Local Stations Plan Special Coverage of Polling Results

After a campaign whose television coverage played a back seat to the continuing spate of carjackings and freeway chases, KABC-TV Channel 7, KCAL-TV Channel 9 and KCBS-TV Channel 2 all plan special programming to report on today’s election in Los Angeles.

In a 10-11 p.m. special, KCBS will focus on the significance of the election and take a look ahead to the challenges facing the new mayor. Among the guests will be veteran political consultant Joe Cerrell and Peter Kelly, a former state Democratic Party chairman.

KCBS also plans periodic updates between 8-10 p.m. and will extend its 11 p.m. newscast to midnight for further coverage of the election, which includes not only the mayor’s race but also ballot measures, four City Council seats and two positions on the Community College Board of Trustees.

KABC will have a special report from 9:30-10 p.m., preempting “Room for Two,” then will resume election coverage with its 11 p.m. newscast. News director Roger Bell said the station will either extend the newscast or interrupt scheduled programming after that if races remain in doubt.

KCAL will devote much of its regularly scheduled 8-11 p.m. news block to the election and will also have a 30-minute special at 11 p.m.

KTLA-TV Channel 5 will extend its 10 p.m. newscast in half-hour increments until a winner is declared in the mayor’s race. Susan Estrich, who managed Michael S. Dukakis’ failed 1988 presidential campaign, will serve as a guest expert analyst.

KCOP-TV Channel 13, traditionally reluctant to delay the 11 p.m. start of “The Arsenio Hall Show” for additional news coverage beyond the 10 p.m. newscast, “will stay on air as long as we have to,” news director Jeff Wald said.

KNBC-TV Channel 4 declined to disclose its coverage plans.

On radio, KNX-AM (1070) will “fill virtually all its news time” with election coverage after the polls close at 8 p.m. and preempt the 9-10 p.m. drama hour, news director Bob Sims said. KFWB-AM (980) said it will provide election updates throughout the evening.

KFI-AM (640) is juggling its talk show schedule and will have Bill Handel, whose show is regularly on from 7 to 9 p.m., hosting from 8 p.m. to midnight, taking calls related to the election, interspersed with results updates every 15 minutes.

Spanish-language KVEA-TV Channel 52 plans updates each half hour between 8 and 10:30 p.m.