KCBS Leads Pack With Seven Local Emmy Awards

Sure, KNBC-TV Channel 4 and KABC-TV Channel 7 can boast of various newscasts being the ratings leaders in their time periods, but now KCBS-TV Channel 2 has something to brag about too: Emmy Awards for having the best local news, if not the most watched.

And more. KCBS walked away with seven trophies at the 49th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, handed out at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday night in recognition of excellence in local programming during 1996. That was two more than any other station received.

The CBS-owned station earned Emmys for the best daily 60-minute newscast and for the best daily 30-minute newscast, with the honors going to its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news programs, respectively.

KCAL-TV Channel 9’s noon news was named best daytime newscast. It was one of five Emmys that KCAL collected. KCET-TV Channel 28 also received five, including best informational/public-affairs series for “Life & Times.”

KABC, KNBC and KTTV-TV Channel 11 each won four, KCOP-TV Channel 13 got three, KTLA-TV Channel 5 picked up two and KOCE-TV Channel 50, KSCI-TV Channel 18, Fox Sports West, Charter Communications and L.A. CityView garnered one each.

Steve Hartman of KCBS, who won two Emmys last year, earned another in the category of best light news story for a piece he did for “Channel 2 News at 6” called “Forever Married.” The award was shared with Les Rose, his cameraman on the story, and Rose won another Emmy as best news videographer.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences gave its Governors Award to KMEX-TV Channel 34, honoring the station for 34 years of providing Spanish-language programming to the Southland.

Here is the full list of winners:

Regularly scheduled daily news (30-minute format): “Channel 2 News at 11 p.m.,” KCBS.

Regularly scheduled daily news (60-minute format): “Channel 2 News at 6 p.m.,” KCBS.

Regularly scheduled daytime newscast: “KCAL 9 News Noon Report,” KCAL.

Informational/public-affairs series (studio-based): “Life & Times,” KCET.

Live coverage of an unscheduled news event: “Atlanta Bombing,” KNBC.

News special: “America ‘96: The California Factor,” KCOP.

Children/youth special: “Think Before You Drink,” KABC.

Instructional programming: “Cycles of Life: Exploring Biology,” KOCE.

Live special event: “1996 Tournament of Roses Parade,” KTLA.

Entertainment programming: “Premiere Night: Cirque du Soleil,” KCOP.

Sports series: “Break the Ice,” Fox Sports West.

Sports special: “Fred Roggin’s Road to Atlanta,” KNBC.

Live sports coverage: “L.A. Marathon,” KCOP.

Sports reporting: Fred Roggin (reporting), Mike Cunningham, Greg Dowling, Ron Gralnik (producers), KNBC.

Investigative reporting: Harvey Levin, KCBS.

Hard-news reporting: Chris Blatchford (reporter/producer), Dan Leighton (producer), KTTV.

News-feature reporting: Sam Hall Kaplan, KTTV.

Education: “High Expectations,” KCET.

L.A. local color: “The Best of Berglund,” KCAL.

Health and science/environment: “L.A.’s Filthy Secret,” KCAL.

Crime/social issues: “Deadly Traffic: Mexico’s Drug Highway,” KCAL.

Arts and culture/history: “More Things That Aren’t Here Anymore,” KCET.

Feature segment: “Inner City Arts,” KCET.

Information segment: “Equine Sanctuary,” KCET.

Serious news story: “Tex Watson: Paying for Pleasure,” KCBS.

Light news story: “Forever Married,” KCBS.

Public, municipal and operator produced cable: “Lost Future,” Charter Communications.

News editor: Doug Imai, KCBS.

Non-news editor: Jilla St. Germain-Gauthier, KTTV.

News writer: David Garcia, KTTV.

News videographer: Les Rose, KCBS.

Non-news videographer: Bob Ballew, KABC.

Non-news director: Robert Manciero, KSCI.

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

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