Another exchange between Kinross and Reg Howe over Kinam shares

By David B. Wilkerson
CBSMarketWatch.com
a href=http://cbs.marketwatch.comhttp://cbs.marketwatch.com/a
Thursday, March 21, 2002

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (CBS.MW) -- Maryland Public Broadcasting
announced plans to replace its long-running quot;Wall Street Week
with Louis Rukeyserquot; program with a show co-produced with
Fortune magazine.

The new show will be called quot;Wall Street Week with Fortune.quot;

Rukeyser, 69, has hosted the Friday night show since 1970.
His contract expires at the end of June.

Rukeyser told CBS.MarketWatch.com he was quot;blindsidedquot; on
Wednesday by Maryland Public Television, producer of the
show. He was told of changes it wanted to make to the
program, and was offered the role of senior commentator.
quot;I just decided I didn't want to work with these people,quot;
Rukeyser said.

Regarding his future plans, Rukeyser said quot;something big is
going to be announced very shortly,quot; but he declined to
elaborate.

For its part, Maryland Public Television is still saying it
would prefer to have the venerable host back. quot;We would
like him to remain in a new role in the new format, and there
has been discussion of that,quot; MPT spokesman Jeff Hankin
said. quot;Obviously we're very appreciative of what he has done
for the show over the years, and his role as an icon in
finance and television.quot;

The program, to debut next fall, will be co-hosted by Geoffrey
Colvin, Fortune's editorial director.

Colvin appears on the CBS Radio Network, and has also
been a guest on quot;Today,quot; quot;Good Morning America,quot; quot;CBS
This Morning,quot; and many other programs. (Viacom, parent
of CBS, also owns a significant stake in MarketWatch.com,
the publisher of this report.)

The format of the new show is still being developed.
Changes will include a newly designed set and quot;an up-to-date
graphics package.quot;

quot;In what we've heard from stations in the public television
system, from viewers, and from members, it has become
pretty clear to us that the show needs to be reinvented,quot;
Hankin said.

While Maryland Public Television does not want to alienate
the show's existing audience, it is hoped that a new format
will have strong appeal for baby boomers who are closing in
on retirement, as well as younger viewers.

quot;It's very risky,quot; said Marc Berman, a New York-based
programming consultant. quot;If you think of that show, you think
of [Rukeyser] ... I also think it's risky because PBS is older
skewing. The 50-plus audience is basically who watches
PBS. And if they think they're going to freshen up a show
and bring in some younger faces, it could backfire.quot;

The deal quot;raises the bar for financial television,quot; said
Robert Shuman, Maryland Public Television's president and
chief executive, in a statement. quot;The depth and breadth of
Fortune's business and economic coverage is a good fit
with the needs of PBS's financial program viewers,quot; he
said.

PBS' move comes at a time when commercial television
is rapidly re-evaluating its commitment to and presentation
of news. Walt Disney Co. has considered entertainment
alternatives to ABC's long-running quot;Nightline,quot; and many
observers have wondered how long broadcast networks
can even justify the traditional 6:30 p.m. newscast.

quot;By drawing on MPT's production expertise and Fortune's
journalistic resources, the show promises to be lively,
informative, and appealing to a wide range of viewers,quot;
Shuman said. quot;Together, we can offer television audiences
a powerful source of information in a format that's engaging
and easy to watch,quot; he said.