Wade on January 2006

A last look at the ’06 …

Then and now

Locally disowned: Birmingham-based Parisian goes up for sale, as does NBC 13. Saks sold Parisian to Belk for $285 million in August. Parisian started out in 1887 as Parisian Dry Goods and Millinery Company.

NBC sold its affiliate to Media General in August as part of a four-station $600 million deal. NBC 13 is the oldest TV station in Alabama and after launching its redesigned site in January, ended up launching a new, new redesign this week which no one will ever see.

mo rocca

Takes 1 and 2: Comedian Mo Rocca plays a show at the Alys Stephens Center. Director Jennifer West approaches him about her movie, “Piece of Cake.” He stars, the film goes on to win Sidewalk’s Audience Choice Award for Alabama Short.

Speaking of Sidewalk, board president Alan Hunter hits Sundance to screen “Dreamland,” the latest production from Hunter Films.

As long as they spell the name right: Criminal mastermind Richard Scrushy is accused of paying a columnist $11,000 to run favorable coverage in the Birmingham Times. Shoulda saved that money for jury bribes …

Station shuffle: The WB and UPN (hey, remember the ’00s?) announced its merger. In September, WB 21 became CW 21, while UPN 68 became My 68, a MyNetworkTV affiliate. Both are Sinclair stations. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of MyNetworkTV or its nightly offering of Americanized telenovelas. The Dubba Dubba Twins (the current incarnation) became the 21 Twins. (The original Dubbas are married and breeding.)

And CW 21 still airs “Viewpoint,” the daily infomercial starring Richard and Leslie Scrushy discussing favorite Scripture passages about bribery and obstruction of justice.