KCBS Leads L.A. Emmy Race With 27 Nods

KCBS-TV Channel 2, which has long lagged behind other local stations in news ratings, came out on top Thursday in nominations for the 50th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards.

The CBS-owned station scored 27 nominations, six more than runner-up KCAL-TV Channel 9 and 11 more than rivals KNBC-TV Channel 4 and KABC-TV Channel 7 combined.

The awards, honoring the best local broadcast and cable programming of 1997, will be presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences May 30 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

KCBS also received the most nominations of any local station last year (18) and scored more trophies at the ceremony (seven), including best daily 60-minute newscast and best daily 30-minute newscast.

Because of a new rule this year, there are no specific nominees for the best regularly scheduled 30-minute, 60-minute or daytime newscasts. All entrants in those categories are candidates for the awards.

Coming in behind the two front-runners in nominations were KTTV-TV Channel 11 with 18 and KCOP-TV Channel 13 with 14. KTLA-TV Channel 5 received 11 nominations, KNBC got nine, KCET-TV Channel 28 garnered eight, KABC collected seven and KMEX-TV Channel 34 received four. Cable outlets Fox Sports West and L.A. Cityview earned three nominations each, Century Communications, City TV, Fox Sports West 2, KSCI-TV Channel 18 and KVEA-TV Channel 52 received two apiece and KLCS-TV Channel 58 and KOCE-TV Channel 50 each picked up one.

Nominated for outstanding hard news reporter were reporter-producer Chris Blatchford and producer Dan Leighton for KTTV; reporter Frank Buckley for KCAL; reporter David Goldstein, also for KCAL; reporter Drew Griffin for KCBS; reporter Kyra Phillips, also for KCBS; and reporter Robert Pettee for KNBC.

KCAL, KTLA and KCBS will compete with their live coverage of last year’s North Hollywood bank shootout in the category of best live coverage of an unscheduled news event.

As previously announced, former KNBC anchor and commentator Jess Marlow will receive the annual Los Angeles Governors Award.