For the second time in a year, KSTU-Ch. 13 has turned to the CBS affiliate in Dallas to snag a news director.

Tim Ryan, currently a reporter and producer at KDFW, takes charge of Fox News in Utah on April 4.He'll replace Lisa Gregorisch, who left KSTU to start a news operation at the Fox station in Dallas.

"This is like a dream come true," Ryan said. "It's actually more than I had dreamed."

Although he has 18 years of experience in television news, including stints at major-market stations in Chicago, Houston and Phoenix, this will be Ryan's first time as a news director.

"I've been wanting to break into management for a long time," he said. "This job is probably a lot better than what I deserved, based on my resume."

But Steven Carlston, KSTU's general manager, has high hopes for his new man.

"I'm really excited about him," he said. "He'll bring a lot of enthusiasm to the job. Television has been the same year after year after year because we keep hiring the same people to run it. I believe in letting new people get a chance."

It's the same tack Carlston took when he hired Gregorisch, who is not only aggressive but also an aggressive woman. "Everybody thought that was a real risk, but it worked out great," he said.

Ryan worked with Gregorisch at KDFW, and while the two got along well, their styles are "vastly different."

"She had to come in and set the place on fire," Ryan said. "Hopefully, I can bring some consistency and credibility to the operation."

`BIRDS' SEQUEL STINKS: Showtime, which inflicted "Psycho IV: The Beginning" on its subscribers back in 1990, sullies Alfred Hitchcock's memory once again tonight at 7 p.m. with "The Birds II: Land's End."

Bad movie. Bad, bad movie.

Whereas Hitchcock's original was a masterpiece of suspense, this sequel, directed by Alan Smithee and written by Ken and Jim Wheat and Robert Eisele, is utterly lacking in that element. There isn't a moment that you don't know exactly what's going to happen next.

And when the birds aren't attacking, the plot is desultory at best. A young couple (Brad Johnson and Chelsea Field), mourning the loss of their son, plan a summer vacation on an island off the East Coast. But those pesky birds - ticked off at man's polluting ways, apparently - plot their attack.

View Comments

The actual attack scenes look remarkably fake, and grossness substitutes for real horror.

Not to mention that the ending is no ending at all - it just sort of hangs there.

About the only thing "Birds II" has in common with the original is Tippi Hedren, who shows up in an insignificant role.

If you want a good horror film, skip "Birds II" and watch the original "The Birds," which follows at 8:30 p.m. on Showtime.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.