Start Spreading the News Around

KCOP-TV news anchor Rick Chambers got mixed up at the end of last Thursday’s newscast.

Chambers was attempting to remind viewers that the UPN station’s newscast would premiere in its half-hour 11 p.m. time slot today. The move is part of a strategy prompted by the station’s owner, News Corp., which also owns KTTV-TV and decided it didn’t want to have both its stations competing with news at 10 p.m.

However, Chambers, seemingly out of habit, told viewers, “Remember, starting Monday, we’ll be starting at 10 p.m. We’ll see you then.” As the camera moved away and the closing music started up, Chambers’ smile quickly vanished as he apparently realized the mistake, but it was too late to correct.

Chambers’ confusion is perhaps understandable, since the switch is an outgrowth of the complicated phenomena known as duopoly, which is growing steadily in Los Angeles’ local TV market, causing anxiety among news staffers. Under the duopoly concept, a company can own two stations in the same city. The KCOP-KTTV duopoly is one of four in the local TV market.

Viacom recently acquired KCAL-TV, which gives CBS’ parent company control of both that station and KCBS-TV. NBC recently completed its purchase of Spanish-language network Telemundo, which means the network now owns KNBC-TV, KWHY-TV and KVEA-TV (though KWHY will have to be sold because of restrictions limiting ownership to two stations per city). Spanish-language rival Univision also controls two stations, flagship KMEX-TV and KFTR-TV.

How KCOP and KTTV will operate and cooperate with each other under the new arrangement remains uncertain. Management for the two stations declined to be interviewed last week, saying little more than that the former KCOP news hour would be filled by reruns of “Seinfeld” and “Frasier.” As of Friday, even KCOP’s Web site contained no information about the time switch for the newscast.

Dave Boylan, general manager of the two stations, issued a grammatically confounding statement that read, “We are providing more programming choices by offering some of the best comedies every producers from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., and we are providing two different local newscasts at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. times. The L.A. viewer might not know what media synergy is, but they will now know they have more programming choices.”

Though executives kept their plans close to the vest, staffers at the two stations have been told that the separate news operations will remain independent and that there is no immediate cross-promotion planned. For example, anchors for the KTTV news are not expected--at least for now--to advise viewers that they can switch to KCOP to see more news.

That strategy is being used by KCAL and KCBS, with KCAL recently airing promos for KCBS’ news during a Lakers playoff game. And anchors at the two stations have been promoting stories on their sister stations’ newscasts.

The duopolies are causing concerns among staffers at the newsrooms involved. Don Corsini, KCAL general manager who has now also assumed management of KCBS, reportedly criticized the news operation at KCBS during a meeting last week, fueling speculation that there will be additional changes there.

Said a spokesman for KCBS and KCAL: “We’re exploring ways for the stations to work together. We want to cross-promote as effectively as possible without taking away each station’s distinctive identity.”

“UPN News 13” might need that kind of promotional boost. The newscast won a 2001 local Emmy Award for best newscast longer than 35 minutes but has traditionally trailed its 10 p.m. rivals at KCAL, KTTV and KTLA (which is owned by Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times). The newscast, hoping to attract a younger audience, features youth-oriented stories on fashion and music.

As for changes to the format with the time switch, members of the KCOP news staff say the 11 p.m. newscast will be faster-paced and contain more stories than the established newscasts of KCBS, KNBC and KABC. “We’re supposed to be an alternative to them,” said one news staffer.

Industry observers, though, are speculating that the revamped lineup at KCOP will not have a significant effect on the ratings race.

“The station’s newscast was never that dominant in the first place,” said Nancy McLachlan, senior vice president and broadcast director of Initiative Media, an ad-buying firm that purchases commercial time on local television.

“Putting something else in that time slot may not affect ratings either. And the KCOP news going up against those other newscast will probably not do that well.”