As I suggested way back in September, airing this stuff in the middle of the night is entirely appropriate. (Actually, KJZZ moved it back an hour quite some time ago ... and nobody complained.)

Maybe MyNetworkTV will amount to something some day. And then Ch. 14 can think about airing its programming in more watchable time slots.

But it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon.

WHEN I FIRST glanced at the cover of last week's edition of TV Guide, I thought it was a parody. Or a joke.

But, no, the magazine and its cover subject were both serious. And there was "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul saying, "My integrity and reputation are at stake! Simon — you've got to stop this, please."

The story inside was an old one about how fellow "Idol" judge Simon Cowell tripped her up and made her look foolish (crazy?) on the air.

But it's all ridiculous. Abdul's reputation and integrity are not at stake because she has no reputation to protect and no integrity to fall back on.

Remember, even Fox's phony "internal investigation" did not clear Abdul of charges she slept with a contestant in 2003. It just determined (big laugh here) that the sexual relationship didn't influence the outcome of the show.

Paula, dear, your reputation has been ruined already. And maybe you ought to look up the definition of "integrity" so you can stop claiming to have any.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com