Extra Points, the Saturday afternoon magazine/panel discussion show that debuted in September 1997 as an offshoot of a weekly chat segment moderated by Channel 13’s Tim Melton and Bob Allen, has been placed on indefinite hiatus.

Station officials decline, characteristically, to comment, but indications are that the show will not return before Texans football resumes in the late summer, if then.

Extra Points, which last appeared on Jan. 17, has been a consistent ratings performer for Channel 13 over the last decade, even though it was beaten in recent weeks by KHOU’s (Channel 11) Wheel of Fortune at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays. It has been used to best effect in the last couple of years as a means of holding audiences between ABC’s afternoon and prime-time college football games.

Some fans may miss the chat sessions during football and baseball seasons, but, with four sports radio stations in town, the rhetoric will continue unabated elsewhere. Fox Sports Houston also has expanded Houston Sports Beat to twice weekly, so perhaps it would be well-advised to add Extra Points contributors Charlie Pallilo, Ralph Cooper and Kenny Hand to its roster.

If that happens, Extra Points could be Humpty Dumpty by the time August rolls around.

Moving to the radio side, Joe Pogge’s Smokin’ Joe’s Driving Range golf show is moving to 7 a.m. Saturdays on KILT (610 AM). The show most recently appeared on KFNC (97.5 FM) and takes over a Saturday slot previous held by a Texans-related fitness show.

Pogge’s guests Saturday will be Houston Golf Association CEO Steve Timms and former Texas A&M and NFL standout Dave Elmendorf, the general manager at Quail Valley Golf Course.