FIRST OFF . . .

Los Angeles news broadcasts are not representative of the “American scene,” because not enough women or minority newscasters appear on the air, according to a survey of seven VHF stations by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The AFTRA survey, conducted over a one-week period in October, said black and Hispanic newscasters were “underutilized on the air” and maintained that no local station’s on-air staff represented a “proper ratio to their percentage in the general population.” The survey ranked the stations in general use as well as by specific groups: Asian, Hispanic, black and female. Worst representation in general: KCOP Channel 13, which assigned only 5% of its stories and 6% of its on-air time to minorities and women. KCBS Channel 2 ranked highest, assigning 44% of its stories and 39% of its on-air time. KTTV Channel 11 had the most balanced ratio of male-female news stories, 51%-49%; KTLA Channel 5, the most imbalanced with a 78%-22% male-female ratio. Jeff Wald, news director of KTLA, disputed the survey, called it a “cursory glance” and said there is a “a good mix” among the station’s news employees. “You have to go beyond the front line and look at the staff,” Wald said. “There are probably more women in my news department than any in town. . . . I pick the best people, no matter what their background or gender is.”