Take TV reruns off steroids

Chicago Tribune: Astute television viewers know that cable networks have long crunched opening or closing credits on reruns to squeeze more time for ads into an hourlong slot. No harm, no foul, we say.

But now comes disturbing word of cable mandarins tinkering with television classics. TBS and other cable channels use computer compression technology to subtly speed up some shows, The Wall Street Journal reports.

And viewers have noticed. Author Stephen Cox, for instance, detected that the voices of the Munchkins in “The Wizard of Oz” were slightly raised, he told the Journal. “It was astounding to me.”

And to us. TBS didn’t stop at the exalted Oz. It has sped up classic “Seinfeld” reruns and other shows.

Hands off!

No, cable mandarins, we will not accept the Alvin-and-the-Chipmunking of classic reruns. We demand to savor every last second of these shows, even if we’ve seen them a dozen times. Hands off, or else! We know how to use that remote.