KABC, KCAL Top Winners in L.A. Emmy Awards

KABC-TV Channel 7 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 were the top winners in the 45th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, while KCAL, KTLA-TV Channel 5 and Spanish-language KVEA-TV Channel 52 took honors for the top newscasts.

KCAL had 14 awards, including best hour-long newscast for its 8 p.m. broadcast. But the Walt Disney Co.-owned station lost out in the other two newscast categories.

KVEA’s 6 p.m. newscast won in the 30-minute category, while KTLA-TV Channel 5’s high-rated and often-irreverent morning newscast captured the Emmy for best daytime newscast over KCAL’s noon newscast.

KABC also had 14 awards, with “City View” taking seven, including best remote information/public affairs series. The program also won in the education, health and science/environment, travel and leisure/L.A. local color and children/youth specials categories.

KCET-TV Channel 28 and KCOP-TV Channel 13 each won six Emmys, KCBS-TV Channel 2 five, KTLA four, KNBC-TV Channel 4 and cable’s City TV two each, while KMEX-TV Channel 34, KOCE-TV Channel 50, KTTV-TV Channel 11 and KVEA each had one.

Four stations were honored for coverage of last spring’s civil unrest. KCOP won for live coverage of an unscheduled news event for Bob Tur’s helicopter pictures of the beating of trucker Reginald Denny and “Flashpoint” as best news special; KABC won in spot news for coverage of looting in the South-Central district; KCBS won for news reporting for “Anatomy of a Riot,” and KMEX cameraman Fernando Mejia won in the camera crew--hard news breaking story category for his pictures of the disturbance at Parker Center.

KTTV reporter Jane Wells and producer Myra Ming took honors for investigative reporting for their look at the failure of the District Attorney’s office to call more civilian witnesses to testify in the trial of the four Los Angeles police officers accused in the beating of Rodney G. King.

The winners were announced Saturday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in ceremonies presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Nominations and winners of programs aired during the 1992 calendar year were judged primarily by peer group panels convened in Denver, Detroit and New York City.

The previously announced Governors Award, annually given to individuals, shows or organizations “that have made a special and unique contribution to Los Angeles-area television,” went to KCAL anchorman Jerry Dunphy.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Regularly scheduled daily newscast (30-minute format): “Noticiero 52--6 en Punto,” KVEA.

Regularly scheduled daily newscast (60-minute format): “Prime 9 News at 8,” KCAL.

Regularly scheduled daytime newscast: “KTLA Morning News,” KTLA.

Live coverage of an unscheduled news event: Bob Tur, Ross Becker (reporters), Celeste Durant, Jeff Wald (executive producer), “L.A. Riots Live Coverage: The Beating of Reginald Denny,” KCOP.

Serious mini-documentaries: Alex Paen (reporter/producer), Milli Martinez (executive producer), “Quest for the Last Cannibals,” KABC.

Light mini-documentaries: Tracie Savage (reporter), Alex Epstein (producer), Laura Carter (executive producer), “Chopper Cops,” KCAL.

Investigative reporting: Jane Wells (reporter), Myra Ming (producer), “The Rodney King Trial: What the Jury Never Saw,” KTTV.

Spot news: Gene Gleeson, Joseph McMahan, Linda Mour (reporter/producers); Mike Merle (assignment reporter), “South Central Looting: L.A. Riots,” KABC.

News reporting: Bob Jimenez (reporter), Rick Friedman (producer), Lorraine Hillman, Allan Pena (co-producers), “Anatomy of a Riot,” KCBS.

Sports reporting: Tom Murray (reporter/producer), “The Real League of Their Own,” KCAL.

Serious news feature reporting: David Jackson (reporter), Lisa Brown (producer), “Your Money or Your Life,” KCAL.

Light news feature reporting: Dennis Farrier (reporter/producer), “Zoo on You,” KCAL.

News commentary: Michael Tuck, “A Matter of Dignity,” KCBS.

Informational/public affair series (remote): “City View” KABC.

Informational/public affairs series (studio-based): “Making It! Minority Success Stories,” KTLA.

Entertainment programming: “Fritz and Friends: Perils of Parenthood,” KNBC.

Children/youth specials: “City View: Scared Sober,” KABC.

Children/youth series: “L.A. Kids,” KCOP.

News special: “Flashpoint,” KCOP.

Sports special: “Sportsbowl ‘92,” KNBC.

Sports series: “L.A. Football Company,” KCBS.

Live sports coverage: “Clippers Basketball,” KCOP.

Travel and leisure/L.A. local color: “City View: Plugged into the Future,” KABC.

Health and science/environment: “City View: A Mother’s Gift,” KABC.

Education: “City View: A Mother’s Gift,” KABC.

Crime/social issue: “Victim No More,” KCAL.

Arts and culture/history: “Prime 9 ‘92,” KCAL.

Live special events (tie): “The Doo Dah Parade,” KCOP; “Live From the Hollywood Bowl,” KCOP.

Instructional series: “Time to Grow,” KOCE.

Information segment: “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” KCET.

Feature segment: “City View: Music of the Gods,” KABC.

Public, municipal and operator produced cable: “Drawing on Life,” City TV.

Short promo/public service announcements: “Rams Play,” KCBS; “Angels vs. Kansas City Royals,” KTLA.

Special class program: “Peace by Piece,” City TV.

Host/moderators specials: Joanne Ishimine, “Memories of the Camps,” KABC.

Host/moderators series: Marabina Jaimes, Mark Ritts, “Storytime,” KCET.

News writers: Matt Stevens, “Prime 9 News: Homeless Coach,” KCAL.

Non-news writers: Mark Mohr, “Memories of the Camps,” KABC.

Newscast writers: Jeff Kaufman, Kyndall Wilson, Joe Bates, Sherrie Larrea, Brenda Teele, Roger Lundquist, Peg Rau, “Prime 9 News at 10,” KCAL.

Directors of edited programs: Cordelia Stone, “Storytime,” KCET.

Directors of unedited programs--news: Peggy Burkhart, “Prime 9 News at 8,” KCAL.

Directors of unedited programs--non-news: Rob Fiedler, “103rd Tournament of Roses Parade,” KTLA.

Camera crew--hard news breaking story: Fernando Mejia, “Parker Center Riots,” KMEX.

Camera crew--news feature: Armando Cantu, “The Queen Mary,” KCAL.

Camera crew--non-news: Bob Ballew (camera), Rick Hollis (sound), “City View: Martial Arts: Harmony of Mind and Body,” KABC.

Film/tape editors of hard news programs: Li-Ping Chang, “Eyewitness News: Russia,” KABC.

Film/tape editors of news features: Roman Alfonso, “Eyewitness News: Is Japan Better?” KABC.

Film/tape editors of non-news programs: “Victim No More,” KCAL.

Graphics: Emmanuel Amit (designer/art director), James Faulkner (designer/paintbox), David Snapp (art director), “Countdown to the American Music Awards,” KABC.

Creative technical crafts: Tildon V. Williams (video engineer), “The Works,” KCET.

Technical direction: Bernd L. Bergmann, “Prime 9 News at 8,” KCAL.

Sound mixing: Gerald Zelinger, “Sex, Power and the Workplace,” KCET.

Lighting (tie): Richard E. Sulprizio, “Lakertime,” KCAL; Thomas R. Holder, “Ecology Kids Challenge III,” KCBS.

Art direction: John Restek, “Storytime,” KCET.

Governors award: Jerry Dunphy, KCAL.