Advertisement
 
YOU ARE HERE: LAT HomeCollectionsStations
(Page 2 of 2)

Los Angeles newscasts are waking up earlier

TV stations are pouring considerable resources into winning the race for early morning viewers.

April 20, 2010|By Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times

In one recent newscast, KABC Channel 7 fill-in anchor Lisa Hernandez reported a story about people enrolling in yoga classes where participants don't wear clothes. Co-anchor Philip Palmer noticed that weatherman Garth Kemp had moved a bit closer to Hernandez. Kemp appeared behind her imitating a preying mantis while Palmer quipped, "It's the image of you doing yoga in a Speedo."

Remarked Hernandez: "Please, people are eating breakfast."

Popular news personalities and user-friendly features are also trademarks of the pre-dawn newscasts. Kathy Vara, the longtime KABC "Eyewitness News" morning anchor who attracted a loyal following during her eight-year stint at that station, was recently hired by KNBC, joining the highly promoted team of Chris Schauble and Alycia Lane. (Vara anchors the 4:30 a.m. newscast solo.) Schauble, who is a fitness devotee, has a segment "Wake Up Workout" where he shows off workout routines.

Though some news directors say there are no immediate plans to start a newscast earlier than 4 a.m., others don't rule it out.

"Like any business trying to grow its product, stations have been looking at ways to expand their local news," Woelsel said. "Other places are already filled. So the morning is a natural extension."

greg.braxton@latimes.com

Advertisement
Los Angeles Times Articles
|
|
|