KCET’s 14 Emmys Leads Los Angeles Area Awards

KCET Channel 28, with strong support from a dance program, stepped ahead of the competition at the 42nd annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards presented Saturday by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The public television station captured 14 Emmys to lead the field. It was boosted by “ISO Dance Theatre,” which won five statuettes, including honors for best performers and entertainment programming.

Other multiple winners at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium show for KCET were the series “Take Five: Arts and Culture” with three awards and “By the Year 2000” with two.

KCBS Channel 2 and KABC Channel 7 earned 10 Emmys apiece, while KNBC took the prize for best regularly scheduled daily news program among its eight trophies.

The KCBS news department accounted for six Emmys with wins in the categories of spot news (“San Bernardino Pipeline Explosion”), news writers and investigative reporting (“Gang God-fathers”), mini-documentaries (“Children Are Dying”), live coverage of an unscheduled news event (“Wind Storms”), and camera crew--hard news breaking story (“Emergency Rooms”).

KABC newscasts picked up five Emmys as the station tied KCBS for live coverage of an unscheduled news event (“Earthquake Remote--Santa Cruz”) and also won for instructional series (“Drugbusters”), commentary by Bill Press, film/tape editors of hard news programs (“Puppy Mills”) and film/tape editors of news features (“Thrill Rides”).

Two of four Emmys bestowed on KABC’s “Eye on L.A.” were for information segment (“Guns”) and special class--program area.

Besides the best daily newscast award, KNBC’s news department won for feature reporting (“Mono Lake”), mini-documentaries (“Red Dawn”)--in a tie with KCBS--and camera crew--news feature (“Town 4 cSale”). “Fred Roggin’s Sports Bowl ‘89” was named best sports special and his “Sunday Night Sports” segment titled “Morganna” was an unlikely victor in the category of sports reporting.

On accepting his Emmy for the lighthearted feature about Morganna Roberts, the buxom blond notorious for kissing professional athletes, straight-faced producer Jeff Hoffman said, “Listen closely--you’ll be able to hear the sound of hell freezing over.”

Rounding out the evening’s winners were KTLA with five awards, KCAL with four, KTTV with two and KLCS and Continental Cable with one each.

Ted Meyers, the versatile KCAL broadcaster whose 56-year career began with radio station KFAC in 1944, received the prestigious Governors Award.

Following is a complete list of winners:

Short Promo/PSA: “We Play the Lakers,” KCAL.

Crime/Social Issues: “Taking Back the Streets” (“California Stories”), KCET.

Hosts/Moderators, Series: Lou Fant, Herb Larson, “Off Hand,” KCAL.

Live Sports Coverage: “Lakers Basketball,” KCAL.

Spot News: “San Bernardino Pipeline Explosion,” Channel 2 News, KCBS.

Feature Reporting: David Garcia, “Mono Lake,” Channel 4 News at 5, KNBC.

Children/Youth Series: “Teen Talk,” KCAL.

News Writers: Chris Blatchford, “Gang Godfathers,” Channel 2 News at 5, KCBS.

Film/Tape Editors of Hard-News Programs: Jim Eichenberger, “Puppy Mills,” Eyewitness News, KABC.

Creative Technical Crafts: “Out of the Dumps” (“By the Year 2000”), KCET.

Education Special: “Never the Same,” KCBS.

Sports Special: “Fred Roggin’s Sports Bowl ‘89,” KNBC.

Film/Tape Editors of News Features: Jim Eichenberger, “Thrill Rides,” KABC.

Special Events: “Tournament of Roses Parade,” KTTV.

Technical Direction: “ISO Dance Theatre,” KCET.

Children/Youth Special: “Teens With a Mission,” KCBS.

Feature Segment: “Doumani House” (“Take Five: Arts & Culture”), KCET; “Joe Frank: Radio Storyteller (“Take Five: Arts & Culture”), KCET.

Sound: “A Musical Encounter in Los Angeles, the String Show,” KLCS.

Mini-Docs: “Children Are Dying,” Channel 2 News at 5, KCBS; “Red Dawn,” Channel 4 News at 5, KNBC.

Sports Series: “The John Robinson Show,” KCBS.

Live Coverage of an Unscheduled News Event: “Earthquake Remote--Santa Cruz,” Eyewitness News, KABC; “Wind Storms,” Channel 2 News, KCBS.

Film/Tape Editors of Non-News Programs: Mary Ann Benson, Michael Gross, “Swimsuits ‘89” (“Eye on L.A.”), KABC.

Informational Series: “Health Fax,” KNBC.

Public Affairs Series (Remote): “Fight Back! With David Horowitz,” KNBC.

Public Affairs Series (Studio based): “By the Year 2000,” KCET.

Graphics: Jim Barrett, Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, “KTLA Station Animation Package,” KTLA.

News Reporting: Tony Valdez, “L.A. Gangs,” Fox News at 10, KTTV.

Camera Crew--Hard News Breaking Story: “Emergency Rooms,” Channel 2 News, KCBS.

Information Segment: “Guns” (“Eye on L.A.”), KABC.

Director of Unedited Programs--Non-News: Rob Fiedler, “1989 Hollywood Christmas Parade,” KTLA.

Instructional Series: “Drugbusters,” Eyewitness News, KABC.

Health and Science/Environment: “The Time of Our Lives,” KCET.

Camera Crew, Non-News: “Take Five: Arts & Culture/Joe Frank,” KCET.

News Commentary: Bill Press, KABC.

Public, Municipal and Operator-Produced Cable: “Gangs: Facts Every Parent Should Know,” Continental Cable.

Performers: “ISO Dance Theatre: Episodes,” KCET.

Lighting Direction: “ISO Dance Theatre,” KCET.

Non-News Writers: Laura Carter, “Never the Same,” KCBS.

Director of Unedited Programs--News: David Kraft, KTLA News at 10, KTLA.

Travel and Leisure/L.A. Local Color: “Thailand” (“Eye on L.A.”), KABC.

Investigative Reporting: “Gang Godfathers,” Channel 2 News at 5, KCBS.

Sports Reporting: “Morganna,” Channel 4 Sunday Night Sports, KNBC.

Arts and Culture/History: “S.O.S. Electra--Aviation’s Greatest Mystery,” KABC.

Director of Unedited Programs: Rob Fruchtman, “ISO Dance Theatre: Episodes,” KCET.

Instructional Special: “Surviving the Big One,” KCET.

Camera Crew--News Feature: “Town 4 Sale,” Channel 4 News at 5, KNBC.

Special Class--Program Area: “Eye on L.A.” KABC; “Take Five: Science,” KCET.

News Special: “Earthquake: The Personal Aftershock,” KTLA.

Entertainment Programming: “ISO Dance Theatre: Episodes,” KCET.

Hosts/Moderators, Specials: Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, “1989 Hollywood Christmas Parade Countdown,” KTLA.

Regularly Scheduled Daily News Program: Channel 4 News at 5 and 6, KNBC.

Governors Award: Ted Meyers.