‘2 on Town’ to Be Produced Outside KCBS

In an effort to save money, KCBS Channel 2 plans to turn over production of its 9-year-old “2 on the Town” series to an outside company and will dismiss an undetermined number of the show’s 30 employees at the end of the year, a station spokeswoman confirmed Monday.

Some of the staff will be absorbed into other departments at the CBS-owned station, and others may be hired by the as-yet-unselected production company to continue work on the local magazine series, KCBS spokeswoman Andi Sporkin said. But others, she said, will have to find new jobs, which is why KCBS said it was letting them know now about the new arrangement.

The changeover does not constitute a cancellation of “2 on the Town,” Sporkin said, although a change of title is a possibility. Whether Melody Rogers will continue as host also remains undetermined, she said.

“We will continue having a local magazine show (at 7 or 7:30 p.m.) on weeknights,” she said. The show will have enough episodes stockpiled by Dec. 31 to last through the end of the season in May, Sporkin said. Any changes will be for the 1988-89 season.

“2 on the Town” has been produced by Channel 2 since it began in October, 1978. But with a mandate from parent CBS Inc. to cut costs, the station decided it would be fiscally prudent to buy the show from an outside company and not have to carry people on its payroll who are not in production throughout the year, Sporkin said.

Although she could not provide a specific figure, Sporkin said that KCBS’ savings will be substantial.