Channel 9’s Dunphy Kicks Off New Nightly News

Once upon a time, the biggest star on KHJ-TV Channel 9 was Elvira, the bosomy horror movie hostess. In fact, the station even admitted at one point that she was considered--if only briefly--for the job of presenting the weather on the nightly news.

But now KHJ’s biggest star is Jerry Dunphy, and the station trumpeted his debut Monday as its nightly anchor by vowing to become L.A.’s largest TV news operation within six months--topping even the network-owned channels.

The boast--promising that about 20 news crews would be part of a staff of more than 140 people--was made by KHJ officials at a luncheon press conference Monday. And then Dunphy, signed by KHJ for about $1 million a year, took to the air at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. to present the news with co-anchor Pat Harvey, who reportedly is getting more than $400,000.

The Dunphy-Harvey outings Monday didn’t draw big ratings but were higher than the October averages for the same KHJ news periods, the A.C. Nielsen figures showed. The new team attracted 5% of the viewing audience at 8 p.m. and 6% at 9 p.m.--both up one point over October.

Saying he wasn’t emphasizing early ratings with his staff, KHJ President Blake Byrne nonetheless added Tuesday, “If we did better than October, I’d say that’s terrific.”

Outlining plans for the station’s nightly three-hour news broadcast that now is scheduled to begin March 5, KHJ Executive Vice President Jim Saunders told the news conference Monday, “We’ll have more technical and human resources than any other station in town.”

KHJ last week delayed the start of the three-hour newscast, scheduled for January, saying it needed added time to gear up and hire more people.

Byrne declined to discuss financial details of the huge commitment--the brainchild of the station’s rich and ambitious new owner, Disney Studios--but some TV news executives estimated the start-up cost in the $20-$25 million range. The 20 or so news crews--which would roam the Los Angeles area--would easily outnumber those of other stations.

The city’s top independent station, KTLA Channel 5, has six crews to service its one-hour nightly news program anchored by Hal Fishman. Network-owned stations have had double that number of crews, or more, but cutbacks have slashed coverage in virtually all areas of ABC, CBS and NBC.

A single news van carrying a crew of a reporter and cameraman can cost in the $75,000 range, independent of their salaries. A well-equipped satellite truck can go for $250,000. Reporters at independent stations are often paid between $50,000 and $100,000 a year. Even if KHJ cuts money-saving deals in these areas, “it’s spending an awful lot,” said one TV executive.

While the networks are hurting from the loss of viewers to cable TV, VCRs and independent stations, Disney is so wealthy and powerful that it was mentioned in a recent Wall Street report as a potential buyer of CBS.

Byrne rejected a suggestion that Disney might put a time limit on KHJ’s ability to produce a successful three-hour newscast in prime time. “In a meeting with the Disney people,” he said, “Mr. Eisner (Disney chairman Michael Eisner) said, ‘We’re committed for years.’ ”

Added Saunders: “We will pre-empt anything, anytime, for news, if the news demands it. That includes Lakers games. Our prime-time news wouldn’t mean anything if we didn’t do that. We’re gonna be all over.”

Once the daily three-hour broadcast begins in March, KHJ will also launch one-hour Saturday and Sunday news roundups anchored by Larry Carroll. Saunders said KHJ is also planning a 30-minute morning news show with a starting time of 5:30, 6 or 6:30 a.m.

Byrne added that the station had also looked into the possibility of a Sacramento bureau: “We haven’t made a decision.” If KHJ opens a Sacramento bureau, it would be the only major L.A. TV station to have an office that permanently covers the state capital, but Saunders indicated that plans to proceed were uncertain.

Disney, the house that Mickey Mouse built, only owns one TV outlet--KHJ--but the new management appointed to run it has wide experience in operating groups of stations, leading to belief that the studio intends to become a blockbuster entry in the field.

“If there are opportunities to buy other stations at the right price, you bet,” said Byrne.

And despite Dunphy’s by-the-numbers news presentation in his debut Monday, he’s the key on-air figure in establishing Disney as a TV station force. Elvira was fun, but this is big business.