Kcal Television Station

Veteran television newsman Larry Carroll, one of the few male black anchors in local news, is losing his job. Carroll, who co-anchors the weekend news at KCAL Channel 9, said he was told recently by station management that his contract was not being renewed. He suggested that race and a publicized controversy last year regarding the station's decision to send a white reporter on assignment to Somalia instead of Carroll, who has covered stories in East Africa, may have been factors.

KCAL-TV Channel 9, the last remaining major independent station in the market, suddenly has become a significant force in the battle for local viewers. Riding the backs of Jerry Springer, "Judge Judy" and Shaquille O'Neal, Channel 9 surged impressively during the May ratings sweeps, scoring several competitive milestones: * Without any help from prime-time network programming like "Seinfeld" or "NYPD Blue," Channel 9 became the third most-watched station in the market on weekdays from 7 a.m.

Viacom Inc. posted a fourth-quarter loss, but the media giant beat Wall Street's expectations and spurred hopes by indicating that television advertising sales are starting to improve. As expected, the company also said it has agreed to buy Los Angeles independent television station KCAL Channel 9 from Young Broadcasting for $650million in cash, gaining a second broadcast outlet in the nation's second-largest market.

The new and improved Angels remain stuck with the worst television package in the American League, at least for now and perhaps for the season. In a meeting between the Angels and their television affiliates on Wednesday, Channel 9 selected 40 games for broadcast this year and Fox Sports Net another 50. The 90-game total, prescribed by television contracts inherited by new owner Arte Moreno, is the lowest of any team in the league.

Channel 9 is expected to announce next week that it will add a significant number of games to its Angel broadcast schedule this year, sources said Thursday. The station will air more than the minimum 40 games required by its contract with the Angels, one source said. The Angels are pushing for Channel 9 to air as many as 60 games; the station is reluctant to go beyond 50. The Angels also are trying to persuade Fox Sports Net to air more than the 50 games mandated under its contract.

Marie Mosley sat in the shade of a tree at Pearson Park, crying, mulling over what to tell her youngest son when it was her turn on Thursday to send a 30-second videotaped message to his Marine Corps camp in Saudi Arabia. When it came time to go before the camera, Mosley and her husband, Charles, stepped up, arm-in-arm, ready to speak from the heart. "Well, your mom's crying, so let me tell you. . . .

I am writing this from somewhere in my home. For security reasons, I cannot tell you what room I'm in. I can tell you only that I'm sitting in front of a TV set doing my job. It's getting pretty hairy here, and I may have to move to another room and TV set at a moment's notice. Click. More television coverage of the Persian Gulf crisis. On the screen again are pictures from Saudi Arabia, where United States forces and media are continuing their buildup.