Almost 15 years after Paramount scrapped plans to launch a fourth television network, the studio - in partnership with Chris-Craft Industries - has announced plans to launch a fifth network.
The Paramount Network is set to begin airing four hours of programming - two hours each on two nights-to-be-named-later - in January 1995.And the only show announced so far comes from Paramount's most successful franchise. "Star Trek Voyager" will lead the new network into the ratings wars.
The basis for the network will be four independent stations owned by Paramount and six indies owned by Chris-Craft. Combined, they cover 27 percent of the country.
Chris-Craft, by the way, owns one of the local stations - ABC affiliate KTVX-Ch. 4. But KTVX, as well as an NBC station owned by Chris-Craft and three Fox affiliates owned by Paramount, will not become part of the new Paramount network.
At least not any time in the near future.
Of course, what that means is there is no assurance that there will be a Paramount affiliate in Utah. The one station that would seem an obvious possibility to sign on with the fifth network, KJZZ-Ch. 14, isn't even interested.
KJZZ owner Larry H. Miller bought the station to have a local television outlet for his NBA franchise, the Utah Jazz. The team enjoyed a number of highly successful years on Fox-owned KSTU-Ch. 13, until that network grew so established that it was no longer interested in pre-empting Fox programming for the Jazz.
At least in its early stages - four hours over two nights - a KJZZ-Paramount affiliation would probably be manageable, even with the Jazz schedule. But plans for the fifth network call for a continued rollout of new nights up to a total of 10 hours over five nights, and the same sort of problems that resulted from the growth of Fox could ensue.
The only other current option in Utah would be KOOG-Ch. 30 in Ogden, and the weakness of the station would probably preclude it from serious consideration.
Not that that would definitely rule out the possibility of seeing Paramount programming locally. The new network is also planning to air its programming on cable where no affiliates exist.
If Paramount did find a local affiliate, it would result in the rather interesting situation of having a network affiliate part-owned by Chris-Craft competing directly with Chris-Craft owned Ch. 4.
But ironies abound here. Paramount came close to launching a network in the late 1970s - and planned to start out with a "Star Trek" series that reunited most of the original cast.
(As a matter of fact, the script for the TV movie that was to reintroduce the show eventually became the first "Star Trek" theatrical movie.)
And running the show at Paramount at the time was Barry Diller, who went on to Fox and launched the Fox Broadcasting Co.
One of the executives working under Diller at Paramount was Lucie Salhany, who is now chairman of the Fox Broadcasting Co.
And Diller, now departed from Fox and running QVC, is competing with Viacom to take over Paramount - and, reportedly, launch a fifth network of his own.
The fact that Paramount is still in play does lead to some skepticism over whether these plans will actually unfold. Viacom, which has made a friendly $10 billion takeover bid for the studio, has endorsed the plan.
But QVC, which has made a hostile $10 billion bid it is expected to up shortly, could well scuttle the proposed network if it wins out.
Let's just hope that local "Star Trek" fans won't be shut out from seeing the new series a year from January.
FAMOUS TALL GUY: Philadelphia 76ers rookie - and former BYU and Emery High center - Shawn Bradley will be one of those profiled on CBS's "48 Hours" on Nov. 10.
The topic of the hour isn't basketball, it's fame.
NEW TOY: If you tune into the Jazz pregame show tonight (5 p.m., Ch. 14), you'll see the latest local electronic toy.
Frank Layden will be using a telestrator the team bought for its broadcasts. A telestrator is that thing you see John Madden and other network analysts using - it allows them to "draw" on the screen to illustrate a point.
You'll also see the gadget in action tomorrow when KJZZ broadcasts the BYU at Utah State football game.
COSTAS TO CBS?: When Bob Costas announced some time ago that he was leaving his late-night talk show, NBC's "Later," it was widely believed he would be staying with the network to broadcast baseball.
But . . . maybe not. The trade paper Variety has reported the CBS is wooing Costas for the post-David Letterman slot on its schedule.
Stay tuned . . .
ANOTHER PICKUP: Fox, bless its little heart, has picked up a full season's worth of the low-rated - but very good - comedy "Bakersfield P.D."
That's 22 episodes.
NAME THAT VOICE: NBC's "Frasier" may have the most distinguished guest list of the season - and regular viewers never even knew it.
Among those whose voices have been or will be heard as callers to Frasier's radio advice show are Jeff Daniels, Judith Ivey, Bruno Kirby, Joe Mantegna, Eddie Van Halen, Griffin Dunne, Linda Hamilton and Christopher Reeve.