For the most part, local stations have taken the high road on sweeps stories this month. There have been a few clunkers along the way -- more fluff than egregious reports -- but I'm still scratching my head trying to find news value or viewer benefit in WTAE's Marcie Cipriani reports Monday and Tuesday about the racist letters sent to her from prison by Ronald Taylor, who was convicted of a March 2000 killing spree in Wilkinsburg.

The letters -- read with "actor's voices," as identified by on-screen graphics -- reveal nothing new about the case or his state of mind (mostly it's Taylor's racist rants about "sick, white European devils"). Cipriani, who said at the end of the first report that she initiated contact with Taylor in a 2007 letter, interviewed a handwriting expert for the first story. Was that her best angle or the only angle for this less-than-newsworthy, sensational report?

For a "follow-up" Tuesday on "a glimpse into his thoughts," the station shared more of Cipriani's correspondence, including a letter in which Taylor calls Cipriani a "half-witted bigot."

After the second report, anchor Andrew Stockey asked, "As you read those letters, what sense do you get of this man? Is there anything you could figure out about him?" Cipriani stumbled through a response, trying to avoid the question since the only logical response would be, "Duh, Andrew, the dude's crazy."

WPXI's "Celebrate the Season" parade enters its 28th year, airing live from Downtown Pittsburgh at 9 a.m. Nov. 29.

Celebrity guests include Grand Funk Railroad vocalist Mark Farner, singer Tito Puente Jr., pop band The Drive Home and the ZOOperstars from NBC's "America's Got Talent."

This year's route begins at Mellon Arena and will continue down Fifth Avenue, turning left onto Wood Street, right onto Boulevard of the Allies and ending at Stanwix Street.

But don't look for a Channel 11 "Carol Sing" this year. The annual event for 19 years running is a victim of the current economic climate.

"The Carol Sing is a very, very expensive production and one we will desperately hate to do without," program director Mark Barash said in an e-mail. "But, yes, the economic situation has caused many advertisers to cut back on their support of such events. We always leave open the chance of bringing it back when things get better."

Last year's "Carol Sing" was a clip show of highlights from past telecasts.

The Post-Gazette's annual holiday TV listings will be published a week from today.

On Dec. 1, FSN-P HD will launch on Channel 226 in traditional Comcast areas and on Channel 774 in new Comcast areas.

USA network renewed "Monk" for its eighth and final season, to premiere next summer. ... NBC insists "Lipstick Jungle" hasn't been canceled yet, contrary to what we'd heard last week. But it may only be a matter of time. ... TVNewser reports that Fox News Channel anchor E.D. Hill, who went by the name Edye Tarbox during her stint at WPXI in Pittsburgh, will leave the channel in a few months. Her contract will not be renewed.

This week Tuned In Journal includes commentary on "Heroes," a new batch of "Office" webisodes and new technology that puts FiOS TV leaps and bounds ahead of Comcast. Read it online at post-gazette.com/tv/tunedin.

The discussion in Tuned In Podcast centers on the disappointing state of prime-time TV drama, the upside of TV comedy and the genius that is "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All," which premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday on Comedy Central. Listen or subscribe at post-gazette.com/podcast.

And a programming note: TV Q&A will take next week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, returning Dec. 5. We will post a new podcast next week.

Post-Gazette TV editor Rob Owen answers reader questions online every Friday at post-gazette.com/tv. Here's a question from today's online column:

Question: With the reported financial problems with local television news, do you think there might be a reduction in the inane and unnecessary "live" news spots? It seems KDKA this past week has reduced their use.

-- John, 41, North Huntingdon

Rob: I haven't noticed a reduction in live shots on KDKA this week, and news director John Verrilli said they're doing the same number of live shots as usual. I'm also not sure there's a huge cost benefit in skipping the live shots. Verrilli said there can be overtime issues but haven't been recently.

Ask TV questions at post-gazette.com/tv under TV Q&A.