TV Folks Hold Onto Their Hats for ‘The Winner Is . . . ‘

The countdown has started for the 1991 Night of 100 Talking Heads, the annual local Emmy Awards show, the swankiest event on the local television news calendar. Around the county, Professional Television Journalists, hard-working production people, secretaries and marketing types from a dozen advertising firms are dusting off their prom tuxedos and politically correct gowns.

The gala is set for June 22 at the Town & Country Convention Center in Mission Valley, where groups like the Leopard Lodge from Des Moines and the Assn. for the Preservation of Dental Appliances will make room for local television’s finest.

As a prelude to the festivities, the local chapter of National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences gave locals a taste of the glamour and tension that surrounds the event by announcing the nominees Tuesday night at a San Diego restaurant. About 100 people gathered to hear which of the 591 entries were still in consideration for the coveted statuettes and to do a little professional schmoozing in the process.

“I need a job,” one woman wrote on her name tag.

At the end of the night, 259 entries still had a shot at the Golden Fleece, including many who need jobs, such as reporter Greg Starddard. He was fired by KFMB-TV (Channel 8) two weeks ago, but is nominated in the News Feature (Same Day) category.

Even though there are 59 categories, the big thinkers at NATAS apparently decided against including “News Feature About a Zoo Animal Shot on a Tuesday.”

Often the categories say a lot about the industry, such as the “Performer/News” category, which is probably the most accurate way to describe news readers such as Stephen Clark, Kimberly Hunt and Denise Yamada, three of this year’s nominees. For the first time, the nominations in the “Journalistic Enterprise” category reflect a basic reality of the industry: a non-reporter, Channel 10 producer J.W. August, was nominated without a reporter. Shocking news, that a producer might actually get full credit without the presence of a well-manicured reporter.

As with most journalism awards, factors such as accuracy and timeliness have little to do with the judging. Comparing news stories, to even suggest that one is “better” or more qualified than another, is a little warped, as if the judges in Cleveland (where this year’s Emmys were judged) have some celestial ability to determine what is good and what is not. Of course, that doesn’t stop some people from taking it very seriously, especially the folks at KNSD-TV (Channel 39), who seem to live for little else. Channel 39 producer Lori Stoddard had her name on 14 entries, which was rivaled only by Channel 39 photographers Roel Robles and William Kuklinski Jr., who were listed on 12 entries each.

Channel 39’s Deborah Shaw, Douglas Gilmore and John DeTarsio must be feeling like they didn’t try hard enough. They submitted only nine entries each.

Such enthusiasm can be expensive: Fees ranged from $25 to $80 per entry.

The Arbitron ratings released last week for the May sweeps contain few surprises, reflecting almost the same results as for the same period last year.

Again, KGTV (Channel 10) was first in each news competition, with Channel 8 running second, except at 11 p.m. weekdays, when Channels 8 and 39 are neck and neck.

The fledgling KUSI-TV (Channel 51) newscast showed signs of establishing itself, posting a solid if unspectacular 2 rating and 6 share at 10 p.m. In comparison, the 11 p.m. Channel 10 newscast had an 8 rating and 30 share.

Channel 39’s new “Ross/Hedgecock Report” posted a respectable 2 rating and 7 share, opposite Channel 8’s established 4:30 p.m. newscast, which stayed consistent with a 6 rating and 19 share. Both are up against that ratings beast Oprah Winfrey, who chalked up a 10 rating and 32 share with her shrill talkfest.

After starting her testimony last week, a former videotape editor at KGTV (Channel 10) is expected to retake the witness stand today in her sexual harassment and race discrimination suit against the station and news director Paul Sands. Gina Vann, who is Filipino, is alleging that Sands should have stopped other employees from harassing her, and that she was passed over for promotions and salary increases before being fired in 1989. . . .

Professional Television Journalist Chris Saunders managed to flaunt the concepts of freedom of the press and freedom of speech, and give management a little posterior smooch at the same time, by posting his own memo last week decrying reports to the media about the budget cuts at Channel 8. The memo reportedly was addressed, “To the Newsroom Snitch.” . . .

It seems somehow incongruous that KPBS-FM has spent months groveling on the air to scrape up $100,000 for operating expenses at the same time that the KPBS capital improvement campaign is announcing million-dollar donations. . . .

Now that she has been on the air for a week, it’s not hard to understand why KUSI-TV (Channel 51), after an exhausting international search, chose assistant news director and veteran local reporter Cathy Clark as its new weekday anchor. Beyond the financial convenience of already having Clark on the payroll, she can do the job and, what the heck, Paula Zahn already has a job. . . .

Management of KRMX-FM (94.9) is denying industry reports that the station is about to be sold. . . .

No matter how desperate I become, no matter how high the quality of the product may be, I will never, ever buy a suit from that clothing store with the endless string of annoying commercials featuring the owner espousing his philosophy of business. I guarantee it.