Submit your question to Rob Owen

This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about "Dirty Sexy Money," fall syndication and KDKA's new set. As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.

-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor

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Q: I loved "Dirty Sexy Money." The last I heard the final episodes were to be aired in the spring with an "ending" of the canceled show rather than the show just stopping without closure. Spring came and went and these final episodes were never aired. Any reason why they weren't and will they ever be?

-- Nancy, 63, Greensburg

Rob: The episodes were never scheduled for spring, always summer. "DSM" episodes begin airing at 10 p.m. Saturday on July 18.

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Q: I have always been a fan of "The Golden Girls" and I was wondering who sings the theme song at the beginning of the show. It sounds like it could be all three girls.

I did search the archives and could find nothing regarding this question. Hope you can help me out.

-- Jeannine, 70, Baldwin

Rob: Cynthia Fee.

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Q: What will all of the local TV stations do with the old analog transmitters that no longer are being used?

-- Ronald, 59, Tampa, Fla.

Rob: I'm told they'll be recycled, when possible, or thrown away.

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Q: What's new in syndication for the Fall 2009 season?

-- David, 43, Scottdale

Rob: It's too early to know what time slots many programs will air in (and in some cases on which station when duopoly outlets are involved), but here's what's planned:

KDKA:
No changes.

WPCW:
JUDGE HATCHETT (M-F 10:00AM)
JUDGE HATCHETT (M-F 10:30AM)
AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (M-F 1:00PM)
THE OFFICE (M-F 7:00PM)*
THE OFFICE (M-F 7:30PM)*
THE OFFICE (SUNDAY 6:00PM)
THE OFFICE (SUNDAY 6:30PM)
The Office starts the week of September 21, 2009
VJIAM.TV (E/I) -- Saturday 12:30PM
COLD CASE FILES (SU 2:00AM)
*EVERBODY LOVES RAYMOND moves to M-F 11PM and M-F 2:30PM

WPGH/WPMY:
"My Name Is Earl"
"Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"
"Wendy Williams"
"Street Court"
"Judge Pirro"
"Law & Order: SVU"
"Star Trek: The Next Generation"
"Bones" (weekends)

WPXI/PCNC:
"Dr. Oz"
"Marie" (Marie Osmond talk show)
"The Brian McKnight Show" (weekly)

WTAE:
Nothing announced.

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Q: Why does WTAE bombard us with the horrible blaring loud music during the breaks in their newscast? This annoying, repetitive "music" that plays during the lottery numbers report might be tolerable if they at least kept it at the same volume level as the rest of the newscast, but why do they jack the volume up so much?

-- Linda, 63, Murrysville

Rob: I can't say I've ever noticed a marked difference in the volume myself, although maybe it goes hand-in-hand with the issue of the perceived rising sound barrage from TV commercials.

WTAE news director Alex Bongiorno said it's the first complaint she's gotten about the station's newscast music volume.

"We watch our levels with any audio that is going out on air," she said in an e-mail. "We will monitor to ensure this is not an issue."

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Q: I would like to know if Dee Thompson it still working for Channel 11. I have not seen him for couple of months now I wonder if he retired or was sick.

-- Florence, Pennsylvania

Rob: We reported last month that Thompson was out on an undisclosed medical leave. He's expected to return to work sometime in August.

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Q: KDKA's news set looks great except I keep wondering why they don't clean the dirty glass behind the anchors. The anchors look quite sharp yet the background is blurry.

-- Warren, 63, Scott

Q: I have noticed that on some camera shots on the KDKA news, their new set appears to have glass behind the anchors that has a lot of condensation on it which doesn't look very good. What is the problem?

-- Dave, 51, McDonald

Rob: It's frosted glass and looks no different to me than the backdrop on WTAE, which also features frosted glass in front of monitors.

TV stations put frosted glass in front of backdrop monitors so the images on the monitors don't distract from the anchors. Maybe it's not working if too many people are concerned that the glass is dirty/dewy...

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Q: Why does FiOS TV's Showtime HD video on demand no longer have its original series available? I understand the content in VOD is constantly changing. However recently Showtime's HD VOD has been removed -- all the series content -- and only movies are the only options for HD.

-- Jen-Chien, 40, Regent Square

Rob: Sounds like there was a technical glitch and the folder to access Showtime HD series content somehow got hidden. Technicians refreshed the content to "unhide" the folder, according to a Verizon spokesman.

In response to the writer who inquired about FiOS TV, I hated Comcast for taking away channels and raising my bill, so I switched to FiOS too and I love it! I love all of the channels and the DVR recording feature, plus Video on Demand, games, the channel guide, Widgets, program information, and search functions. I bundled it with my phone line and am saving money as well. I'm still waiting for my Visa gift card, but now they're giving away Netbooks! Comcast can't compete and using two washed up celebrities (Ben Stein and Shaq) to promote their old cable system is laughable.

-- Diane, Chalfant

Rob: Even as I answered last week's question about when FiOS TV will come to the City of Pittsburgh, I felt pretty confident a tentative deal for its arrival would be announced this week. I've been tracking negotiations progress pretty closely for months because there's been such intense interest from viewers.

But let's put a moratorium on "When is it coming to my neighborhood?" questions. I'm not going to be answering those. Once the rollout has actually begun later this year, call Verizon and ask them: 800-837-4966.