KCBS Leads L.A. Emmys With 18 Nominations

KCBS-TV Channel 2, usually an also-ran in the local ratings, came out on top Thursday in nominations for the 49th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, including being named a finalist for best 30-minute and 60-minute newscasts.

KCBS collected 18 nominations, five more than runner-up KCOP-TV Channel 13 and seven more than rivals KNBC-TV Channel 4 (with seven) and KABC-TV Channel 7 (with four) combined.

The awards, honoring the best local broadcast and cable programming of 1996, will be handed out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences May 31 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

KCBS’ 11 p.m. newscast was nominated as best half-hour news show, along with KABC’s “Eyewitness News at 6.”

In the hourlong newscast category, KCBS’ 6 p.m. broadcast will face off for the Emmy against KNBC’s 5 p.m. program.

KNBC also got a nomination for best daytime newscast, with its “Midday Report” competing against KCAL-TV Channel 9’s “Noon Report.”

KCAL, which won the most local Emmys last year, wound up with 12 nominations, as did KTTV-TV Channel 11. KCET-TV Channel 28 garnered 10, while Fox Sports West received five and KTLA-TV Channel 5 and L.A. CityView got four each. There were two apiece for KMEX-TV Channel 34, KSCI-TV Channel 18, City TV and the International Channel, and one for Charter Communications.

The nominations released Thursday were incomplete, however. The TV academy said scheduling problems for judging panels had delayed announcement of the categories for news feature reporting and local color.

The academy also said that several winners already have been selected:

* Instructional programming: “Cycles of Life: Exploring Biology,” KOCE-TV Channel 50.

* Short promo/public-service announcement: “California Angels--Kid,” KCAL; “Dreams,” L.A. CityView; “New Image--Commitment,” KNBC; “Savannah ‘Scream,’ ” KTLA.

* Graphics: “Countdown to the American Music Awards,” KABC; “Insomniac Theater,” KABC.

The academy previously announced that Spanish-language station KMEX would be receiving the Governors Award.