In a January piece about a town in which cell phones don't work, the Denver Post's Rich Tosches quoted a resident as follows: "Sometimes I actually forget that I even have a cell phone. It just (word meaning 'vacuum-like function')." Just what was that resident saying? That it just Hoovers? Just Eurekas? Dirt Devils? Such prudy-pants substitutions really suck.

Stephen Meade was once known as Willie B. Hung, and although he eventually dropped the last portion of this anatomical moniker, he still earned a reputation as the biggest dick on the Denver airwaves, thanks to a pair of criminal convictions a few years back (for participating in an ill-advised chicken toss and leading a four-wheel-drive excursion on private land). No one would have mistaken Willie for executive material back then, yet the folks at Clear Channel-Denver named him program director of KBPI anyhow -- and since assuming the post, he's kept up the ratings at his hard-rocking station without hitting the rocks himself. Hung is up, and likely to stay that way.

Steffan Tubbs was just a kid when he was hired by KOA back in 1994, and promptly earned a reputation for solid reporting and hunkiness that's uncommon in radio; a U.S. News & World Report scribe covering the trial of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh dubbed him "the Brad Pitt of the courtroom." That kind of press translated into a gig as a national correspondent for ABC Radio and the opportunity to appear on major television stations in Los Angeles and New York City. Last year, though, Tubbs shocked his NYC colleagues by coming back to KOA as host of Colorado Morning News. Since his return, Tubbs's solid news judgment and willingness to get out of the studio have only improved the program; he spent much of March with U.S. forces in Iraq. Welcome home.

Public-access stations are disappearing across the country, thanks (or no thanks) to the greed of cable companies, which want to employ set-aside channels for commercial purposes, and government officials, who would rather use the outlets' funding for purposes other than providing a voice to citizen producers. In Denver, however, the public-access concept is being given one more chance, and Deproduction, the company charged with reviving it, is a worthy choice. The task won't be easy; the previous overseer, Denver Community Television, left a massive mess behind. But the Deproduction folks are experienced producers with an impressive educational background, and their passion and sincerity are infectious. If any group can succeed at this difficult mission, they can.

When she came to Denver two years ago, Asha Blake brought an invigorating freshness to the market, and this quality extends to her hair. Rather than donning the typical beagle-eared style that's been a dog of a 'do since Snoopy's early battles with the Red Baron, she wears a thoroughly modern cut that looks like the work of a gifted stylist, not a groomer at PetSmart. The coiffure is ideal for a working woman on the go -- professional yet undeniably classy -- and it doesn't distract from Blake's excellent news delivery.

With rare exceptions, the TV dudes of Denver look a lot like second teamers for the Broncos: They wear the same helmets, anyway. No wonder entertainment reporter Kirk Montgomery scores over his more staid colleagues. He clearly understands the benefits of product, and he's bold enough to experiment with color, streaking his feathery top locks with blond highlights. He may be reporting from the Mile High City, but he's got Hollywood hair.

Ken Clark, who handles traffic chores on Channel 31's morning program, compensates for his bald pate with a trendy, Satan-style beard. And those whiskers are visually appropriate, since a lot of the road problems he describes are the equivalent of hell on earth.

Last year, Channel 4 seemed ready to give longtime ratings champ Channel 9 a run for its early-morning money, but it couldn't slow the 9News juggernaut. Today, with CBS 4 releasing sportscaster Mark McIntosh and planning to move weathercaster Ed Greene into prime time, Channel 9 lacks any real a.m. competition. Meteorologist Nick O'Kelly, sports enthusiast Susie Wargin and eye-in-the-sky Taunia Hottman are now comfortably ensconced in the on-air family led by TV parents Gary Shapiro and Kyle Dyer and wacky uncle/business boy Gregg Moss. A lineup this competent could quash all challengers for years to come.

Since the '70s, 9News has dominated the 10 p.m. ratings -- but Channel 4 finally appears ready to chip away at that station's nighttime lead. Veteran forecaster Larry Green's on the way out, but morning-sider Ed Greene should seamlessly fill his green-screen silhouette, and sportscaster Vic Lombardi, replacing outgoing Steve Atkinson, is a definite upgrade. They join solid anchor duo Jim Benemann and Molly Hughes and an impressive batch of reporters led by top investigator Brian Maass to form a crew that overflows with potential.

Anne Trujillo has been the mainstay on Channel 7's evening newscasts for ages, but because that show's ratings are far from stellar, she's often taken for granted. That's unfair but not surprising, since Trujillo prefers to get out of the way of a story rather than bid for attention. Despite her low-key approach, though, she's a straightforward communicator with a warm personal style and good news judgment, and while Channel 7 may not be a winner in the ratings, Trujillo is a winner with us.