KCAL-TV Atop Local Emmy Nominations : Awards: Of the 126 finalist spots, 36 go to the station. Winners will be announced on June 3.

KCAL-TV Channel 9, which dominated the local Emmy Awards last year, came out on top again in the 47th annual nominations announced Wednesday, receiving 36 of the 126 finalist spots.

Its closest competitor was KTTV-TV Channel 11 with 21 nominations, followed by KCBS-TV Channel 2 with 14 and KCOP-TV Channel 13 with 10.

The awards, honoring the best in Los Angeles-area TV programming during 1994, will be handed out at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium June 3 by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The academy dramatically scaled back the competition this year, consolidating some categories and eliminating others so that, overall, there were about 100 fewer nominations than last year.

KCAL, which received 56 nominations last year and wound up winning 13, was nominated this year for best 60-minute newscast (“Prime 9 News at 10”), best daytime newscast (“9 News at Noon”) and best news special (“The Fires of Autumn”). It also received all four nominations for best sports reporting (Gary Cruz, Scott Johnston, Tom Murray and Mark Steines).

Other stations and cable outlets receiving nominations were KABC-TV Channel 7 with 8, KTLA-TV Channel 5 with 7, KNBC-TV Channel 4 with 6, KCET-TV Channel 28 and Prime Ticket with 5 each, CITY-TV and KVEA-TV Channel 52 with 4 each and CityView, KMEX-TV Channel 34 and KSCI-TV Channel 18 with two apiece.

KTTV reporter Chris Blatchford collected five nominations: two for best serious news story and one each for best light news story, best hard news reporting and best investigative reporting.

The academy also announced that winners in three categories already had been selected. The Emmy for instructional programming went to “Universe: The Infinite Frontier” on KOCE-TV Channel 50. The graphics winner was “Countdown to the American Music Awards” on KABC-TV. Emmys for short promotions and public-service announcements were awarded to KCAL for “KCAL Kids Crew,” to KCBS for “Love Thy Neighbors” and to CityView for “Pick It Up.”

George Putnam was previously announced as the recipient of the academy’s governors award for career achievement.

A partial list of the nominations:

* 30-minute newscast: “Channel 2 Action News at 11,” KCBS; “KCOP Real News,” KCOP.

* 60-minute newscast: “Channel 2 Action News at 5,” KCBS; “Fox News at 10,” KTTV; “Prime 9 News at 10,” KCAL.

* Daytime newscast: “KTLA Morning News,” KTLA; “9 News at Noon,” KCAL.

* News special: “The Fires of Autumn,” KCAL; “O.J. Simpson: Quest for Justice,” KCOP.

* Informational/public-affairs series (remote): “City View,” KABC; “L.A. Stories,” KCBS.

* Informational/public-affairs series (studio-based): “Bob Navarro’s Journal,” KCBS; “Life & Times,” KCET; “Making It! Minority Success Stories,” KTLA; “Pei Pei’s Time,” KSCI.

* Children/youth series: “Get Real,” KSCI; “L.A. Kids,” KCOP.

* Live coverage of an unscheduled news event: “Earthquake ‘94,” KTLA; “Earthquake--Northridge,” KCBS; “Northridge Quake ‘94,” KNBC.

* Sports series: “LakerTime,” KCAL; “Press Box,” Prime Ticket.

* Live special events: “1994 Hollywood Christmas Parade,” KTLA; “Live From the Hollywood Bowl,” KCOP; “Nixon Funeral,” KCAL; “1994 Tournament of Roses Parade,” KTLA.