L.A. TV Stations to Limit Election Coverage

When then-Sens. Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn.) and George S. McGovern (D-S.D.) met in what was a winner-take-all California presidential primary in 1972, KNXT (now KCBS) Channel 2 preempted the entire network prime-time schedule for election coverage.

KNBC Channel 4 did the same four years later when both major parties’ nominations were still undecided.

But for reasons part political and part technological, today’s election will get much less air time on Los Angeles’ three major network-owned stations.

“Where’s the suspense?� KCBS executive producer Michael Horowicz asked. “Do you see anything worth staying on the air wall-to-wall?�

With President Bush having secured more delegates than needed for a first ballot renomination and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton far ahead in the race for the Democratic nomination, there is less urgency to the presidential primary returns than in many other years, although the challenge being waged by former California Gov. Edmund G. (Brown) Jr. has increased interest in the Democratic battle.

In addition, this is the first statewide election since the 1964 primary that has not included an initiative measure, traditionally a source of building interest.

Although voters face an unprecedented dual Senate race, Secretary of State March Fong Eu has predicted only a 44.3% turnout. If that figure becomes a reality, it would be the lowest for a presidential primary in state history. California began conducting presidential primaries in 1912.

Exit polling, which can enable stations to project winners as soon as the polls close, along with faster vote-tabulating computers, have cut the time needed to report on elections.

“We can take care of a lot of business between 8 and 8:15 because of the technology, where in past years, we had to wait all night,� Horowicz said.

The most popular coverage plan among the network affiliates is to integrate election reports within regularly scheduled entertainment programming.

KCBS is preempting “Rescue 911� and will run election updates from 8 to 11 p.m. during a rerun of a made-for-TV movie, “Victim of Love.� Every 20 minutes, the station will run a graphic with updated results across the bottom of the screen, much as ESPN does with its sports ticker. The 11 p.m. newscast will be extended for additional election reporting. News director John Lippman expects the station to conclude its coverage at midnight, when it will air a call-in 90-minute “National Town Meeting� taped earlier in the evening.

KNBC Channel 4 plans a 10-minute report at 8 p.m., updates during “Dateline NBC� and continuous coverage at 9:30 p.m. The station will run a ticker throughout its coverage to report results of local contests.

KABC Channel 7 will begin a 35-minute election broadcast at 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the polls close, and also plans three reports prior to prime-time entertainment programs before beginning continuous coverage at 9:45 p.m.

As for independent stations, Anaheim-based KDOC Channel 56 will handle election news during its regular half-hour newscast at 11 p.m. but will also break into regular programming at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. with live updates from the station’s Anaheim studio and from the county registrar of voters, according to assignment editor Kyle Moore. The updates will last from one to two minutes.

KCAL Channel 9 has the most extensive plans, interspersing election coverage with regular elements of its three-hour prime-time 8-11 p.m. news block.

“The election will certainly be the emphasis of the three broadcasts,� news director Bob Henry said. “We anticipate going past 11 and having coverage as late as it takes for definitive and meaningful results. In the past, that’s meant between 1 and 2 a.m.�

Los Angeles’ other two independent stations, KTLA Channel 5 and KCOP Channel 13, do not plan to extend their 10 p.m. newscasts for election coverage, although KCOP said it will run updates during the film “Heaven Can Wait� from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Fox Broadcasting’s KTTV Channel 11 will provide updates during a movie, “Meatballs,� from 8 to 10 p.m. and present an “open-ended� edition of its 10 p.m. newscast.

On cable, C-SPAN will combine California coverage from KCAL with Ohio primary reports from WEWS-TV in Cleveland beginning at 7:30 p.m. and continuing through speeches by Clinton and Brown. CNN will report on the primaries during its regularly scheduled newscasts and a live edition of “Inside Politics� at 9:30 p.m.