EX-KNBC TEAM REUNITED ON CHANNEL 2

Viewers looking for the news on KNBC Channel 4 next week will be excused if they accidentally stop flipping channels at KCBS-TV Channel 2.

Under a realignment of the anchoring assignments announced Wednesday, Channel 2’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts will be anchored by a former KNBC team: Tritia Toyota and John Schubeck. And the weatherman on those two shows will be another former KNBC hand: Kevin O’Connell.

The new anchor lineup takes effect Monday, according to KCBS General Manager Frank Gardner.

Sandy Hill, who had anchored the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. news shows until she left on maternity leave 2 1/2 months ago, will return as solo anchor of the 4:30 p.m. newscast. The 5 p.m. broadcast will be headed by Jess Marlow and Colleen Williams.

O’Connell, who just signed with the CBS-owned station Monday after three years at KNBC, also will appear regularly on the 4:30 p.m. newscast, Gardner said, although not in the weatherman’s role he will fill later in the day. Instead he will present an as-yet undetermined regular feature.

The weather forecasting duties at 4:30 and 5 p.m. will be handled by Maclovio Perez. Jim Hill will continue to serve as sports anchor at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.

Toyota and Schubeck shared anchoring duties at KNBC for many years, beginning in 1974. He moved to KCBS in September, 1983, and Toyota followed last week, signing with Channel 2 after more than 13 years at KNBC.

A KCBS spokeswoman said that the new anchor team will not be at full strength when the revised assignments take effect Monday because Marlow is going on vacation for two weeks. A decision is forthcoming on who will fill in for him during that time.

MORE NEWS: KTTV Channel 11 has hired former Los Angeles Dodgers star Rick Monday to cover sports for the half-hour newscast that it plans to add to its weeknight schedule July 1. The news program will air at 8 p.m., with Marcia Brandwynne and Jay Scott anchoring.

Monday, who spent more than 19 seasons in the major leagues, including nine with the Dodgers, works as a sportscaster for the Dodgers’ pay-TV games and has done commentary and reporting for other local stations in the past.

NEARLY NEWS: Former news anchor and talk show host Tom Snyder is negotiating with the five TV stations owned by ABC to host a late-night interview program, his agent, Ed Hookstratten, said Wednesday.

Snyder, who for many years hosted a similar type of show on NBC, wants to do this one, Hookstratten said, but the final details of the deal have not yet been worked out.

He said the proposal is to have Snyder host a one-on-one interview show that would air weeknights at midnight on KABC-TV Channel 7 and the other ABC-owned stations. It also would be syndicated to stations in other markets by Telepictures.