Remote patrol

Capitalizing on the endless interest in in-line skating, the Disney Channel presents "Brink! " at 6 p.m. "Brink" is a boilerplate team-sports story merged with the nonstop action of blading. Among other movie offerings, all starting at 8 p.m.: Shannen Doherty and Jeremy London are former TV stars killing time in 1995's "Mallrats" on Channel 9, Dylan Walsh and Laura Linney go ape in "Congo" on Channel 41, and Showtime airs the eh remake of "Lolita" with Jeremy Irons.

Investigative producer loses position in KSHB budget cuts

Citing a sharp downturn in ad sales, KSHB, Channel 41, terminated three employees, including the producer of the Emmy award-winning "Public Defenders" investigative team. The NBC affiliate, owned by E.W. Scripps Co. of Cincinnati, made the moves as part of a belt-tightening requested of all nine Scripps-owned stations. Management said the General Motors work stoppage earlier this year, which wiped out all GM advertising for several weeks, was a major factor. Station officials announced the changes to a stunned news staff Aug. 20. Some staffers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they were "devastated" and "discouraged" over what they viewed as a body blow to the station's investigative unit. Kim Kruger, the "Public Defenders" producer, was a skilled projects leader; his replacement, Tom Christiansen, has no investigative experience. General manager Jim Swinehart said the only fair way to meet Scripps' request was to cut the people with the least amount of company seniority, and that meant Kruger. "As far as I'm concerned, we have not lessened our commitment to doing investigative work," Swinehart said. Kevin Petrehn moved from investigative to general-assignment reporting earlier this year, and Al Deal recently accepted a position in Atlanta. There were rumors that his position would not be filled, but Swinehart said a replacement for Deal is being sought. Two sports positions also were eliminated, a move Swinehart said was also related to 41's loss of Chiefs football. More than one staffer was appalled that sports producer Steve Mehl had been let go while reporter Alan Shope, whose position also was terminated, was allowed to take another position at the station as a news photographer. Shope, you may recall, recently served a one-week suspension, reportedly for digging through fellow reporter Lisa Holbrook's purse to have a look at her pay stub. Swinehart said that firing Shope at this point would be illegal. "These people were not fired for cause. This was a reduction in force," Swinehart said. "And one thing we do as company policy is that if there's an opening that someone is qualified to fill, you offer them the job." Part-time reporter Amanda Jahn is no longer working at 41, although Swinehart said that was not related to the other terminations. De Alva gets weekend work Christine de Alva, who joined WDAF, Channel 4, last year as a reporter, has been named the new anchor of WDAF's 7 a.m. newscasts on weekends. The native of San Jose, Calif., previously worked at stations in El Paso, Texas, and Chico, Calif. She will be teamed with meteorologist Joe Lauria starting Sept. 5. Got the blues each day A locally produced showcase of music from Club Mardi Gras, a blues bar at 19th and Vine, is going daily. "BTV: Blues Television," featuring guitarist Sonny Kenner, will begin airing at 8 a.m. weekdays on Time Warner Cable's Channel 4 Monday. Kenner will be co-host with Aquilla Tubbs. Tubbs and her husband, public-access TV veteran Taju Tubbs, produce the show. If you're a regular viewer of Channel 4 you've seen their work under various titles in the past, including "KC Jass Flavors," which also airs at 9 a.m. Mondays on KPXE, Channel 50. Laurie Everett returns to KMBC, Channel 9, Monday on a part-time basis following back surgery. She will appear on the 10 p.m. news only. Ronda Scholting has left KMBC to take a reporter's position in Denver. StarTouch: 889-7827 and enter 8852 (TVKC). E-mail: writeme@tvbarn.com.

Remote patrol

In this repeat of a "Candid Camera" that aired earlier this year, the TV show played a trick on one group of people you can't afford to annoy: TV critics. At a recent press enclave individual critics checked into the hotel only to be assigned a room with no TV set in it. Then the cameras waited for the critic to pick up the phone and call the front desk. Fortunately for Peter Funt (left, with co-host Suzanne Somers) and company, the results were a hit with critics; you'll see them at 7:30 tonight on Channel 5. At 10:35 p.m. on Channel 5, the last of a fortnight of "Late Show With David Letterman" repeats. Dave returns from vacation Monday and, gee, I wonder what he'll talk about?

Remote patrol

Don't miss a chance to see Ted Koppel in lockup tonight on "Nightline in Primetime" (9 p.m. on Channel 9). Koppel visited a high-tech prison in Huntsville, Ala., a few years ago to check out its inordinate, some would say inhumane, amount of video monitoring and the rationing of such resources as water. Then Koppel spent the night there and reported his own misgivings about this new breed of incarceration. Copyright 1998 Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service The Kansas City Star

Remote patrol

After Earvin Johnson's pathetic talk show, "The Magic Hour," was canceled, he lamented that there would no longer be any talk show venues for African- Americans. That shows how little Johnson knew about TV. One of late night's best programs is "BET Tonight" (10 p.m. weeknights on BET). There's no whooping or hollering or band-generated din on "BET Tonight" - just the capable Tavis Smiley and his guests, engaged in something I thought had been outlawed in late night: meaningful conversation.

Remote patrol

Teacher and artist Tim Rollins, who has been turning around the lives of at-risk kids in the south Bronx for 17 years, is the focus of this month's "Cinemax Reel Life" documentary selection. "Kids of Survival" airs at 5:30 tonight on Cinemax. These teen-agers, most of them problem cases, learn to read and discuss literature and then interpret the works visually through paint. For many of them it is a transforming experience, as we see here when we meet several of Rollins' students.

Remote patrol

They were editing "Hillary Rodham Clinton: First Lady on the Front Line," right up to the last minute; a revised edition of the special, which airs at 8 tonight on A&E, landed on my desk last week after the president's admission of an "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinsky. In her earlier interview, Mrs. Clinton refers to the Lewinsky matter as "a footnote in history" - words that will have a hard time finding sympathetic ears this week. NOW president Patricia Ireland, former presidential adviser Dick Morris and historian James MacGregor Burns are among those interviewed.