Returning: Las Vegas. Gone: Surf Patrol.

Seven will return Las Vegas to its schedule after removing it a few weeks ago.

It will look to the action drama to life its poor Wednesday figures.

"History of Violins" episode will air at 8:30pm Wednesday September 5 and continue thereafter.

To make room, Seven will shift The Force from 8:30pm to 8:00pm Wednesdays, and its current other timeslot of 8:00pm Mondays will remain. This effectively bumps Surf Patrol out of schedule.

The UK Murder Squad series is also dropped from 9:00pm Wednesdays by the changes.

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Encores... we got encores.

Encore noun: a demand, as by applause, for a repetition of a song, act, etc.

Well let's not let the English language get in the way of a little marketing. The idea of an audience actually requesting a second screening is vastly different to a programmer who turns around and schedules one anyway (including programming an Encore before the first screening has even taken place).

They should really be known as:

Repeat noun: a radio or television program that has been broadcast at least once before.

Regardless, there are extra screenings of both Californication and City Homicide over the next week:

Californication: Sunday 9:40pm TEN
City Homicide: Friday 11:30pm and Monday 12pm Seven. Read more...

Margaret rates SBS a dud

It's lucky SBS programming isn't a film, otherwise longtime SBS personality Margaret Pomeranz would be likely to give it about two stars. Pomeranz has criticized SBS Management for pursuing a line led by commercialisation, accusing it of sacrificing its once-former glory.

Pomeranz left SBS along with her co-host David Stratton for the ABC in 2004, citing problems with its "new direction."

Her comments follow the public exit of newsreader Mary Kostakidis last week and a recent shift towards advertisements during programmes, including World News Australia.

"You could perhaps justify the changes if they proved more relevant to more Australians," she told Crikey. "But the reverse has been the case. SBS news was respected, valued and watched. In its new, more commercial incarnation it is actually less watched."

Pomeranz retains some hope for the independent branch of SBSi, but fears the network is being primed for future sale.

"If you move away from the reasons that SBS was established in the first place, if it loses its distinctive identity, why should Government be called upon to fund it?"

Would David disagree?
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