L.A. Emmy Nominations: KNBC Leads the Pack, But Time Warner SportsNet Impresses

The Lakers couldn't survive the playoffs, but Time Warner Cable's new local sports channels -- which now carry the team -- are already on their way to Emmy gold.

In their first year of eligibility, Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes earned a combined 15 nominations (8 for the English network, 7 for the Spanish channel) in the 65th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award competition, besting chief competitors Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket.

What's more, Time Warner Cable SportsNet also has already been awarded two Emmys, for creative technical crafts. Not bad for two channels that just launched in October -- but clearly carrying the Lakers makes a difference, even in an off year like this one.

The Emmy nominations were less impressive for Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket, which earned a combined 12 nods (5 for Prime Ticket, 4 for both and 3 for Fox Sports West) -- a huge dip from the 22 they picked up last year..

As it seems to do every year, KNBC/4 once again led the pack, with 18 nominations, followed by Univision's KMEX/34 (15), Tribune's KTLA/5 (13), KABC/7 (12), public TV indie KCET (12) and KCBS/2 (9). (The combined KCBS/KCAL duopoly earned 17).

Several of KCET's nominations were for "SoCal Connected," a show that remains in limbo at the station. Somehow the show, for reasons that will need to be explained to me, was nominated in both the "INFORMATIONAL/PUBLIC AFFAIRS SERIES (MORE THAN 50% REMOTE)" and the "INFORMATIONAL/PUBLIC AFFAIRS SERIES (MORE THAN 50% STUDIO BASED)" categories. So which is it, remote-based or studio-based??

The L.A. riots remain a hot topic. KCBS/KCAL's "Eye On Our Community: The L.A. Riots--20 Years Later" was nominated in the "ARTS AND CULTURE/HISTORY" category, while KNBC's "LA Riots: 20 Years Later" was nominated in the "NEWS SPECIAL" competition.

Interestingly, despite Time Warner Cable SportsNet's overall haul, its live Lakers coverage didn't get a nom. In the "LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE" category, Prime Ticket's Clippers basketball coverage will face off with sister Fox Sports West's Kings hockey coverage.

In another bit of an upset, KTLA's Rose Parade coverage, a frequent winner in the "LIVE SPECIAL EVENTS -- PROGRAMMING" category, wasn't nominated there this year. KMEX's "Roses Parade 2012" was, however. And it's going up against another Spanish-language special: Time Warner Cable Deportes' "Launch Show."

Speaking of head-to-head bouts, in the "LIVE SPECIAL EVENTS-NEWS" category, KTLA's coverage of the Endeavour Space Shuttle arrival will face off with KTTV/11's coverage of the same thing. And in the "LIVE COVERAGE OF AN UNSCHEDULED NEWS EVENT" category, KTLA's coverage of the Newtown, Conn., shooting will go up against KTTV/KCOP's coverage of the same event.

A few more categories:

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING - NEWS
BEHIND THE GATES OF THE GUARD (KNBC)
CALTRANS AND THE GOVERNOR (KCBS)
CALTRANS DRINKING ON THE JOB (KCBS)
EL 34 INVESTIGA: FRAUDE HIPOTECARIO (KMEX)
ILLEGAL ANIMAL TRAFFICKERS (KNBC)

OUTSTANDING SPORTS REPORTING
Michael Eaves (Fox Sports West)
Mario Solis (KNBC)

OUTSTANDING HARD NEWS REPORTING
Ana Garcia, Reporter; Robbi Peele, Producer (KNBC)
David Goldstein, Reporter (KCBS/KCAL)
Joel Grover, Reporter; Chris Henao, Producer (KNBC)
David Ono, Producer, Reporter (KABC)
Antonio R.Valverde, Reporter (KMEX)

OUTSTANDING NEWS FEATURE REPORTING
Pat Harvey, Reporter; Mansan Luc, Producer (KCBS/KCAL)
Dave Malkoff, Reporter (KTLA)
David Ono, Producer, Reporter (KABC)
Norma Roque, Reporter (KMEX)

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR - NEWS
Gayle Galvez, Director (KNBC)
Todd Griffithe, Director (KTLA)

OUTSTANDING WRITER - NEWS
Daisy Lin, Writer (KNBC)
Nicolette Medina, Writer (KCBS/KCAL)

Besides the two Time Warner Cable SportsNet awards, KNBC also picked up an Emmy in the "SPORTS SERIES-NEWS" category, for "The London Olympics: SoCal Shines at Summer Games."

As usual, any one who entered for the best newscast categories were nominated. And as usual, KABC refused to enter itself in any of the categories (leaving staffers to submit themselves).

This year's Governors Award will go to Univision's "comprehensive, multi-platform" education initiative "Educate, Es El Momento."

All told, 136 nominations were made in 43 categories. The 65th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards winners will be announced on Saturday, August 3, 2013, at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood.

PREVIOUSLY:

L.A. 2012 Emmy Nominations: Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket and KNBC Lead the Pack (July 2012)

LA Local Emmys: KNBC Extends Its Streak at the Top (August 2012)

Remembering the Dodgers' Glory Years

Franklin Avenue reader Paul Haddad tips us off to a new book about the Dodgers that he has just written and released through Santa Monica Press. "High Fives, Pennant Drives, and Fernandomania: A Fan's History of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Glory Years, 1977-1981" is a look back at the team's late 70s heyday.

"It's an ode to the Dodgers of our youth, and Vin Scully," Paul tells us in his note. "Much of my narrative includes transcripts from Vinny, taken from my childhood collection of recordings, that really take the reader back. You can hear a lot of these old radio calls on my website for the book: DodgerGlory.com.

Our pal Jon Weisman wrote the Foreword. Read more about it in a recent Los Feliz Ledger here. Haddad will be on Larry Mantle's Airtalk on KPCC 89.3 FM *today* from 11:40 am to noon.

Mayor Villaraigosa's NFL in LA Pitch

"Are you ready for some FOOTBALL, Los Angeles?"

"Huh? Oh, I guess."

"ALL RIGHT! LET'S BRING FOOTBALL TO L.A.!"

"Uh, sure."

Above, Mayor Villaraigosa's video pitch to the NFL.

(via LA Observed)

Sorry, Angelenos: Unlike you, Guam gets its Olympics coverage LIVE

Above, from KNBC's website: Viewers are FURIOUS... about ice skating coverage?

It still amazes me that KNBC allows its viewers to trash the station regularly on its own website. I guess it's a credit to them that they don't scrape those comments immediately.

Recently, viewers have been hammering the station and NBC hard for tape delaying the network's primetime Olympics coverage.

I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, of course NBC wants to keep its coverage in primetime, when more viewers are able to watch -- even if it means we're stuck with three-hour old fare that had been live on the West Coast. It's nothing new for the Pacific time zone, where we regularly have to accept tape-delayed fare.

But in this age of Twitter, it's hard to keep results of sporting events and awards shows a secret. That's why NBC carried the Golden Globes live on the West Coast this year -- and why, perhaps, NBC should have carried the primetime Games live at 4 p.m., and then repeated again at 7.

Here's another obscure fact that might make you a little steamed. L.A. is in Vancouver's time zone, while Guam... is not so much in Vancouver's time zone. Not even close. Guam is 18 hours ahead of the Pacific time zone. When it's 5 p.m. Thursday on the West Coast, it's 11 a.m. Friday in Guam.

Yet Guam gets its Winter Olympics coverage live. Yes, live. At the same time as the folks in New York are watching. It's just a lot brighter out in Guam than it is in New York right now. And Friday.

Thanks to the International Date Line difference, Guam is watching NBC's primetime coverage of the Winter Olympics at 11 a.m. each morning. And Guam NBC affiliate KUAM-TV is then repeating that same coverage in primetime at 7 p.m.(when it's 4 a.m. in New York, and no live coverage), giving folks who missed it live a second chance to watch.

(Cut to scenes of angry West Coasters, burned by spoilers from East Coast Twitter feeds, throwing their iPhones at the TV screen.)

For its part, NBC has pointed out that primetime allows for the largest audience to catch the Games’ biggest events. (It also makes a rather big difference for advertisers.) The network has also worked to keep much content off the web (with less online streaming this time, as several news orgs have pointed out).

But beyond that, viewers on the West Coast -- who point out that they’re even in the same time zone as the Vancouver Olympics (the first Pacific time zone Games since the 1984 Los Angeles event) -- will have to keep practicing caution before hitting the Web.

If it makes you feel any better, the folks in Guam have to watch live coverage of the Super Bowl on a Monday morning every year. How weird is that?

Wednesday Poll: Will the NFL Ever Return to L.A.?

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday, we ask: Are you optimistic that an NFL team might finally be coming back to Los Angeles? Or do you even care at this point?

100 Things Dodger Fans Should Do: Number 1, Buy This Book

Just in time for baseball season, Dodger Thoughts maven Jon Weisman's book "100 Things Dodger Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" is about to come out -- and available for pre-order now on Amazon (go here).

Here's how Jon describes it:

"100 Things Dodger Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," published by Triumph Books in April, covers everyone from Jackie Robinson to Vin Scully, everything from Dodger Stadium to Dodger Adult Baseball Camp, every event from the team’s 19th-century roots to its 2008 Manny Ramirez-led pennant quest. It is comprehensive, enlightening and entertaining. It will satisfy all Dodger fans, from the most casual followers to those who live and die with the team.

Support your local blogger!

15 Years Later, The NFL Still Teases L.A.

The L.A. Times notes that talk continues to heat up over making L.A. the host city for Super Bowl L in 2016 -- 50 years after Los Angeles hosted the first Super Bowl -- even though the city still doesn't have a pro football team. What's more, talk of a team moving into L.A. continues to center on the San Diego Chargers, which recently hired Wasserman Media Group to market the franchise in L.A. and Orange County.

Writes the paper:

Possible motivations aside, this much is clear: The Chargers, who have been working on a San Diego stadium solution for seven years and so far have been unsuccessful, are better positioned to move than any other NFL team.

Beginning on Super Bowl Sunday -- of all days -- the Chargers will have a three-month window in which to relocate. And, under the team's current lease terms with the city of San Diego, that window will reopen every year from this point forward. The city cannot sue the Chargers or the NFL to block a move, provided it is paid a $56-million lease-termination fee that will decrease over time.

"We're definitely a lot closer to the end of this process than the beginning," said Fabiani, adding that the club has spent $10 million to fully explore stadium options around San Diego County, most recently two sites in Chula Vista. "This is not a process that can go on forever."

At stake for the Chargers is the head start they have over other NFL franchises that also are likely to be mulling relocation. The Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings, for instance, are bound to their cities through the 2011 season.

The issue in L.A. has always been, where would a relocated team play?

The latest option is Ed Roski's proposed stadium in Industry, which should have all of its approvals in place by this spring and then will receive the go-ahead from the NFL to formally approach potential tenants.

Fifteen years after the Raiders and the Rams both left the market, Angelenos have heard this sort of talk too many times now to pay much attention just yet.Sup

Los Angeles As Brazil: L.A. Ad Town

Thanks to Franklin Avenue reader Stuart, who notes that this commercial -- for the Dodge Journey -- supposedly follows the U.S. Women's Soccer Team as they drive to Brazil for a rematch.

But that's no Brazilian stadium in the final shot -- that's the Home Depot Center in Carson!

Thoughts on a Dodger Stadium Visit

Our Big L.A. weekend continued on Sunday, as the Kid Formerly Known As Blogger Toddler and I hit Dodger Stadium (Maria, alas, is still recovering from her nasty virus).

The KFKABT devoured his Dodger Dog, and enjoyed watching the man throw the ball to the man hitting the ball (of course, it didn't matter if L.A. or Colorado was up to bat, he just wanted to see some baseballs fly through the air). The Dodgers beat the Rockies in 10 innings, 3-2. (We did the L.A. thing and left at the start of the ninth inning. The KFKABT had seen enough, and I didn't think he'd be a fan of the stadium traffic.)

Some pics:


Coolest golf cart ever? This Dodgermobile got a thumb's up from the KFKABT, who wanted to drive it.


Base hit!


On such a hot day, fans mostly avoided the upper decks.

Gow 'Bows! Er, I Mean, Go Warriors!

Exciting to see the Hawaii Warrior football team end the season with a perfect 12-0 record -- making the team eligible for a BCS bowl game.

UH will probably play the Sugar Bowl -- quite a step up from its more recent appearances in the, um, Hawaii Bowl.

The team secured its ranking (No. 10) in the BCS after defeating Washington 35-28 (coming back from what could have been quite a disappointing defeat).

Of course, most of us remember going to UH games and cheering on the, yes, Rainbows. (From what I understand, old habits die hard: Fans still cheer "Go Bows!" in the stands.)

Deciding the nickname "Rainbows" was too wimpy, the school -- in what was a controversial move -- renamed itself the Warriors in 2000. Here's the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's recap at the time.

(Above, left: Pre-2000 logo; right: current logo)

Why I Sometimes Miss Local Hawaii TV News

Larger than life sportscaster Robert Kekaula -- who's even bigger than he was back when I watched him in high school -- wears Aloha shirts every day of the week. Here, he discusses the success so far of the University of Hawaii's football team -- ranked #14 in the BCS! -- and banters with KITV anchors (and married couple) Gary Sprinkle and Pamela Young.

Retro Friday: Los Angeles' 1984 Summer Olympics

As the summer draws to a close... a look back at the moment 23 years ago when Los Angeles shined to the world. It was also the final Summer Olympics for ABC, which once dominated the coverage -- until NBC took it over.



Hey 1984 Lionel Richie, let's party at the Olympics "All Night Long!" Oh, and here's some advice: Keep an eye on that toddler who recently moved in with you and you'll eventually adopt.

Sprain It Like Beckham

(L.A. Times pic by Lori Shepler)

Overheard on the radio last night: An L.A. Galaxy commercial touting its upcoming game -- emphasizing David Beckham, as he and the Galaxy take on Real Salt Lake.

Then there's the big pic still appearing on the Galaxy site:



Sorry to say, it ain't happening now.

Angelenos of the Week: David Beckham and Roger Cardinal Mahony

Kind of an odd pairing... But since we didn't get a chance to do an Angeleno of the Week last week, we're double dipping.

And maybe the pairing isn't so odd. Both had rough yet ultimately victorious weeks.

Cardinal Mahony pulled off a $660 million settlement with victims who were abused by priests in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. The settlement didn't silence critics -- quite the opposite, Yet, the L.A. Times' Opinion piece refered to Mahony this Sunday as "The Teflon Cardinal," noting that Mahony's relationship with the Latino community -- which now makes up a large percentage of L.A. Roman Catholics -- will help him survive this scandal, unlike Boston's Bernard Cardinal Law.

Meanwhile, it wasn't looking good for Beckham this week. An injury threatened to keep up from playing Saturday night in what was to be his L.A. Galaxy debut. But after all that hype, how could he not? So near the end of the game, Beckham leapt on the field and played for 12 minutes. Yup, kick around the ball a few times, make the crowd happy. All pretty staged and inconsequential. Yet, as the L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke writes, the people (including him) ate it up anyway. And so the Beckham hype continues...

David Beckham vs. the Atwater Village Newbie

Bring a camera that actually takes decent photos to the Home Depot Center, and risk getting its film confiscated by overly eager L.A. Galaxy security guards. That's the lesson learned by the Atwater Village Newbie, who hit the Galaxy game (only to see David Beckham sitting in the sidelines) and took part in this exchange with a Galaxy official:

Suit: Getting good shots?

Me: They're OK.

Suit: I'm have to confiscate that camera. You're not allowed to have that kind of camera here.

Me: What kind of camera?

Suit (pointing at the D50 on my Nikon D50): The number means that it's professional.

Guy in front of me with a cheap-ass camera being no help whatsoever: Yeah, it's nothing like my camera.

Me (knowing that D50 is strictly an entry-level consumer digital SLR and calling the suit's bluff): This is a personal camera. I'm on vacation.

Suit: Are you media accredited?

Me: No.

Suit (giving up): Well, keep the camera pointed at the field.

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooal for the Newbie! Check out his set of Galaxy pics here.

Around the Blog-LA-Sphere (and more)

Get a sneak peak at Mayor Sam's snazzy new look (above) and stay for the latest hot Mayor Tony gossip.

Venice residents are up in arms over Pinkberry's infiltration of previously chain-free Abbot Kinney, reports the L.A. Times. The paper doesn't mention the similar debate raging in Montrose, where mom-and-pop stores are in danger of departing Honolulu Ave. as chains swoop in and rents are raised. (Flickr pic by Mike Halby.)

Over at blogging.la, Will Campbell tells a cool story of the first time he caught Wimbledon champ Venus Williams playing -- back in 1991, when she was still in elementary school.

Ken Levine has the goods on the new Internet radio site Whodaguy Hawaii, run by radio legend Ron Jacobs -- the man who launched the original KPOI in Honolulu, as well as Boss Radio KHJ here, and "American Top 40." Not a bad resume.

LAist picks its top ten CDs of the first half of 2007. Seawolf (above) is among the picks.

Soccer? I Hardly Know Her!

Thanks to Nettwerk Music, Evan and I both attended our very first Major League Soccer game Saturday night, as the L.A. Galaxy took on D.C. United at the Home Depot Center (that still makes me chuckle) in Carson.

Kinky -- the real reason we were there in the first place -- performed directly outside the main stadium before the game began, including their cool cover of "Mexican Radio." The Mexico-based rock/pop/electronic band drew a nice-sized crowd; we were able to stand at a distance (so it wasn't too loud for Evan) and still enjoy the show.

Coincidentally (or maybe it was the radar inside me that spotted the cameras), we wound up watching Kinky right next to where Fox Soccer Channel was conducting its pre-game show. So yes, being the media whore and media whore-in-training we are, Evan and I wound up on camera. (Maria, who wasn't feeling well and stayed at home, managed to record our brief cameo.)

On to the game. (Sorry, no Becks yet -- he doesn't join until July.) We sat in the general admission seats, behind one of the goals. Which was fine -- the Home Depot Center is small enough that the views are pretty much decent whereever you sit. Evan was fascinated by the National Anthem fireworks, and followed the ball as it kicked around the stadium. But he got a bit bored after a while. We made it through the first half, but at that point Evan was ready to go. I really wanted to wait and see a goal -- but turns out I would have been waiting in futility, as the game wound up a scoreless tie.

A few observations: When a soccer ball winds up in the stands, fans race to capture it -- and then throw it back down on the ground. Why aren't they allowed to keep it?

Also: What is that green, frog-like mascot at the game? A Galaxy "alien"? The costume itself is rather sad -- dirty and worn.

The game was well attended. I can only imagine how packed the Home Depot Center will be once Beckham joins the ranks. For now, team vet Cobi Jones, who plans to retire at the end of this season, still gets the biggest cheers.

FRANKLIN AVENUE CONTEST: We Have a Kinky Winner!

Congrats to Franklin Avenue reader Joseph Buck, who scored tix to this Saturday's L.A. Galaxy vs. DC United match at the Home Depot Center, courtesy Nettwerk Music. The cool reason to check out the game: Kinky is performing beforehand, at 6 p.m.

Thanks to all who entered -- but Blogger Toddler could only choose one winner. More contests are coming up!

FRANKLIN AVENUE CONTEST: Get Kinky with the L.A. Galaxy

Thanks to the fine folks at Nettwerk, we're giving away a pair of tix to see Kinky perform live in a pre-game concert this Saturday, June 2, before the L.A. Galaxy take on the D.C. United at the Home Depot Center. (Obviously, you can stick around for the game afterward).

If you're a regular KCRW listener, you've enjoyed the cool sounds of Kinky (starting with their track "Mas") for years. Hailing from Monterrey, Mexico, the group blends Latin sounds with rock, pop, techno and electronic sounds. The group's most recent CD, "Reina," was released last summer.

Fans interested in purchasing tickets to watch the Galaxy take on Eastern Conference rival DC United, as well as take in the sounds of Kinky can purchase $20 general admission presale tickets through the Galaxy front office. (Call toll-free at
1-877-3GALAXY or visit the club's official website at www.lagalaxy.com.)

But you can also win a pair right now. Just e-mail us at mikemaria@sbcglobal.net. Blogger Toddler will draw the winner's name from a hat on Wednesday -- so email now!

That's All, Folks

(LAT pic by Gina Ferazzi)

For the Lakers, a difficult season ends with a whimper.