Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 24

WBMG readies re-entry into newscast atmosphere Bnwg ham Post-Hf old Tuosdoy Pocoiwbor 33 I96 Former top dogs talk about Iran Steve Ross Marianne Matthews Paul Ossmann By Siona Carpenter Poel-Hmld Reporter It's been almost five years since WBMG Channel 42 gave up its newscast but the station is now ready to reclaim its share of the Birmingham news market and maybe a little more On Jan 12 the local CBS affiliate will unveil Action News a fast-paced newscast expected to cost 15 million the first year The program will air at 5 and 10 pm Mondays through Fridays at 6 and 10 pm on Saturdays and at 10 pm on Sundays The station owned by Park Broadcasting Inc of Ithaca NY began running promotional spots featuring two of its anchors Saturday The last Channel 42 newscast was haunted by low ratings Although station officials say they don't expect to take masses of viewers from WBRC Channel 6 and WVTM Channel 13 they hope to carve a comfortable niche in the Birmingham market think we have realistic goals in looking for an audience We looking for a quantum leap although we'd love to see it happen News is a habitual viewing situation and it's always the most difficult area to attack" WBMG station manager Hoyle Broome said Frank Morock WBMG news director said "The company was realistic We're not coming in and saying we're going to be No 1 but we believe there is a niche in the market for Broome said "We feel there's a tendency to cover only the periphery of the market We feel like Birmingham deserves a news that looks at the five-county metro Morock hired from Montgomery's WAKA a CBS affiliate said some newscasts bore viewer with long stories and features "I like a newscast that is especially fast-paced You feel informed but wonder where the time went" A San Diego company designed a modern By Faye Zuckerman Special to the Poet-Herald On APT at 10 four former secretaries of state have a lively and intriguing discussion about characteristics of that position clashes between the president and Congress how the press influences foreign policy and the arms deal with Iran Edwin Newman moderates Fourth Annual Report of the Secretaries of State" which includes Dean Rusk (1961-69) Henry Kissinger (1973-77) Edmund Muskie (1980-81) and Alexander Haig (1981-82) The most outspoken of the group is Rusk who urges the president and Congress to work together on foreign policy issues Of the news media's obsession with speculating about the future Rusk comments has not given us (secretaries of state) the capacity to pierce the fog of the future with accuracy But I couldn't sit there in front of the cameras and say 'Damned if I Regarding the Iran-contra situation Henry Kissinger says he sees nothing wrong with trying to improve relations with Iran But Haig criticizes the Reagan in Central America saying it creates "confusions and Taped live in November at the Atlanta Civic Center mann who was hired from the ABC affiliate in Montgomery Tarkenton came to Channel 42 from WDEF in Chattanooga Ross a tall 49-year-old with graying hair and chiseled features acknowledged the camaraderie liked me another at first blush I think the management was looking for that Ross who left a television station in Pennsylvania to take the Channel 42 job has been in Birmingham five weeks getting to know the city and making contacts His last job was in Lancaster Pa first reaction to Birmingham was that it was great to be back in the Miss Matthews a 26-year-old Texan said Birmingham reminds her of her native state "I like the feel of the city pretty and woodsy people are interested in the arts and they are so friendly and Miss Matthews a former Magazine" anchor in Buffalo NY was hired from a Charleston SC television station 'Shanghai' director undid it Madonna says of new film flop TODAY Highlights APT at 8: Will the next generation of farmers be working underwater? The science show examines that possibility by studying recent Japanese Chinese and American efforts to grow food underwater Christmas (1984) CBS at 8: George Scott is perfect as stingy Ebenezer Scrooge in the best of the umpteen versions of Charles Dickens' classic Filmed in Shrewsbury England this adaptation fast becoming a classic as well remains true to uplifting tale about the meaning of the giftgiving holiday NBC at 9: Tonight the network's own version of the movie "The Killing Thai cameraman An Vang worked closely with Neil Davis the NBC News producer who was killed in Thailand during the coup attempt last December The segment reports on Vang's horrifying escape from Thailand and includes an interview with him Thursday night "It's a small DeLorean said yesterday guess it could only happen in the United Hasenfus is "a nice guy who went through a DeLorean said actually just talked about things in general He said he wasn't permitted to discuss what was going on because he's got to testify to Glimpses Political names are high on the holiday celebrity lists Victoria Lawford daughter of Patricia Kennedy Lawford and the late actor Peter Lawford is engaged to Robert Pender a Washington DC attorney The bride-to-be a niece of the late President John Kennedy is a television coordinator at Very Special Arts a Kennedy Center program for the disabled Presidential great-granddaughter Adriana Echavarria-Eisen bower makes her social debut at the International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York Dec 29 following in the footsteps of her mother and aunts New 42 team: from left Chip Tarkenton news set equipped with computerized weather and sports centers and multiple television monitors Next door is a computerised newsroom Broome said you get the basic hardware and the best graphics once you get that down pat you really get into It's 22 days before airtime and the four anchors are posing for photographs at the mauve light blue and white set Although they met as a group for the first time Sunday news anchors Steve Ross Marianne Matthews weather anchor Paul Ossmann and sports director-anchor Chip Tarkenton talk and joke with each other like old friends As they pose for a photographer a visitor notes that Ossmann 29 and Tarkenton 26 the nephew of former pro football quarterback Fran Tarkenton are wearing the same tan saddle shoes shows you how much we're alike We saw each other for the first time (Sunday) and we were wearing the same shoes except I had on a brown sock and a white said Oss Dickens' classic tale of miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge who scoffs at the joys of the Christmas season until he's visited by spirits who convince him otherwise (R) (CC) MM Importance Of Being (1952) Michael Redgrave Margaret Rutherford 9:50 WIBS 14 Millions" (1967) Dustin Hoffman Cesar Romero A fumbling IRS agent is assigned to Italy to find out what happened to the vast financial assets of a dead mobster 10:00 IM "It Rained All Night The Day I Left" (197B) Tony Curtis Sally Kellerman Two soldiers of fortune become embroiled in danger in a wealthy woman's desert empire 10:30 MO "Fever (1985) Ryan O'Neal Catherine Hicks SHOW "Bin Cosby (1982) Bill Cosby PG MM Of The Bride" (1950) Spencer Tracy Elizabeth Taylor 10:45 MAX 14 "Heaven Help (1985) Donald Sutherland John Heard 11:30 WGN 14 Happened One Christmas" (1977) Mario Thomas Wayne Rogers An angel grants a depressed young woman the unusual opportunity of seeing what life would be like without her 11:40 0 Lives Again" (1978) Frederic Forrest Kathleen Lloyd Several couples find their joy over having a baby changed into nerve-shattering terror when the infants emerge as clawed monsters (R) 11:50 WIIS "Teacher's (1958) Clark Gable Doris Dty The city editor of a large news Unit'd Pruus Intmuliaul Rock star Madoaaa says certainly not to blame for the complete critical and commercial failure of "Shanghai the movie in which she starred with husband Seu Pens In a New York interview with British Broadcasting Radio One Madonna primarily blamed director Jim Goddard saying a television director and he was in over his Madonna said backers of which was produced by ex-Beatle George Harrison an action film like of the Lost but the script was really a very personal love story between two people They left out all the stuff about a relationship which was the saving grace of the DeLorean Hasenfus meet John DeLoreaa said he had interesting with Eagene Hasenfus the gunrunner freed by Nicaragua while the two sat in an Detroit airport lounge waiting for flights to take them on their separate ways The maverick automaker was heading for New York following his acquittal on racketeering and fraud charges in Detroit while Hasenfus was returning to his Wisconsin home and a reunion with his family on By Bamico Bad Osal Newspupw Entcrprtw Amociillon FOP THOSE WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS TODAY: Thoro aro rewards at Rm ond of dw read from Ifw count you're presently doming Unnocot-KKy changm mtfit Ml you back a bit in tfw yoar ahead CAPRICORN (Doc 22-Jan 19) Unlow you're an ntromoiy attentive listener you may hoar only what you want to hoar when discus-ling a sensitive luuo AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Fob 19) Procood ono itep at a time in developing your now oil project You may fall flat if you try to accom-ptish everything wHh ono gigantic loop PISCES (Fob 20-March 20) In ordm for a partnership arrangement to work out success-fuify both partiei mud bo in complete agree-' rnenl Even a dight amount of discord could 1 Aon (Iglnid HQQ vO QMVWi ARIES (March 2 1 -April 19) Try to bo tolerant if co-work! don't grasp idea! os quickly os you do won't hurt you to repeat the fact! for their benefit TAURUS (April 20-May 20) If you're a fink 'rfiort financially don't barrow money from friendi for a fleeting fancy There could be 1 agony in the paycheck GEMINI (May 21-June 20) you're mdod- live about buying an article for your house-! hold when dropping walk away from espe-1 dally if the need isn't critiad CANCER (June 21 -July 22) Your mud good I work habit! mit not be in hi force There'! a chance you may try to get by with a lick and a -pcomito LEO (July 23-Aug 22) An opportunity of profitable potential could slip through your fin-! gen if you haw an easy-come may-go frame Horoscope of mind Traat serious matter! with import VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22) Prospect! who want to buy what you have to offer will wiggle off the hook if not a good closer Start writing up the ordm at the first nod of approval LIBRA (Sept 23-Ort 23) Try to we dungs for what they are and not ai you would like them to be Positive thinking constructive) wishful thinking isn't SCORPIO (Oct 2 4-Nov 22) behooves you to steer clear of shops that offer unique or novel merchandise You could end up buying gadgets you may never use SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21) Thh one of those doys when you could match defeat from the grasp of victory if you start making unnecessary changes in something that's now running smoothly HEATHCUFF TUESDAY'S MOVIES DECEMBER 23 1986 AFTMNOON 3:30 MO Christmas That Almost (1966) Rossano Brazzi Paul Tripp 4:00 SNOW "Christmas Lilies Of The Field" (1979) Billy Dee Williams Maria Schell 4:30 MAX "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" (1981) Kristy McNichoi Mark Hamid PG 5:00 MO 14 (1985) Chevy Chase Joe Don Baker PG (CC) MSN Little (1974) Richard Kiley Gene Wilder IVININQ paper goes to a journalism class at night school and falls in love with the teacher 12:00 (9 14 "The Neon Ceiling" (1971) Lee Grant Gig Young An unhappily married woman runs away with her daughter and falls in love with another man 12:20 MO V4 "Goodbye New York" (1985) JuM Hagerty Amos KoHek SHOW "Blood Ties" (1986) Brad Davis Tony LoBianco 12:30 MM "King (1937)-Paul Robeson Cedric Hardwicke 12:35 MAX 14 On Parade" (1982) John Cleese Denis Quilley 1:00 OB 14 Slade" (1961) Troy Donahue Connie Stevens When her daughter gives birth to' an illegitimate child a woman poses as the infant's mother until a crisis exposes the truth 1:55 MO (1980) Paul Michael Glaser: Susan Hogan 2:00 (9 "Manfish" (1956) John Bromfiekl Lon Chaney A Jamaican treasure hunt turns into an expedition of deceit and terror ON Man Who Died Twice" (1958) Rod Cameron Vera Hruba Ralston MM "The Importance Of Being Earnest" (1952) Michael Redgrave Margaret Rutherford 2:20 SHOW "Nutcracker" (1984) Joan Collins Carol White 2:25 WIBS Vk "No Man Of Her Own" (1932) Clark Gable Carole Lombard A cunning card-sharp "loses his aces" and succumbs to the charms of a pretty girl who wants him to charge fis lifestyle I 7:00 WON My Way" (1944) Bing Crosby Barry Fitzgerald A priest assigned to a downtrodden parish works a miracle with the parish and the people MO 14 (1984) Jeff Bridges Karen Allen PG (CC) SHOW 14 Little Drummer Girt" (1984) Diane Keaton Yorgo Voyagis (CC) MAX "Funny Girl" (1968) Barbra Streisand Omar Sharif 8:00 ffl 14 "Little Lord (1980) Ricky Schroder Alec Guineas A poor New York youngster becomes an heir to his grandfather's British estate (32 Christmas Carol" (1984) George Scott David Wafner An adaptation of Charles.