Quick as a Fox, Channel 6 Carves a Program Niche

More than 200 advertising professionals gathered at the La Jolla Marriott on Thursday night to eat free food, drink free drinks, win prizes and listen to a sales pitch from XETV (Channel 6), which is scheduled to debut its new programming lineup Sept. 5.

Fox Broadcasting President Jamie Kellner was on hand, and for those uninterested in getting their picture taken with a cardboard cutout of Garry Shandling, “Married . . . With Children” stars Ed O’Neill and Katey Sagal were available to pose.

Bolstered by Fox Network programming such as “Married . . . With Children” and independent first-run shows like “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Channel 6, usually noted for its reruns, movies and little else, is finally carving out a programming niche. In the past year, Channel 6’s sign-on-to-sign-off Arbitron rating jumped 50%.

“XETV has really improved this year in terms of having the numbers to sell,” said Phillips-Ramsey media buyer Stacey Hackett.

Channel 6 will be counting on “Cheers” and “Taxi” reruns to pull big ratings in the key 7-to-8 p.m. time slot. It will probably face competition from KUSI-TV (Channel 51), which is tentatively scheduling “The Cosby Show” and “Night Court” reruns in the same slot.

The first-run, independent series such as “War of the Worlds” and the returning “Friday the 13th” will give Channel 6 a new Friday night lineup. “The Arsenio Hall Show,” due to debut Jan. 2, will give Channel 6 fresh nightly programming at 10 p.m.

It is all designed for adults ages 18 to 54, said XETV General Manager Martin Colby.

“Our strategy is to program to specific demographics” similar to the way radio stations target an audience, he said.

Colby, who serves as chairman of the board of Fox Television Affiliates, admits he is disappointed that Fox hasn’t been able to build an audience other than on Sunday nights. But he expects new Fox shows like “Angels ‘89,” a new version of “Charlie’s Angels,” and “City Court,” a spinoff of “21 Jump Street,” to bolster the Fox lineup early next year.

Despite the station’s growth, XETV has no plans to venture into producing any local programming.

“At one time we carried a 10 p.m. newscast, and it cost an incredible amount of money,” Colby said. “We just couldn’t compete with the depth and experience of the local network affiliates.”

Notes and quotes: The Hamel brothers, owners of Hamel’s Action Sports Center in Mission Beach, refused to allow the producers of Larry Himmel’s new KCST-TV (Channel 39) show to use tape of Hamel’s Miss Mission Beach contest when they learned Himmel’s first show would be broadcast live from Belmont’s at the Beach. The Hamels were part of a group that bitterly opposed the Belmont development. “We really like Larry Himmel and Channel 39,” Ray Hamel said. “But a lot of people in Mission Beach hate that project.” . . .

KCST-TV (Channel 39) anchors Marty Levin and Denise Yamada spent most of last week in Dallas huddling with consultants. . . .

The San Diego Cinema Society opens its new season with a screening of Costa-Gavras’ new film “Betrayed” tonight at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. On Tuesday night, the film will be screened at the Edwards San Marcos cinemas for the society’s North County chapter. Both screenings, open only to Cinema Society members and their guests, begin with a reception at 6 p.m. Director Andrew Friedenberg expects to open a new branch of the Cinema Society in Orange County by the end of the year. . . .

According to the July Arbitron “trends,” sort of a quickie, mid-season ratings check, KGTV-TV (Channel 10) is opening up some ground on the competition. At 5 p.m., Channel 10 registered a 12 rating and a 31 share, compared to KFMB-TV (Channel 8) with a 9 rating and a 24 share and Channel 39 with a 4 rating and a 10 share. Channel 10 continues to maintain a solid lead at 11 p.m. . . .

When Florence Marca of Escondido won tickets through KKYY-FM (Y95) to the Billy Ocean concert last week, she couldn’t go because she couldn’t find a baby sitter for her two boys. No problem; Y95 morning deejays Jeff Elliott and Jerry St. James drove up to baby-sit. . . .

A producer from “60 Minutes” was gathering background material last week on the Craig Peyer murder trial. But the show probably won’t do a feature on Peyer, according to associate producer Francia White. “It’s a fascinating case,” she said, “but it seems too cut and dried” for a “60 Minutes” feature. . . .

To the dismay of some community producers, beginning today Escondido-based Dimension Cable Services switches most of the public-access programs from night slots to day slots to make room for new government programming produced by the cities of Escondido and Vista. “I’m mad,” said Mike Sarain, producer and director of the surfing show “Wavelength,” which aired at 9 p.m. Tuesdays for the past four years. Dimension called him last week to say the show had been switched to 10 a.m. Mondays. “My main gripe was that I wasn’t given any notice,” he said. “We’re trying to accommodate everyone,” Dimension’s Stacie Lipten said.

Ranch and Coast magazine’s new editor is Margaret Stevens, who brings with her an extensive background as a writer and editor with business and women’s magazines. She replaces John Johns. The magazine plans to expand into Orange County.

Eyewitness views: It’s hard not to love Channel 8’s new set. With all the plants, it looks like they’re broadcasting from a nursery. Meanwhile, Channel 10 has a temporary set, sans desks. Just Michael Tuck and Carol LeBeau sitting around the newsroom, legs crossed, shooting the breeze. . . .

Channel 39’s lead item in a recent newscast: Two pigeons shot with darts. A line from “Bosom Buddies”: “Pigeons are rats with wings.”