The 10-day event, which was delayed six weeks, shattered the previous high of $1,238,066 set in 1993 by more than $55,000. Channel 48 also surpassed its goal of $1,160,000 by $133,807.

        It was the 11th time in 13 years that Channel 48 has made more than $1 million in Greater Cincinnati's largest single fund-raiser.

        The Action Auction provides about 16 percent of the station's operating budget.

        “The staff of WCET48 would like to thank the generous donors, underwriters, buyers and especially the thousands of tireless volunteers who helped make the 2001 Action Auction a huge success, particularly with the rescheduling of this year's auction,” says Phil Meyer, Channel 48 marketing and membership director.

        More than 3,000 volunteers spent thousands of hours on the auction, which had been scheduled for April 19-28. The event was postponed on April 12, the day Mayor Charlie Luken imposed an 8 p.m. city curfew.

        Rodger & me: Cincinnati native Randall Einhorn, the Australia-based cinematographer, got a taste of home while shooting Survivor 2 last fall in the Outback.

        Mr. Einhorn, 37, who has shot both Survivor series for Mark Burnett, was “dying inside” listening to Northern Kentucky teacher Rodger Bingham describing Graeter's Ice Cream and Skyline Chili to his Survivor castaways.

        Mr. Burnett prohibits his camera crews from speaking to the contestants, so Mr. Bingham never knew a Tristate native was nearby. If Mr. Bingham had heard Mr. Einhorn's Australian accent, he would never have guessed the photographer was a 1982 Finneytown High School graduate.

        Mr. Einhorn, who directed stunts for NBC's new Fear Factor (8 p.m. Monday, Channels 5, 22), reveals that he broke the rules on Rodger's final day in the game.

        When it was clear that Mr. Bingham would be voted out at tribal council that night, Mr. Einhorn walked past the Grant County High School teacher and whispered: “I'm from Cincinnati.”

        “He looked at me with these big eyes, and I just walked away. He thought I was Australian,” Mr. Einhorn says with a laugh.

        “I knew all about the things he was talking about. I used to work at Florence Mall!”

        The two finally met in Los Angeles on April 24, after CBS aired the episode when he was voted out of the game. Mr. Einhorn, who was working on Fear Factor, drove over to CBS when Mr. Bingham taped the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.

        “He's a great guy. A fantastic guy,” he says.

        Barker deal: The price was right. Bob Barker, 77, has signed a new five-year contract with CBS to host The Price is Right (11 p.m., Channels 12, 7).

        TV's longest-running game show premiered on CBS on Sept. 4, 1972, with Mr. Barker as host. The show also aired on NBC from 1956 to 1963.

        Mr. Barker has won 14 Emmy Awards for the show, including a record 11 as host, one for lifetime achievement and two as executive producer. The show is taped in the Bob Barker Studio at CBS Television City in Los Angeles. The stage, once home to the Red Skelton Show and Carol Burnett Show, was named in Mr. Barker's honor when he taped his 5,000th episode in 1998.

        Catching Kimberly: Kimberly Ray, half of the WVMX-FM (94.1) Kimberly & Carson morning show who was fired on Feb. 23, has been hired to host a syndicated morning show based at WBZA-FM in Rochester, N.Y.

        Ms. Ray will team with Barry Beck from WBNS-FM in Columbus.Their show will be heard in Rochester; Wichita, Kan.; Scranton, Pa.; Greenville, S.C.; and Madison, Wis.

        “I'm very excited about it. Syndication deals don't come along that often,” says Ms. Ray, whose contract was not renewed in February after two years.

        Brian's remake: Brian's Song, the 1971 Emmy-winning movie about Chicago Bears football players Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, will be remade by ABC's Wonderful World of Disney.

        Sean Maher (The Street, Party of Five), Mekhi Phifer (Clockers, Lesson Before Dying) and Ben Gazzara (An Early Frost, The Thomas Crown Affair) star in the film from producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, Annie, The Beach Boys).

        Billy Dee Williams and James Caan starred in the film 30 years ago.

        Nash crashed: Don Johnson isn't upset that CBS has canceled Nash Bridges.

        “Don was already exploring other opportunities,” Mr. Johnson's publicist has told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Doing a TV series five days a week for as long as he did is an exhausting task. Don was ready to move on.”

        He had starred in the series with Cheech Marin since 1996.

        TV notes: Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills 90210) will star in an FX cable drug drama pilot called Dope. FX also has ordered a pilot called The Barn, set in a police precinct, starring Michael Chicklis (Daddio, The Commish) and CCH Pounder (ER).

        E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com. Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/kiese

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