Non-Network News Series Take Off the Training Wheels

Two of the basic foundations of network TV--the evening and morning news--are suddenly under the gun in the key Los Angeles market.

In just a few weeks on the air, KCAL Channel 9’s locally oriented, nightly 6:30 newscast with Jerry Dunphy and Pat Harvey is posing a ratings threat to the evening reports of Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather and Peter Jennings in a head-on challenge.

If KCAL’s ratings since its June 15 debut continue to hold up, another crumbling bastion of network strength may be hit hard here in the nation’s second-biggest market, a crucial audience to NBC, CBS and ABC.

More important for viewers is that KCAL’s entry, “First 9 News,” which has dumped sports and weather reports, has quickly developed into a viable alternative, although it could use a little beefing up in its non-local coverage.

Early in the day, meanwhile, KTLA Channel 5’s two-hour “Morning News,” which marks its first anniversary on Wednesday, already has whipped the “Today” show, “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning” in the last two ratings sweeps periods in February and May.

But here again, the important thing for viewers is that “KTLA Morning News” has evolved nicely in its relatively brief existence. Also focusing on Southern California, it has created a comfortable aura and an amiable on-air team--anchors Barbara Beck and Carlos Amezcua, weatherman Mark Kriski and entertainment reporter Sam Rubin.

Major local events in recent days--Sunday’s earthquakes and Tuesday’s public swearing-in ceremonies for new Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williams--gave the fledgling news series of KCAL and KTLA a chance to show their stuff.

And they surely did. On Monday, for instance, the post-earthquake coverage by “KTLA Morning News” delivered a 23% audience share, overwhelming “Today,” “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning” in the Nielsen ratings.

On Monday night, meanwhile, KCAL’s “First 9 News,” with its own post-quake broadcast, was beaten by ABC’s evening news but defeated both NBC and CBS--a rather startling performance for a program that is hardly out of the gate.

Whether “First 9 News” can maintain its fast competitive start is open to question. But it already has illuminated the fact that with news now available 24 hours a day on a variety of channels, the nightly network newscasts no longer are required viewing--and local focus is a wise way to go because it can’t be duplicated elsewhere.

In its initial two weeks, “First 9 News” earned respectable Nielsen figures despite losing to the Big Three networks. And in another major ratings service, Arbitron, the KCAL entry actually beat all three nightly network newscasts in its first week and lost only to ABC the second week.

Possibly, of course, “First 9 News” will fade after the novelty of its debut--and when there are less compelling stories. But in the seemingly ageless, remarkably energetic Dunphy and the dependable Harvey, KCAL has an attractive, authoritative anchor team. And the station already has an increasing journalistic image with its nightly, three-hour, prime-time newscast.

Tuesday night’s “First 9 News” was an example of the program’s formula. It led off with a lengthy series of detailed, colorful--but unfortunately sometimes sensational-- reports on the aftermath of the quakes. Then came brief stories on layoffs at Hughes Aircraft and the state budget stalemate, followed by another lengthy, well-edited report on Williams’ swearing-in ceremonies.

There was a piece on a Simi Valley plane crash, another on drinking being banned at three local beaches and still another on the Oxnard airport closing for 10 days. There were several newsy human interest stories as well, but the final segment looking at world events was simply too brief despite the intention to focus on Southern California.

A few minor flubs also marred the broadcast, but they were easy to overlook because of the general lack of fluff and the clear enthusiasm of both the anchors and the on-air reporters delivering the pieces.

Tuesday also provided a good showcase for “KTLA Morning News” as it originated outdoors in a beautiful setting at the Police Academy, where Williams was to take his oath several hours later. KTLA wisely extended the 7-9 a.m. series as the station continued its coverage for five hours ending at noon, capturing the wistful, hopeful mood of the day--in the wake of the Rodney G. King beating and the riots--far better than any competitor.

“We have a bigger set here than the network guys,” cracked Kriski, who is a real, budding TV force with an effervescence that plays beautifully off the more restrained Amezcua and Beck.

The KTLA series has a welcome sense of playfulness that seems to fit morning shows in general--that nice, fresh feeling before the workday takes its toll. At another point, Kriski remarked, “This is the first time I’ve seen so many policemen since my college fraternity parties.”

If irreverence, kidding around and a bit of fluff are properly out of place on a program like “First 9 News,” they are just right for “KTLA Morning News” because viewers waking up want pleasant company and information about things like the weather, the traffic and the sports scores as well as top news events.

And Rubin, like Kriski, fits in well here. The two are responsible for making “KTLA Morning News” lighten up.

As much of the media began arriving at the Police Academy, the KTLA show was already on the air, and Rubin cracked, “There’s John North from Channel 7.” Checking out other reporters, he added, “Their mouths are filled with our doughnuts.”

For some years now, KTLA--thanks in great part to its former general manager, Steve Bell, now with 20th Century Fox, and its former news director, Jeff Wald, now with KCOP Channel 13--has been the best commercial TV station in town.

But for much of that time, the news image was centered solely on its 10 p.m. newscast, with such veterans as Hal Fishman, Stan Chambers and Larry McCormick. The “KTLA Morning News” has freed the station from that confined center of prestige and given Channel 5 a real, new and youthful presence that blends well with the older, more traditional nightly newscast.

It also provides KTLA with more news flexibility throughout the day.

And with the networks weakening on all fronts and increasingly losing the confidence of their stations, local programs such as “First 9 News” and “KTLA Morning News” could well hasten their demise as the major players of television.

Good News for KCAL Channel 9

After two weeks, KCAL Channel 9’s 6:30-7 p.m. news broadcasts are making a solid showing in the L.A. market. The show’s Monday evening ratings following Sunday’s two earthquakes:

Nielsen rating*

KABC Channel 7

KCAL Channel 9

KNBC Channel 4

KCBS Channel 2

Source: A.C. Nielsen Co.

* 1 rating point represents 48,751 homes.