KCBS-TV Wins 12 Emmys to Edge KNBC-TV

KCBS-TV Channel 2 edged KNBC-TV Channel 4 for the most honors at the 40th annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards presented Saturday night by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Channel 2 picked up 12 awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, including five for its news department, compared to 11 bestowed on Channel 4.

The Channel 2 News was named best in the categories of spot news--breaking story (“Pit Bull Attack”); live coverage of an unscheduled news event (“Earthquake: Oct. 1, 1987”); news reporting (“Cocaine Babies”); investigative reporting (“MX Missile Scandal”); and news special (“L.A.’s Trauma Network: Condition Critical”).

Two awards apiece went to the station’s magazine series “2 on the Town” and “Friday at Sunset,” which is no longer on the air. Channel 2 also collected Emmys in the fields of special events, public affairs series (network station) and special class--program area.

Channel 4’s “Someplace Like Home,” a report on a hospice for AIDS, accounted for five of the station’s Emmys. It earned awards for feature reporting, news writers, film/tape editors of news features, mini-documentaries and camera crew--news features.

The station’s Fred Roggin won as his “Sports Bowl ‘87” and “Sunday Night Sports” were named top sports special and sports series, respectively.

Channel 4 weatherman Fritz Coleman was selected best host/moderator of a special for “Fritz!,” while the station’s Jess Marlow won in the news commentary category. “Your Doctor, Your Choice!” was honored as an instructional special, and “All Come Tumblin’ Down” was given an Emmy for its non-news camera crew.

KABC-TV Channel 7 earned eight Emmys, including three for its information series “Secrets & Mysteries” and two for the public affairs special “Seven Views of War.”

The Emmy for best regularly scheduled daily news program went to KTTV Channel 11’s Fox News at 10. It was among seven statuettes collected by the station.

Led by three Emmys for its eclectic documentary series “California Stories,” public television station KCET Channel 28 went home with six awards.

KHJ-TV Channel 9 received two Emmys, while KTLA Channel 5, KOCE Channel 50 and KVEA Channel 52 received one apiece. Multimedia Cable got one for public, municipal and operater-produced cable.

Johnny Grant, who has worked as emcee, producer, fund-raiser and game-show host since the early days of local television, was given the academy’s Governors Award for his “special and unique contribution” to the medium. He is currently vice president of public affairs/special projects for KTLA.