TV & RADIO

‘Fences’ Coming Down: “Picket Fences,” the drama about the quirky residents of a small town starring Emmy winners Kathy Baker and Tom Skerritt, is preparing to call it a day. Producers for the CBS series, which in its four seasons has struggled in the ratings despite its two Emmy wins as best drama, are planning what they say will be the show’s final episodes, even though CBS has not officially canceled the series. “We’re bracing for this being our final year,” said co-executive producer Michael Pressman. “Picket Fences has been a class act from the beginning, and we are not going to let ourselves dangle.” The drama was recently yanked off the Friday night schedule, and Pressman said it may not return for its last episodes until April. Network officials declined to respond.

Coming to NBC Thursdays: NBC will give “The Single Guy” a break when it tries out “Boston Common,” a half-hour series starring stand-up comedian Anthony Clark, premiering March 21 in the coveted Thursday 8:30 p.m. time slot. The new series centers on a Virginia handyman who escorts his younger sister to college in Boston and stays around by taking a job in the college’s student union. “The Single Guy” is scheduled to return on May 2.

‘Late Shift’ Pulls In Viewers: “The Late Shift,” HBO’s movie about the battle between Jay Leno and David Letterman to take over “The Tonight Show,” drew more viewers Saturday night than any of the major commercial networks in homes that take the pay-service, HBO reported Tuesday. The movie attracted 15% of the available audience, or about 2.3 million homes.

Slogan Wars: Bonneville International Corp., the parent of radio station KBIG-FM (104.3), has filed a federal lawsuit against the owners of rival KOST-FM (103.5), alleging that KOST stole KBIG’s slogan, “Today’s Hits . . . Yesterday’s Favorites.” KBIG claims to have spent $3.9 million on its campaign featuring the slogan since February 1994, and says that early this year, KOST began using the slogan “in an obvious attempt to exploit KBIG’s investment [and] . . . lure away KBIG’s listeners.” No one was immediately available for comment at Atlanta-based Cox Communications Inc. or KFI Inc., which own and operate KOST.

KFWB Leadership Change: News radio station KFWB-AM (980) has a new vice president and general manager--Roger Nadel, who has held the same post at CBS-owned stations in Detroit since 1992. Nadel, who was executive news producer at rival news station KNX-AM (1070) from 1982-89, also becomes general manager of CBS’ adult contemporary station, KTWV-FM (94.7). Nadel replaces Chris Claus, who was promoted to vice president of station operations for CBS Television and Radio.