That would explain it. Thanks, Uncle Roger.
I did look up the Sci-Fi Channel broadcast and discovered something interesting though not altogether pleasing for anyone who doesn't have the DVDs and is relying solely on their Sci-Fi tapes for the eps. Not only are the announcement made during the theme and the summary missing, but also Barnabas' first line of dialogue for Act 1. On the DVD (and presumably on Volume 50 of the Collector's Series VHS), Act 1 of Ep #251 opens with Barnabas saying, "You still haven't answered my question. What were you doing with this tool?" Whereas Sci-Fi's version opens with Barnabas simply asking, "What were you doing with this tool?" But we can just add that to so many of the other things that were changed or dropped when Sci-Fi ran DS.
It's just too bad that Eps #246 through #250 may have been preempted that week because those are some really great eps. Maggie escapes Barnabas. Sam sees her. She's recaptured and put in a coffin as punishment. Jason persuades Liz to open the locked basement room for Carolyn, Roger and Vicki to check out for themselves. Liz announces she and Jason will marry. And facing becoming a vampire, Maggie attempts to destroy Barnabas. Thrilling stuff!