Submit your question to Rob Owen

This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about "Entourage," digital conversion and closed captions in HD. As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.

-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor

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Q: Did "Back To You" eliminate the character of Montana the weather girl? I really liked her character and I hope she will be back. Also, why did they switch the actress who plays Gracie? The new actress seems to be younger than her predecessor.

-- Bill, Harrisburg

Rob: Montana (Ayda Field) will appear in one more episode, but the character will disappear after that. Producers and the network decided the character had run its course, according to the show's publicist.

They also decided to go in a "different direction" and recast Gracie. Lily Jackson takes over the role from Laura Marano, who I thought did a good job. If only they'd get rid of the show's biggest misstep, the news director character, Ryan (Josh Gad), who is written as an over-the-top, unrealistic newsroom leader.

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Q: Why has USA started censoring episodes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"? One evening last week, on "SVU," a male sexual assault victim said, "I'm not a fag!" However, the word "fag" was bleeped. And, early Monday morning on "CI," a murder suspect said, "He doesn't have a pot to pee in," but the word "pee" was bleeped. I've seen these same episodes, uncensored, on USA before and, of course, on NBC and Bravo.

Also, how does A&E get away with calling "CSI: Miami" the "No. 1 show in the world"? I realize there's a lot of hyperbole in broadcast advertising and promotion. But, "the No. 1 show in the world"? "CSI: Miami"? Puleeze!

-- Dave, Bridgeville

Rob: USA is using the edited-for-broadcast-syndication version of episodes in some time periods on USA. They continue to use the regular versions of these episodes later in the day, according to a USA spokeswoman.

As for the A&E claim, they cite this article as their source.

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Q: I have started seeing a lot more ads regarding the digital TV change scheduled for February 2009. Viewers are advised that cable and satellite customers don't have to do anything, but those using antennas will need to get a converter.

Will cable viewers using a TV without a set top box need to get a box from their cable provider?

Will cable providers need to upgrade existing converter boxes?

-- Kevin, Pittsburgh

Rob: We've reported on this many times, including here and here.

But let's give it one more try: As long as you have a cable connection, you don't need to do anything. You'll still get your channels even if you don't have a converter box. And no need to upgrade existing boxes.

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Q: Has there been any word as to when "Entourage" will be back for a new season?

-- Matt, Shaler

Rob: As we noted last week in Tuned In, it will be back in the fall. No specific date has been announced.

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Q: My question is why don't the local TV stations (WPXI, KDKA, FSN, WTAE) have closed captioning available on their high definition broadcasts? Closed captioning is available on regular programming. I have spoken with Comcast as well as TV manufacturers who say their equipment would carry the captioning if the stations made it available.

-- Liz, Pittsburgh

Rob: According to representatives of WPXI and FSN, the only ones to respond to this query, both of those stations offer closed captioning in standard and high definition. This makes me think it must be a setting on your end (or in between) and does not have to do with what is being transmitted by the stations

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Q: Recently, WPXI-TV switched from broadcasting some shows in regular 4:3 and others in widescreen to showing everything in 4:3. Shows that are filmed in widescreen are now zoomed in. The problem with this is that things are cut off the screen! I'll switch to a better TV someday, but I'd rather have the black spaces on the top and bottom of the screen than major close-ups and action happening that I can't see.

Was this WPXI's choice or NBC's? Are they sticking with this?

-- Chris, Pittsburgh

Rob: According to WPXI general manager Ray Carter, this was NBC's decision.

"The tough thing with this issue is that stations (and networks) are going to get complaints whichever way they decide," Carter wrote in an e-mail. "NBC made the decision for us. Cox has followed that lead."

I tried to get a comment from NBC, but the network's head of publicity did not respond.

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Q: I switched from Comcast to Verizon FiOS TV in December and was told that Verizon would be adding additional HD channels starting in the "Spring." I have been trying to find out when they plan to add FSN Pittsburgh HD and Versus HD now that the NHL playoffs have started.

I have called Verizon to ask, but seem to just get the runaround. Do you have any information?

-- Michael, Allison Park

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Q: I have Verizon FiOS. Do you know when they are going to get FSN-P HD? I would of never switched from Comcast if I knew they would not have FSN HD by now!

-- James, Ross

Rob: I warned you folks that Verizon may not be our savior from Comcast but just another media conglomerate likely to annoy us in new ways.

We've been asked and answered this same question several times and every time the answer is the same.

"Verizon announced plans to expand its HD lineup on a market-by-market basis starting this spring, with a goal of offering 150 HD channels by the end of 2008," said Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski. "At this time, though, the addition of FSN-Pittsburgh HD to the FiOS TV lineup has not been finalized."

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Q: I know that there has been ongoing discussion about the Verizon FiOS TV alternative to Comcast's dominance in the area, but I'm frustrated by Verizon as well. I live in Green Tree, which supposedly has FiOS availability, but reached a stone wall when I called the FiOS sales line. Repeatedly, I got, "I can't comment on any time frame for availability, but sign up for e-mail notification."

Why be so secretive if you're trying to make a sale? If you're going to make a big push into a market, isn't it a good idea to make sure people three miles from Downtown Pittsburgh can even have access to your product?

-- Shawn, Green Tree

Rob: I don't think Downtown Pittsburgh can get FiOS TV yet either.

"Verizon's service areas are divided into what we call 'wire centers,' and the company is building its fiber-optic network within many of its wire centers over the next few years. Wire centers do not necessarily match up with the borders of municipalities," Verizon's Gierczynski explained. "A specific municipality may be served by multiple wire centers. Green Tree, for instance, is served by no less than three Verizon wire centers, including the Dormont, Carnegie and Crafton wire centers. The Dormont and Carnegie wire centers cover about 20 percent of Green Tree, with Crafton mostly covering the rest.

"The customers in Green Tree who today have access to FiOS TV are served by the Dormont and Carnegie wire centers, where construction of the fiber-optic network is mostly complete. The customers in Green Tree who today do not have access to FiOS TV are primarily served by the Crafton wire center, where the fiber-optic network is currently under construction and scheduled for completion by the end of the year. Then the majority of customers in Green Tree will have access to FiOS TV.

"Verizon's construction of its fiber-optic network is the most ambitious project the company has undertaken in the last century. A project of this size and scope, which brings fiber-optics directly to customers' homes, will take a number of years to complete. Many cable providers took a number of years to construct their networks in various municipalities. Green Tree just approved Verizon's franchise agreement in December, so just because we are not serving some Green Tree customers today does not mean we will not serve them in the future. It is more a question of how quickly Verizon can expand its fiber-optic network to reach more customers."

File this one -- and the previous question -- under a need to better manage potential customer expectations. It's sort of like this: If you're the cops riding in to rescue someone who's been held hostage without food, you don't rescue them and say, "You're saved, but you'll have to wait to get some food later."

Verizon probably should have done a better job of managing expectations up front. That's a difficult marketing task, but it would have been worth it to avoid the sense of discontent from customers and potential customers that seems to be bubbling to the surface.

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Q: Why is MSNBC not included on the daily/late evening TV schedule? They have some of the best news coverage at present.

-- Charlotte, Sewickley

Rob: Why, it's a conspiracy, of course. Don't you know the PG is an acolyte for Fox News Channel? I kid.

The lack of MSNBC listings outside of prime time dates back to 2003, when the channel was not available on the city cable system. By the time Comcast got around to adding MSNBC, the only way we could have added it in time periods outside of prime time would have been to delete an existing channel. Doing that would have angered readers who don't like change, which is a sizeable population given the hate-filled diatribes that clog my voicemail box on a regular basis anytime after we make adjustments to TV Week.

Obviously, I have a computer, but I am tired of hearing our local news programs telling us to go to their Web site to get "the rest of the story."

The time local news is on is already over-extended. Seems to me that if they would eliminate some of the schmaltz and ridiculous time-consuming noisy graphics, and non-important on-the scene reports, they would have ample time to give the full story. I'm not interested in going to my computer at 11:30 p.m. to finish their broadcast. If I have to do that, I can just go to your paper's Web site for all the information and skip the local news. Ah, for the old 15 minute, to the point, newscasts of the past!

-- Mike, West Mifflin

Rob: We addressed this in last month's "What do you want from local news?" column (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08081/866779-42.stm), but in fairness to the TV stations, I must point out that this question was sent to an online Q&A that we drive viewers to from the print edition, much like TV stations drive viewers to their Web sites. Both print and broadcast outlets do it because there's not enough space in the newspaper/time in the newscast. I have noticed that it comes off as more objectionable to some TV viewers than newspaper readers, presumably because everything on TV is more hyped and because nowadays many people simply read the newspaper online anyway.

Just wanted to say "thanks" for bringing back the 24-hour listings in TV Week and "good job" on its layout!

-- John, Green Tree

Rob: After hearing from all the haters, I appreciate the kind words, though I can't take much credit (or blame) for the changes beyond my efforts to restore the overnight listings.

Yinz are always busy, you never answer the phone. What the heck do you have a telephone in the office for?

-- Angry female caller who failed to leave a phone number I could call back and fails to understand that to do our jobs, we're not always available to answer phone calls.