“THE NEXT GENERATION OF LOCAL NEWS,” 4...

“THE NEXT GENERATION OF LOCAL NEWS,” 4 p.m., Monday (2)--Some may read the preceding description as a threat. Nevertheless, it’s the billing that KCBS-TV is giving its reconstructed news block premiering this week.

The old, third-in-the-ratings KCBS weekday news began at 4:30 p.m., followed by one-hour local newscasts at 5 and 6 and “CBS Evening News With Dan Rather” at 7. Based on those ratings, KCBS was not having great commercial success with the current generation of local news, so it decided to fast-forward to the mostly-20-minutes-a-pop, life style-oriented “next generation.”

Get ready for progress:

--”The Channel 2 News First Edition” (4-4:20 p.m.), anchored by Bill Stout and Valerie Coleman, unfolding the news of “the breaking world.”

--”California Health” (4:20-4:40), anchored by Tritia Toyota and Steve Gendel, reporting health and fitness news.

--”California Living” (4:40-5), anchored in the field by weathercaster Kevin O’Connell, reporting the many Southern California issues “not previously addressed by local television.”

--”Channel 2 News Live at Five” (5-5:20), anchored by John Schubeck, updating the day’s news.

--”California People” (5:20-5:40), KABC Radio talk-show host Michael Jackson talking to “the hottest celebrities and current newsmakers.”

--”California Family” (5:40-6), anchored by Warren Olney and Paula Zahn, relating the issues “being faced by all families.”

--”The Southern California Evening News” (6-6:30), anchored by Toyota and Dan Miller (new from Nashville), reporting only local news.

This local newscast will be followed by the network news, advanced a half-hour (to 6:30 p.m.) to run opposite “NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw” on KNBC. Just to remind local viewers of the new time, the New York-based Rather newscast will originate from Los Angeles this week. And perhaps to remind viewers to forget about Rather, the New York-based Brokaw newscast itself will originate from West Coast cities this week, winding up in Los Angeles on Friday.

Peter Jennings, where are you?