Kabc Television Station

Life is so confusing. Whom do you trust, for example, an Oscar-nominated Brazilian movie or a low-IQ newscast in Los Angeles? Which is the real Rio de Janeiro, in other words, the gray, smudged, impersonal urbanscape of "Central Station" or "the sexiest city on Earth" touted by KABC's "Eyewitness News"? And finally, what does one heavily promoted three-minute story, inserted to snag a larger ratings sweeps audience, say about stereotyping of foreigners in local newscasts?

Thank you so much for your report, and we'll see you again on "Eyewitness News." --"Eyewitness News" anchor to "Eyewitness News" reporter on "Eyewitness News" recently * It's not every day that one has the honor of being cited as mediocre. So naturally KABC-TV is still giddy about the grade its 11 p.m. "Eyewitness News" earned in a 20-city survey by the well-regarded Project for Excellence in Journalism. Didn't KABC place 36th out of 61 stations in overall rankings?

A television station that pulled a political advertisement off the air because of claims that it was inaccurate has begun broadcasting the 30-second spot again. Julie Hoover, a spokeswoman for ABC in New York, said KABC-TV Channel 7 in Los Angeles had resumed airing the ad produced by opponents of Proposition 5, the Indian gambling measure on the November ballot. At issue was the ad's claim that Proposition 5 would exempt Indian tribes that build casinos from environmental regulations.

Channel 7 has told sportscaster Todd Donoho to "take a hike." Donoho and his "take a hike" signature phrase will be leaving the station around the end of September, along with colleague Rick Lozano. Their contracts are not being renewed. The station is bringing in Chicago sportscaster Bill Weir to replace Donoho on the weeknight 5, 6 and 11 o'clock news, as well as the highly rated "Monday Night Live" show. Lozano's 4 p.m. sports spot is being eliminated.

County Health Services Director Mark Finucane promised a series of reforms Tuesday aimed at improving oversight of food safety procedures in Los Angeles restaurants, including mandatory training programs for food service workers. Finucane's proposals--adopted unanimously by the Board of Supervisors--came in response to an undercover investigation by KCBS-TV Channel 2 that showed unsanitary kitchens in some well-known restaurants and employees mishandling food.

After searching for several years and evaluating 63 sites around Los Angeles, KABC-TV Channel 7 Monday announced plans to move its television studios to Glendale. The future site will be near the interchange of Interstate 5 and California 134, in the Grand Central Business Centre owned by ABC's parent corporation, the Walt Disney Co. "We're currently in an old facility occupying 60,000 square feet spread out over seven buildings," said Arnold J. Kleiner, president and general manager of KABC.

Granted it was a pleasant, fulfilling and successful rut, but Laura Diaz was stuck in it nonetheless. The longtime KABC-TV Channel 7 anchor with a winning smile and a winning newscast wanted more than her vital, yet somehow peripheral, role at one of this area's strongest news operations. When Ann Martin, formerly Channel 7's top female anchor, was wooed away by rival KCBS-TV Channel 2 in 1994, Diaz hoped her long winning streak as anchor of the station's 6 p.m.

Lisa McRee, a news anchor at KABC-TV Channel 7 for the last three years, was named Tuesday to replace Joan Lunden as co-host of ABC's "Good Morning America" this fall. McRee, 35, known for her poise and statuesque good looks, will start on the ABC morning information show in September, when Lunden, 46, steps down after a 20-year run.