a component" Hughley who is black often has joked about the differences between blacks and whites always the chance that somebody is going to be Hughley said But "I want people to see what I'm seeing They have to agree with me or like it or understand it but if they see what I'm seeing then chances are get a laugh" was only the latest in a series of recent incidents in which comedians looking for By DEBORAH KONG Th Associated AW ALEONG'S STOMACH churned as he watched the Fox comedy game show the one with the nerdy Asian businessman wearing thick glasses and the karate-chopping martial arts master screaming Paul Noble watched the same show but saw something else To him it was a fresh funny program with great stunts such as two men jousting while riding shopping carts The Asian characters were just part of the backdrop Once minorities like Aleong a Chinese-American might have silently winced about being the butt of jokes on a network program in this case the Fox summer show Not anymore As numbers have Television Moving Dard Strickland and JR Berry to evening to close the ratings gap between their station and WIS PHOTOS BY MCH GUCKSTEWTHL STATE news co-anchors at WLTX is part of an attempt Monday marks their first anniversary as co-anchors Miss America 2003 Erika Harold (Miss Illinois) will be on hand tonight The pageant is dying to attract more viewers with help from the TV genre A team effort at WLTX tips its tiara to TV SEE COMEDY PAGE D3 PHOTOGRAPH ON THE AIR Mias America pageant 8 tonight rat ABC WOLO-25 cable ch 5 rede of pulchritude ho key talent offerings and an end-of-show coronation the pageant was a hit drawing 27 million viewers its first time mi television Nearly 50 years later the formula remains fundamentally the same for better or worse But viewers who dial up this year's model (airing 8 tonight on ABC) will see touches of reality revolution all over the three-hour telecast Hoping to jazz up Miss America's SEE TIARA PAGE D6 SUNDAY health Berry right talks with news director Mike Garber before the 6 pm newscast There is a huge commitment here to news' Berry says same to give viewers die most accurate information possible" Strickland recognized one positive about the move right away meant more sleep time in the morning" she said with a grin Berry had no reservations about making the change and the adjustments that come with primetime newscasts "In the morning you have a little more leeway and usually can approach it with a lighter tone" he said "But even at night once the serious news is out of the way you can still have some HUGE COMMITMENT Berry think his optimism that WLTX eventually can make it to the No 1 spot is farfetched He cited Gannetf purchase of die station in 1998 as a pivotal moment in history "There is a huge commitment here to news" Berry said been here since 1990 and we have more resources than we have ever had It has given viewers a choice of newscasts that they have a few years ago" In May the most recent ratings period for the Columbia TV market WLTX had dosed the ratings gap between it and WIS during die 11 pjn newscasts However there was little change in the 6 and 7 pm newscasts with WIS continuing to hold a substantial lead line is we know we have to provide the best coverage and do die best job we can" Berry said believe doing that and viewers will Berry and Strickland also believe their South Carolina backgrounds give the station another edge in the news wars i SC ties give co-anchors extra weight ByDOUGNYE Television Editor According to jr Berry not a matter of if WLTX will overtake WIS in the key news hours If just a matter of when going to happen" he said "Back in the 1960s WIS was the news station in Columbia not toe case anymore" One thing is certain WLTX is hoping Berry and Dard Strickland are die ones to take the station to ratings victory Monday marks their first anniversary as co-anchors of the key 6 7 and 11 pm newscasts It wad a coup for the pair who had made their name on die morning Berry as co-anchor and Strickland as weather announcer On air Berry seems almost unflappable delivering die news in a smooth calm style In contrast Strickland with her infectious smile is lively and animated The combination has clicked with viewers And what you see on the screen is what you get when they are away from the set You also discover that Berry possesses a sly sense of humor one writer in this town wrote that our set was too dark" Berry said with a slight smile "I thought ft wouM be funny to drape the set in black die next day" Strickland laughed "We do have fun" she said COMICg D4 JOHN CURRAN Associated ATLANTIC CITY NJ WITH ITS amateur singers head-to-head contests and gradual eliminations the Miss America pageant in some respects was TVs first reality show It was Sept 11 1954 For the first time black-and-white images of the Atlantic City beauty pageant were beamed into living rooms across America showing young women parading across the Convention Hall stage in elegjuit evening gowns and tight-fitting swimsuits Grace Kelly was a judge Bob Russell was the host tobe replaced a year later by someone named Bert Parks The winner was Lee Meriwether a 19-year-old Californian Viewers loved it With its pa- COMING HEALTH Personal trainers seem like a luxury only people like Oprah can afford But sometimes even a few sessions can help peopl get on track with their fitness routines Strickland who was the morning weather announcer at up the co-anchor job a year ago rehearses before the 6 pm i About the only anxious moments on die set for Berry come when the Atlanta Braves are playing a huge fan" he said "If they're playing be trying to find out the seme while checking over some copy" DAR ABBY D5 Strickland said easy-going manner helped her make die transition from morning to evening did have some butterflies JR just reminded me to be myself Regardless of the time still news and our job was the TEVISION SEE WLTX PAGE D3 D6 CLASSIFIEDS D7 WWWJHESTATECOM.