LIMA, Ohio - Ric Bratton, whose talk show has been a feature on Lima television for 33 years, has returned to the air after a one-week hiatus following his indictment by an Allen County grand jury on one count of grand theft.

WLIO-TV took Mr. Bratton's show off the air March 17, two days after he was charged with stealing more than $5,000 from the Tom Ahl auto dealership in Lima.

WLIO general manager Bruce Opperman said Mr. Bratton, 54, who has worked at the station since 1967, deserves the benefit of the doubt. Mr. Bratton works at the station between 30 and 35 hours a week as the main staff announcer for station promotions.

He also owns Ric Bratton Enterprises, which, among other things, deals in media advertising. It is through his business, not the station, that the legal problems surfaced.

Mr. Bratton was paid by the auto dealership to place advertisements with various media outlets, including newspapers, radio stations, and two Lima television stations, one of which was WLIO.

The auto dealership paid Mr. Bratton to place the ads. In turn, it was his responsibility to pay for the advertising that he placed on behalf of his client.

“Like many agencies, I was slow in paying my bills,” said Mr. Bratton. “But they are my bills, my responsibility.”

He has pleaded not guilty to the grand theft charge. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 10 in Allen County Common Pleas Court.

Mr. Opperman said: “We're embarrassed by it as a station. Ric is totally embarrassed by it. But we don't see it as a crime - certainly not a felony.”

Assistant County Prosecutor Dan Berry declined to elaborate on the charges.

Mr. Opperman used a one-minute editorial - which ran several times in recent days - to explain to viewers why the station decided to resume airing the show Sunday.

“We did not air Ric's show last week because we wanted to know more before deciding what to do,” Mr. Opperman said in his editorial. “The charge is theft - but don't let that word fool you. Ric didn't steal anything. Simply stated, he fell behind paying his bills at his advertising agency, which he's run for 15 years.

“It's unfortunate. It's embarrassing. But it's not a crime, at least not the way we see it. When the facts come out, we think you'll agree.”

Mr. Opperman said viewer feedback has been running “95-5,” as a percentage in favor of Mr. Bratton.

Mr. Bratton's 30-minute show airs at 11:30 p.m. Sundays in Lima and also airs on Toledo's WTWB-TV, Channel 5, at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. WLIO and WTWB are owned by Block Communications, Inc., which also owns The Blade.

Mr. Bratton said he understands why his show - which has featured interviews with hundreds of celebrities, including Jay Leno, Ann Landers, David Copperfield, and Pat Sajak - was put on a one-week hiatus. “I would have done the same thing,” he said.

He is hoping for a quick journey through the legal system.

“I want to get this over with,” he said. “The whole thing is totally surreal.”

And if Mr. Bratton is found guilty? “Obviously, if he's found guilty, we'll have to evaluate his role at the station,” Mr. Opperman said.

First Published March 30, 2002, 1:03 p.m.