IN BRIEF

WNEP-TV Scranton, Pa., Station Manager Craig Jahelka is leaving the New York Times-owned station to become general manager at McGraw-Hill–owned KERO-TV Bakersfield, Calif.

The FCC continues to "flag" radio acquisitions that cause significant concentration of ad revenue, despite Chairman Michael Powell's effort to eliminate the backlog of merger requests created by the policy. Fellow Republican Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth and radio-industry officials complain that the FCC never established procedures for resolving flagged deals.

In 1998, the commission began asking for public comment on any merger that led to one radio station's controlling 50% of a market's ad revenue or two stations' controlling 70%. To win en masse approval to clear the backlog, Powell promised the Democratic commissioners that flagging would continue but could not be used to hold up mergers indefinitely, said an FCC source, adding, "You won't see any more backlogs."

Showtime has renewed comedy series The Chris Isaak Show for 17 more episodes. Starring real-life singer Isaak, the show explores the rock-star life, with celebrities such as Minnie Driver appearing as themselves.

Separately, Showtime Networks' new digital channel, Showtime Next, has picked up short-lived ABC series Wasteland, which will air 10 never-seen episodes starting in June.