By Frank Ruggiero

“MTN” might not make a very good word to scramble, but it seems to be a good fit for Sqrambled Scuares.

The High Country’s own game show has moved to the High Country’s own channel, Mountain Television Network, after a seven-year stint on Charter Channel 14.

When the show’s creator, producer and host, Buzz Berry, learned that Charter Communications was picking up HKY from Hickory as a must-carry channel to replace 14 (which would move to Channel 20), it was already too late.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to let the viewers know we were moving,” Berry said, “and I had to let folks know we were moving one way or another.”

MTN made sense, he said, because Sqrambled Scuares is a local game show and MTN is a local channel serving the community. “And our program is about the community, featuring local contestants, so it makes sense for us to be together,” he said.

Berry said many viewers tune in to see their friends, family or coworkers compete, and the move to MTN brings a broader viewership. Broadcast on Charter Communications, Ashe County Cable and Skyline Cable, MTN allows Sqrambled Scuares to reach the homes of Watauga, Ashe, Avery and Allegany county residents.
Those without cable can also watch the channel’s streaming programming at www.mtntv.com, while Sqrambled Scuares episodes are available at www.sqrambledscuares.biz.

Though MTN has picked up the show, Sqrambled Scuares is still produced by Berry’s production company, BZB Productions, the studios for which also host the recordings.

The show features a wide variety of contestants, ranging from college students to workers to senior citizens, affording them the opportunity to walk away with cash prizes and gift certificates for area restaurants and businesses. To get there, however, they must unscramble a series of word puzzles.

The game has evolved considerably since its humble beginnings as a local program in Greensboro. Originally, contestants would solve three puzzles, comprised of words with letters scrambled into random order. The object was to unscramble the words and win a $100 cash prize, while accruing a plethora of prizes, such as gift certificates, all throughout.

The object is essentially the same, though now contestants compete with a new point system, employing strategy, skill and even luck to earn a chance to win the cash prize, which builds each time a player loses that particular round.

After two puzzles, the leading contestant wins a cash prize and trip to Super Sqramble for additional cash and prizes. Super Sqramble gives the contestant 60 seconds to unscramble a nine- to 10-letter word with a little help from the host.

If the contestant unscrambles the word inside the allotted time, he or she wins the bigger cash prize. However, if they fail, the other contestant has an opportunity to unscramble the squares. If the second contestant is correct, he or she wins half of the original cash prize.

The public is welcome to attend live recordings, taped every Tuesday at 6 and 7 p.m., complete with snacks and desserts from the Golden Corral and a chance to win prizes. During the 30-minute broadcast, the television audience can also win prizes by unscrambling their own set of squares during commercial breaks with Home Scramble.

Being a contestant is simple, Berry said, in that interested people need only fill out an application.

“It all comes down to fun, and as far as I can tell, we’re the only local game show I can find in this country that’s ongoing – that doesn’t mean another one doesn’t exist, but I can’t find it,” Berry said. “What we’re doing here is something very unique for and to our community.”

Throughout the course of the show’s 355-episode (and still going) history, Berry estimates having given away more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. Two episodes are taped per week, with two different main sponsors: Piedmont Federal and United Community Bank.

With its first episode broadcasted on MTN (Charter Channel 18) April 20, Sqrambled Scuares airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.sqrambledscuares.biz and www.mtntv.com on the Web.