Channel 10’s ‘Great People’ Falls Short on Substance

Modeled after Barbara Walters’ light and easy celebrity interview specials, Channel 10’s now-annual local version upholds the format’s puffy traditions.

“You’re the most self-effacing head coach I’ve ever met, why are you like that?” hard-hitting Channel 10 reporter Bill Griffith asks new Chargers head coach Bobby Ross in Channel 10’s “Up Close and Personal” special, scheduled to air tonight after Walters’ special (which follows the Oscars telecast).

In addition to Ross, the Channel 10 show features interviews with KFMB-FM (B100) morning pranksters Jeff Elliott and Jerry St. James, Bishop Robert Brom of the San Diego Catholic Diocese, weight-loss queen Jenny Craig and civil rights activist Dr. Jack Kimbrough.

Only the “Jeff and Jer” and Ross segments were available for preview, and neither revealed much of Stephen Clark’s opening promise to introduce “great people” who are doing “great things.”

Clark handles the “Jeff and Jer” segment in stilted and fairly predictable style. “Describe what you do” he asks each of them, and then appears amazed when both, in separate interviews, reply with the same pat answer: “It’s high school with pay.”

This is face-value stuff: Clark describes the duo as “different than most” while almost simultaneously playing the team’s rip-off of the opening of David Letterman’s show.

Despite its superficial nature, the program’s basic premise is strong. It allows viewers a glimpse at the private lives of well known people, a chance to see them away from their normal public settings.

The “Jeff and Jer” segment is at its best when St. James discusses his heartfelt support of animal rights causes and Elliott his religious beliefs. The treatment of these subjects is done in a quickie, press release style, but still, some audience members will be interested to see the faces and learn about the lives behind the voices.

Along the same lines, the segment with Ross was more promotional than confrontational.

“Was it tough on you to make the move?” asks Griffith, who as an interviewer is the consummate softball pitcher.

Yet, Charger fans will certainly appreciate the chance to see the new coach relaxing at home with his wife, outside of the standard press conference or on-the-field interview situation.

More reflections on the February television ratings reports, the gas that runs the great machine of television:

* Channel 8 slapped reruns of “Golden Girls” back-to-back in the 3-4 p.m. slot, prompting some to speculate that the station’s programming ideas were slightly older than the series’ stars. But according to both Arbitron and Nielsen, “Golden Girls” beat both “The Maury Povich Show” and “Phil Donahue” to win the time period.

* The ratings of the Channel 10 5 p.m. news show tended to follow the fluctuations of its ratings monster lead-in, Oprah Winfrey. It works rather well for the station, since Oprah drew a rating higher than all its competitors combined.

* The KNSD-TV (Channel 39) news programs were still mired in third place, but station executives were putting on a happy face because each of the station’s main newscasts earned ratings of 7, a high number and an average increase of two full points from the same time last year. Of course, the numbers also show that far more people were watching all the local newscasts this February than last February, when the Gulf War was in full swing and people were tuned to international newscasts.

* The KUSI-TV (Channel 51) 10 p.m. newscast still tends to be a blooper reel, especially when George Reading anchors solo, but it plugs along, adding more local elements, and the ratings are starting to reflect the improvements. Nielsen gave the hour-long program a 4 rating and 8 share, double its fledgling numbers of last year.

* According to Arbitron, the Betty Broderick movie on CBS earned an unprecedented 54 share in San Diego, proving that in the realm of TV movies, timeliness is always more important than quality.

* Blame it on the Olympics or some sort of mass dementia, but the Channel 8 Sunday news posted an amazing 15 rating and 35 share. That means Arbitron is trying to tell us that more than a third of the people watching TV at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays were watching the Channel 8 news.

In an effort to more clearly define its classic rock format to listeners, KSDO-FM (102.9) has switched its call letters to KCLX-FM. The station had to purchase the rights to use the extremely appropriate call letters from the owner of a station in Washington. . . .

Channel 39 executives huddled last week to decide the fate of the “Ross/Hedgecock Report,” and, after some discussion, opted to keep the program alive. One consideration was the noticeable lack of an alternative for the key 4 p.m. slot. There will be some small changes, as the producers strive to make the program more reactive to timely news stories. . . .

Beginning today, Channel 8 will supply news updates to KIFM (98.1), replacing Channel 10.”Business reasons” prompted the move, according to KIFM management.. . .

“Charlie and Harrigan” are reuniting this week on the KCBQ morning show. . . .

In San Diego, Richard Carlson was a mediocre local television anchorman, an executive for a bank that failed a few years after his departure and a loser in a mayoral election--even though his opponent, Roger Hedgecock, was under indictment at the time. Now, after a whirlwind of undistinguished service in a series of appointed government posts, he’s been named to head the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the most important public funding source for public television and radio. The Reagan-Bush Era has been very, very good to Richard Carlson. . . .

With Channel 39 relentlessly promoting the America’s Cup races, going so far as to involve Sports Guy Jim Laslavic in commercials and in last Friday’s half-hour promotion-style preview of the races, the station has created the impression that its news department may have a conflict in covering other aspects of the event. That may be unfair. But after watching 53,000 “Race to Win” commercials, it is more than a little cheesy to hear anchorwoman Denise Yamada put a perky bow to a news story on the America’s Cup Organizing Committee’s financial problems, brightly adding, “The good news is that none of this will affect the races!”

CRITIC’S CHOICE

A FRACTURED FAIRY TALE FOR ALL AGES

There is no shame in a grown man admitting his love for “Rocky and Bullwinkle.” Sure, it’s a children’s cartoon, but the nuances of the flying squirrel’s satirical interaction with society, the moose’s bad puns and Natasha’s evil curves cross boundaries of age, taste and style. The Ken Cinema will present a package of “Rocky and Bullwinkle” shorts, including Mr. Peabody and Dudley Do-Right segments tonight at 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. . . .

The Visual Arts Foundation will present its annual Oscar party, a benefit for the foundation, tonight at the Mission 8 theaters in Oceanside. It’s basically a party to watch the Oscar ceremonies, which begin at 6 p.m., with food and prizes. Several of the Oscar-nominated films will be screened after the event.