Surprised by the appearance of "Capital Region Bowling" reruns the past two weeks on WNYA (My-51)?

You're not the only one.

Art Hunsinger, who produced the former TV show on behalf of the Northeast Bowling Proprietors of New York, is trying to start his own TV venture.

He taped the New Year's Day scratch tournament at Kingpin's Alley with plans to edit it into two episodes, but audio issues prevented that.

"I've already paid for the airtime, so I have to provide something," Hunsinger said. "So I pulled two shows the last two weeks from last year, not thinking that there should be any issue with that, the fact that they already aired. I put disclaimers on every intro, only because I had to put on something."

Carol Judge contacted Hunsinger on Monday and told him that the proprietors own the rights to those shows. Her organization opted to put the show on hiatus, after a 13-year run, this season.

"We've advertised that we don't have a show, and now I'm on TV every week and people are asking me about it," Judge said. "It's making us look bad, and the sponsors are not the same."

Because he has been told not to run any more past "Capital Region Bowling" episode, Hunsinger isn't sure how he will handle Sunday's window.

"I don't have a plan at this moment," he said. "Since I lost the show, I have to get with the TV station and figure out what I'm going to do."

Hunsinger's long-range plan is to record area, and even out-of-the-area, events to produce TV shows, but he has none in the hopper right now.

His motives are admirable.

"The feedback I get is that they're just looking to bowl," he said, "and I'm trying to put more people on TV."

How he'll do that, and how it will look on the air, should be answered soon.

Local scene

The Capital Region lost two of its all-time great bowlers last week. Harry Polomaine, 79, a dominant performer on the old "TV Tournament Time," died Friday in Greenville, S.C., where he moved in October from Schenectady. A day earlier Rick Mochrie Sr., 70, one of the top lefties of his era, died in Watervliet. ... The New Era Senior Tour stop at Olympic, postponed Saturday because of weather, has been rescheduled for Jan. 27.

Entries are being taken for the 94th annual New York State Open Championships, scheduled for April 21-22, 27-29 and May 4-6, 18-20 at Kingston Lanes. Competition is in team (five player) doubles and singles, and for the first time each format will be divided into two divisions, based on average. NYS USBC association manager Mike Pettinella (585-343-3736; bowlny300@yahoo.com) has more info.

For the first time since 1995, Cohoes Arena will be the host center for the Troy 700 Club tournament. The 43rd annual event is Feb. 17 and will have squads at 9 and 11 a.m. and 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Entry forms are available at Troy Association centers.

National news

The PBA major award winners will be announced Wednesday. Jason Belmonte (player of the year) and Matt Sanders (top rookie) are the favorites. ... Carmen Salvino has committed to bowl in next month's PBA 60th Anniversary Classic at Indianapolis. Among those who competed in the PBA's inaugural tournament at Albany's Schades Academy in 1959, Salvino, 84, is the oldest to have bowled a tour event. He will break his own record set when he bowled in the PBA's 50th anniversary gala in Las Vegas at the age of 74.

Pete Dougherty's column is published Tuesdays during the bowling season. Items to be considered for publication can be submitted by fax (518-454-5819) or pdougherty@timesunion.com.