L.A. Emmy Nominations: Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket and KNBC Lead the Pack

NBC-owned KNBC (Channel 4) once again leads the nominations for Los Angeles Area Emmys, with 20 nods out of 42 categories overall (KNBC also led the pack last year). Tribune's KTLA (Channel 5) was next, with 14 nods, followed by ABC-owned KABC, with 13 -- which is a feat in itself, since KABC employees nominate themselves in all categories. KABC continues to sit out of the Emmy competition and still doesn't enter itself in any of the major awards.

But here's where things get tricky. CBS' KCBS/KCAL duopoly will likely note that when the two stations' tallies are combined, they actually lead KNBC with 21 noms overall. That's because KCBS earned 13 nominations and KCAL earned 2, while a combined KCBS/KCAL earned another 6.

And if we're getting technical here, Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket, which also operate under the same roof, actually lead the market with 22 noms overall -- 8 for the combined operation, and another 7 apiece for Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket. Sister Fox-owned KTTV (Channel 11) earned 3, and KCOP (Channel 13) even earned one (which is odd, since KCOP simply airs KTTV-produced news) -- so the entire Fox west coast operation got 26.

Whew. Got it? OK, let's move on to the actual nominations.

In my favorite category, "L.A. LOCAL COLOR" (which was won last year by KCAL's "Dine on a Dime") the nominees are:

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF KTLA MORNING NEWS (KTLA)
BEHIND THE SCENES AT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL IRIS (KABC)
MASTER CHEF: THOMAS KELLER UNCORKED (KCET)
NONSTOP FOODIES FROM PORTO'S (KNBC)
SPECIAL OLYMPICS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: ABOVE AND BEYOND (KTLA)

For "NEWS SPECIAL," won last year by Dave Malkoff's "Assignment Iraq" at KTLA, the noms are:

THE CONRAD MURRAY TRIAL (KCOP)
NBC4 NEWS AT 11: THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN (KNBC)

For "LIVE SPECIAL EVENTS- PROGRAMMING," won last year by KTLA's Rose Parade coverage:

2011 ROSE PARADE (KTLA)
JERRY WEST STATUE UNVEILING (Fox Sports West)

For "LIVE COVERAGE OF AN UNSCHEDULED NEWS EVENT, won last year by KTLA storm coverage:

CONRAD MURRAY: THE VERDICT (KNBC)
OCCUPY LA (KTLA)
SEAL BEACH MASSACRE (KNBC)

For "OUTSTANDING SPORTS REPORTING," won last year by Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket's Lindsay Soto:

Michael Eaves, Reporter (Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket)
Courtney Jones, Reporter (Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket)
Mario Solis, Reporter (KNBC)

For "OUTSTANDING HARD NEWS REPORTING," won last year by KABC's David Ono:

Ana Garcia, Reporter (KNBC)
David Goldstein, Reporter (KCBS)
Robert Kovacik, Reporter (KNBC)
David Ono, Reporter (KABC)

For "OUTSTANDING NEWS FEATURE REPORTING," won last year by KNBC's Bruce Hensel:

Pat Harvey, Reporter and Mansan Luc, Producer (KCBS)
Chuck Henry, Reporter and Tara Wallis, Producer (KNBC)
Susan Hirasuna, Reporter, Producer (KTTV)
Dave Malkoff, Reporter (KTLA)
David Ono, Reporter (KABC)

For "OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR - NEWS," won last year by KTLA's Bruce Hileman:

Gayle Galvez, Director (KNBC)
Deborah Wilkinson, Director (KTLA)

For "OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR - PROGRAMMING," won last year by KNBC's Gayle Galvez:

Doug Freeman, Director (Fox Sports West / Prime Ticket)
Andy Rosenberg, Director (Prime Ticket)

For "OUTSTANDING WRITER - NEWS," won usually by KNBC's Mary Harris:

Mary Harris, Writer (KNBC)
Nicolette Medina, Writer (KCBS/KCAL)

Already winning awards are KTLA for "LIVE SPECIAL EVENTS - NEWS" with coverage of the Royal Wedding. And KCBS/KCAL's Gustavo Sampaio won for news editing. Veteran KCAL producer Susan Stratton -- who broke gender barriers while working on the station's Lakers coverage for 27 years (harking back to the days when it was still KHJ) will receive this year’s Governors Award.

KNBC swept last year's awards in the news show categories, we'll see if they repeat on Saturday, August 11, 2012 at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood.

KCET's Moving Day

And then there was one. Now that KCET has officially moved to Burbank -- today is day one for the entire station to be in its new headquarters -- KTLA is the last L.A. TV station to be physically based in Hollywood.

When I moved to L.A. 16 years ago, KTLA, KCBS, KTTV, KWHY and KCET (which back then still aired business programming during the day and Spanish in the evening) were all on Sunset; KCOP was on La Brea; KABC was in Los Feliz; KCAL was on the Paramount lot. All were pretty much in the same Hollywood-ish region.

But slowly, the stations all moved to newer digs: KTTV moved to West L.A., and eventually merged with KCOP (which moved there as well), while the old Fox TV Center became a high school; KABC left for Glendale; KCBS and KCAL vacated Columbia Square for Studio City; KWHY was purchased by NBC and moved to Burbank; and now, KCET is moving into The Pointe building in Burbank.

Rumors abounded a few years ago that KTLA might move to the Los Angeles Times' downtown building, now that Tribune doesn't own that Hollywood lot anymore. But no movement so far. But much of that L.A. Times HQ is now vacant -- so who knows.

Retro Friday: L.A. TV I.D.s Over the Years

For the TV geek in all of us... the IdentChannel page on YouTube has compiled the logos through the years for local TV stations across the country. Above, the logos from 1939 to now for KTLA Channel 5.



KABC-Channel 7.



KNBC-Channel 4.



KTTV- Channel 11.



KCOP-Channel 13.



KCAL-Channel 9.



KCBS-Channel 2.

Here's When L.A.'s TV Stations Make The Big Switch to Digital

You've been hearing about the big shift from analog to digital TV for months... or perhaps even years. Now, it finally takes place on Friday.

According to Nielsen, the majority of U.S. TV viewers are now ready for the change -- either they have cable or satellite, a newer TV with a digital tuner or a converter box that will allow them to keep watching digital signals on their analog sets.

If you've still got an older TV set, then you'll be able to watch as our local TV stations shut their analog set off for good. Here's a list, via TVNewsTalk.net, of when Los Angeles' VHF stations plan to make the leap on Friday:

KNBC - 6 AM
KABC - 12 Noon
KCBS - 1 PM
KCAL - 1 PM
KTLA - 10:45 PM
KTTV - 11:45 PM
KCOP - 11:45 PM

Looks like KTTV and KCOP are waiting until the last moment to make the switch. Regardless, come Saturday, that old TV collecting dust in your garage just became obsolete.

Retro Friday: George Putnam's "Perversion for Profit"

Longtime L.A. news anchor George Putnam passed away early this morning at the age of 94. Known for his stints reading the news at KTTV/11, KTLA/5, KCOP/13 and KHJ (now KCAL)/9, Putnam was also well known for his conservative views. Above, he warns of the dangers of modern, perverse society.