Worth Noting on TV

WEDNESDAY

An Evening of Championship Skating (PBS, 9-10 p.m.): New ice-skating specials have sprung up everywhere recently, but this one, an exhibition presentation, enjoys a 23-year history. Taking to the ice are rising stars and champion performers - including Tonia Kwiatkowski (silver medalist at the 1996 US Championships) and Ludmila and Oleg Protopopov (1964 and 1968 Olympic gold medalists). Dorothy Hamill hosts the program, which was taped last November at Harvard University's Bright Arena in Cambridge, Mass.

If one skating program isn't enough, CBS has another on Thursday. America's Choice: the Great Skate Debate (CBS, 8-10 p.m.) uses voting devices similar to those in "America's Funniest Home Videos," and invites spectators at the Brown County Arena in Green Bay, Wis., to pick the winners. Contestants include Scott Hamilton, Nancy Kerrigan, and Katarina Witt.

FRIDAY

The Wizard of Oz: 40 Years on Television (CBS, 8-11 p.m.): Designated a National Treasure by the Library of Congress and the National Preservation Board, "The Wizard of Oz" is commemorating its 1956 premire on TV. This broadcast of the classic starring Judy Garland is hosted by Angela Lansbury. The program also features a behind-the-scenes look at the 1939 film's production and footage not included in the original film, such as the jitterbug dance sequence.

Understanding the Internet (PBS, 9-10 p.m.): A look at the history, current applications, and future of the Internet. Host Robert Duncan talks with Internet pioneers and a variety of home-page proprietors, including Time Warner and a teenager who edits an on-line magazine.

*Please check local listings for these programs.