KCAL Cancels ‘Teen Talk,’ ‘Youth and the Issues’

KCAL Channel 9 said Monday it has canceled two series aimed at youngsters, “Teen Talk” and “Youth and the Issues.” In addition, two other shows, “Frankly Female,” which deals with women’s topics, and “Off Hand,” a program for the hearing-impaired, were canceled.

Matt Cooperstein, program director for the Disney-owned station, said KCAL was creating new programs covering such subjects as teen issues, but that the shows would be produced in-house rather than by outside contractors.

Joseph Feinstein, producer and host of “Teen Talk,” said he found it ironic that his series and “Youth and the Issues” were being canceled as KCAL took out an ad in Monday’s Los Angeles Times promoting “For Kids’ Sake: a public service campaign devoted to Southern California’s young people.”

“It’s purely coincidental,” said Cooperstein. “We will be bringing on another teen show. It just will not be ‘Teen Talk.’ All the things we’re doing at the station will be far more pervasive than ‘Teen Talk’ and ‘Youth and the Issues.’ ”

“More pervasive, huh?” said Feinstein. “We’ve done 237 shows in the last nine years covering every humanly possible topic related to teen-agers. We’ve won three Emmys for best youth and children’s series.”

“Teen Talk,” “Youth and the Issues” and “Off Hand” are seen Saturday mornings. “Frankly Female” airs Sunday mornings. Cooperstein said they would all run until August or September.

He said “we do have a proposed plan” for fall, which also includes public service series on such subjects as politics, local issues, the environment and minorities.

Disney took over KCAL 1 1/2 years ago. Since then, KCAL has built a news staff estimated at about 140 and launched a nightly, three-hour newscast. And Cooperstein said, “From a synergistic viewpoint, we feel it best to produce our own public affairs programming and integrate some of our news personalities into these future projects.”