Mike Randall, who often performs as Mark Twain, should realize that reports of Channel 7’s demise in the morning have not been greatly exaggerated.

That’s why Channel 7 has sent Randall back for his future by having him join Bridget Blythe on “Good Morning Western New York.”

Randall had teamed with former anchor Ann Edwards in 1989 when Channel 7 launched a 6:30 a. m. program. It might seem like a demotion to take a job you held 20 years ago and move from the weekday newscasts to the early mornings, where Randall has traded places with Aaron Mentkowski. But Channel 7 needed to do something in the morning, even if some people might see it as rearranging chairs on the Titanic.

Neither Mentkowski nor Randall were allowed to talk about the trade. Channel 7 did issue a release that included its saccharine, positive comments.

“I am excited to help start your day with a smile, even if the weather isn’t good!” said Randall in the release.

Mentkowski’s comment was even less illuminating. He basically said he grew up here and is “proud to be a part of the Eyewitness News team.” With statements like that, it is hard to know what Randall and Mentkowski (who recently signed a new contract) are actually feeling or thinking.

But egos and contracts aside, the switch makes sense.

As he illustrated in Monday’s relaunch, Randall is nothing if he isn’t personable, and that’s what a morning show needs. He seems to be in a father-daughter role with Blythe, who Monday noted how “scared” she was before Randall did a pre-Halloween story on area ghost hunters.

Mentkowski, who probably would have gotten Randall’s weeknight role if Randall ever retired, isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs in the morning. But he is a solid meteorologist with extra degrees and seals to prove it, and that works in the evening.

While it is easy to applaud Channel 7’s switch, it is hard to believe it has more than a ghost of a chance to make much of a difference in the morning or evenings. After a week of promos promising “something new,” Monday’s opener didn’t feel like anything special. Viewers might not have realized the program had a new theme song until the end of the hour, when Randall said it was composed by his 24- year-old son, Nick.

The moves certainly shouldn’t scare Channel 7’s rivals. Channel 7 gets less than half the morning audience of Channel 2 or Channel 4. But Randall’s move will at least get some viewers to sample the new 6 a. m. show and its format changes.

The discontented viewers at Channel 2 who haven’t bought into the move of John Beard as co-anchor with Jodi Johnston may give Randall and Blythe another look.

On the surface, Channel 7 is pairing an old veteran with a young attractive woman, too. Randall (who looks more and more like Alex Trebek these days) has more of an early morning personality than Beard. However, Channel 2’s morning show uses more personnel and is much more lively and fast-moving than Channel 7’s morning show.

Channel 2 also has a head start. While many respondents on my Talkin’ TV blog and e-mailers have decried Channel 2’s decision to replace Pete Gallivan with Beard in very unflattering ways, the silent majority appears to be embracing Channel 2’s new team. In the last four weeks, Channel 2’s Beard and Johnston have overtaken Channel 4’s Victoria Hong and Joe Arena at 6 a. m. Through 19 nights, Channel 2 averaged a 5.5 rating to Channel 4’s 5.2. Channel 7 averaged a 2.4.

Randall’s move to the mornings is another indication of the importance that the early shows now have in local television. While ratings at 5 p. m., 6 p. m. and 11 p. m. generally remain higher than the ratings at 6 a. m., the early morning hours are an area of growth. On some days, Channel 2 and Channel 4 get higher ratings at 6 a. m. than Channel 7 gets at 5 p. m., 6 p. m. and 11 p. m.

Jim Toellner, Channel 2’s general manager, said he recently heard the average time viewers wake up is 5:36 a. m. “With to-day’s busy lifestyles, the breakfast table has replaced the dinner table as the main family together time in many families,” said Toellner.

He added that recent studies show that a large percentage of viewers watch “well beyond” 30 minutes in the morning when it had been assumed that the average morning viewer was just there for 15 minutes of news, weather and traffic.

“That has led many in the business to call morning television the ‘new prime time,’ and [networks] along with local stations are putting more and more resources in that area,” said Toellner. “The content of the shows, which goes further beyond just hard news, allows for more personality and fun with the team.”

In other words, the importance of morning shows has changed dramatically since Randall left there 10 years ago to replace Tom Jolls on Channel 7’s weekday evening shows.

Channel 7’s low evening numbers can hardly be blamed on Randall, who was an asset there. Channel 7’s low ratings are culmination of numerous issues—especially Channel 7’s much smaller staff. It would be expecting too much of Mentkowski to improve things significantly. But the evening move shouldn’t hurt Channel 7 so the swap will be deemed a success if Randall can help scare up a few thousand more viewers there daily.