For KNBC Anchor Paul Moyer, Talk Is <i> Not </i> Cheap

Paul (Pay Me a Fortune and I’ll Tell the World I Love Ya) Moyer returned to KNBC-TV Channel 4 Monday after a long absence.

In response to being continually welcomed back on the air (including a taped greeting from Jay Leno), Moyer turned in an electrifying performance, saying “thanks,” “thank you,” “thank you, man,” “thank you, my friend” or “thank you, sir” a record 18 times.

On the dark side, Moyer raised fears about his mental acuity when he welcomed his new co-anchor at 5 and 11 p.m., Wendy Tokuda, who had preceded him at Channel 4 by several months.

Those fears were intensified when Moyer twice was unable to recall the name of the Los Angeles station where he had been a news anchor for the last 13 years, referring to KABC-TV Channel 7 as “the other place.”

Otherwise, Moyer’s return to Channel 4 was triumphant, beginning with the 5 p.m. lead story that he had enjoyed his vacation and loved KNBC.

“Hello, everybody. I’m Paul Moyer. If you will permit me just for a moment, Wendy, all of you, a personal note off the top of the program tonight. Yah, eight weeks of vacation was terrific, but it is great to be back. It is wonderful to be back with all of you again, and it is terrific to be back on KNBC Channel 4. This is a very class operation. I am honored to be part of it, and one of the reasons I am looking forward to the years to come is sitting right next to me. She is Wendy Tokuda from San Francisco, now with us at KNBC. Nice to have you here.”

Tokuda assured Moyer: “You will love this team. They’re very smart people, and they’re very nice people, and we’re glad to have you here, Paul.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Moyer said. Then he thanked Tokuda and said, “Let’s get on with it.”

Moyer signed a six-year contract with Channel 4 estimated to be worth more than $8 million--or about $1.4 million annually. Allowing for vacation, that computes to $5,835 for every day he works.

Is he worth his salary?

Including reading promos at news breaks, Moyer spoke 2,564 words during his Monday debut. That amounts to $2.28 a word.

His word contributions to the two newscasts ranged from saying “yeah” ($2.28) to reading a 152-word narration of a story updating the status of Ross Perot’s volunteers ($346.56).

His 36-word ($82.08) input into a brush fire report from chopper reporter Bob Pettee: “Bob, I gotta tell you, Paul Moyer here. Uh, I had admired your work when I was at the other place. You kicked our butts a good many times, and it’s nice to be with ya.”

Moyer introduced stories excessively. “Charges tonight the L.A. Sheriff’s Department is using force, excessive force far too often. The story coming up next” ($45.60). He delivered promos. “And Jack Nicholson back with the team from ‘Five Easy Pieces.’ But is this new film a classic? David Sheehan has the answer. All coming up next” ($61.56). Later, he added his own ($59.28) review to Sheehan’s less expensive one: “No, I agree with you. I agree with you. Two great stars, but the movie takes a left turn in the middle and doesn’t go anywhere.”

Because he’s been around, Moyer added his own $54.72 worth of insight to a story on a gang truce: “A lot of people didn’t think that truce would work as long as it has, Wendy, and they hope it continues to do so.”

He contributed $134.52 worth of joshing (“Good to see you, pal. Admired you for a long time”) to weathercaster Fritz Coleman’s forecast, including this $20.52 quip: “You’re a lot taller than you look on television.”

He showered words valued at $148.20 on joshing with sportscaster Bret Lewis, including $13.68 (“ha ha ha ha ha ha”) in expensive laughter.

But that was nothing compared with his $209.76 joshing package with sportscaster Fred Roggin, who was speaking by phone from Barcelona, where he’ll be covering the Summer Olympics. Moyer, describing Roggin to Lewis: “Fred’s just a delight, isn’t he?”

In words worth $63.84, Moyer added his own wisdom to a story on the California lottery winner. “Yeah, you know, so many times they ask people, and they say, ‘Oh, it’s not gonna change my life any.’ Gonna change hers for the better. Real good.” Tokuda agreed.

Moyer was generous, in one case providing the evening’s bargain by lavishing $86.64 worth of words on a story that required a mere $70.68. “Told ya about the aftershock early this morning, 4.5 near Barstow. At 11:02 tonight, maybe you felt this, we had another one measured at 3.0. Small, but nonetheless people feel ‘em. 3.0 near Barstow. 11:02 tonight.”

He appropriated $88.92 in words for a former associate, Kelly Lange, as he was making a transition to the 6 p.m. newscast, which she now co-anchors with Jess Marlow. “And the news continues. Kel, what have you been doing for the last 13 years, kiddo? Oh, my God, it’s good to see you.” The thrill was mutual, said Lange, relegated to anchoring a single half-hour newscast because of the advent of Moyer/Tokuda. She offered her assistance to Moyer, who replied, “I’ll be there to ask ya, believe me.” How could you not believe these two?

Moyer was compassionate about the news. “Well, you wonder who would do something like that, you know? The stories that make you wonder, and that’s one of them. Oh!” ($52.44). He obeyed the KNBC rule of news/entertaiment cross-promotion. “All right, here is what’s coming up on ‘The Tonight Show’ tonight right after our news broadcast tonight, 11:35. Jay’s guests will be Kelsey Grammer and director Robert Zemeckis” ($66.12).

And he never got over being happy about leaving “the other place.”

Opening the 11 p.m. newscast, he said, “I cannot tell you how good it is to be back to work after nine weeks” ($34.20). Somehow, between the 5 and 11 p.m. programs, his vacation had grown to nine weeks from eight weeks.

Nonetheless, Moyer’s return was scintillating, for which I gladly add my personal, cut-rate “Thank you, sir” (30 cents).