The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 89

KGBR hopes to give competition 'static affairs programming, including two locally produced shows "Metrospect" and "The Law." Movies are the staple of KCBR's evening schedule. An 8 p.m. film will be presented seven nights a week. The movie schedule also calls for a weekday film at 11 a.m., a triple feature each Saturday starting at noon and a double feature on Sunday starting at noon. Four persons have been hired to handle the on-air duties.

Del Monaco of radio station KIOA will anchor the news-briefs; Dena Michaels and Corry Phelps will host the matinee and prime-time movies, respectively, and Mike Adeiman will host the as-yet-unnamed children's show weekdays at 3:30 p.m. The one vital part of programming missing is sports, but Katell says KCBR will be looking into that area very soon. He said the Chicago Cubs have contacted him about showing this season's games. The Cubs are offering up to 45 games on its WGN-Contincntal network this season. The advertising pie From an advertising point of view, KCBR is pushing its way into what has traditionally been a pie divided only three ways.

"We are not having trouble selling advertising," says Peter Logli, who left as KCCI's general sales manager to take the same Job at KCBR. "This market has lacked competition. I'm hearing this from all the national agencies." Selling advertising for a product that is not yet on the air has forced KCBR to rely on ratings figures in similar markets to sell commercials for shows it plans to present "We have a computer printout to show the average ratings our shows have had in similar markets with three VHF stations and one UHF," says Logli. One advertising ploy Logli hopes to use to KCBR's KCBR Please turn to Page 11 1 1 Vs JVC' 3 fv 1 1-M I 7 By DAVE RHEIN Iowa's first independent television station is preparing to on the air with a tingle strategy: To give central Iowa viewers and advertisers a viable alternative to commercial network programming. KCBR in Des Moines is hoping to get on the air before the end of January.

It will operate on channel 17 on the UHF (ultra high frequency) dial on television sets and will reach a 24-county area of central Iowa. The key to KCBR's programming schedule is movies. Lots of movies. There also is a heavy emphasis on children's shows, public affairs shows and religious shows, plus a number of syndicated series in reruns such as "Wonder Woman." "Gunsmoke," Twilight Zone" and "Star Trek." In a word, KCBR's strategy is to lure viewers by "ewintorprogramming" against its com petition network affiliates KCCI (CBS), WHO (NBC) and WOI (ABC). "I don't thick there is any tuque dimension of an affiliated station that compels people to look at it," says Raymond Gacto of the Independence Broadcasting the Des Moines-based company that owns KCBR.

"Today, if an independent station is properly programmed, it can compete successfully and even beat an affiliate station in competition for viewers." There are 149 independent stations in the United States, and Iowa is one of the last areas in the country to have an independent station. The reason, according to William Trout, an IBC stockholder along with Gazzo and Carl Goldsberry, is the availability of programming. The timing was not right until the programming became available," says Trout, noting that the effort to put KCBR on the air began more than three years ago. "Prior to the ruling I in the early 1970s) that prohibits the networks from controlling syndication (of old series shows), there were only a half-dozen successful independent stations. Only stations like WGN in Chicago had the money to make their own programming." Today, says Gazzo, only about 10 cities in the nation's top 100 television viewing areas do not have at least one independent station.

That list included Des Moines, and also includes WaterlcxvCedar Rapids, the Quad-Cities area and Omaha. Applications to construct UHF independent stations are on file for the last three viewing areas mentioned and also in Iowa City. IBC is one of two companies vying for the Waterloo station and one of four companies vying for the Davenport station. The toughest battle KCBR faces educating the public on how to tone in the station on their TV sets. (See story on how to tune in KCBR on page 11.) KCBR is waging this battle through a $100,000 promotion blitz in central Iowa.

is selling UHF antennas with information on how to tune in the station at QuikTrip and Hy-Vee stores. Basically, KCBR says, if yon live within 15-45 miles of Des Moines, a UHF antenna hooked to the back of your TV set is all you weed Viewers living outside a 45-mile radius will need an outdoor antenna. Heritage Cable vision is obliged to carry KCBR because the i hR rs 2J HI f. Carl Goldsberry William Trout Denis Katell Raymond Gtrzo KCBR's prograniming schedule station is within 35 miles of Heritage's operating base. Gazzo says KCBR plans to gain access onto cable systems all over the state.

If IBC gets the nod to construct stations in Waterloo and Davenport, could this be the start of an Iowa superstalion, oia Atlanta's WTBS? TIME MONDAY-FRIDAY I SATURDAY SUNDAY TIME fcOO 700 auB 6:00 :30 0:30 7MT WOOOY WOODPECKER 7:00 7:30 PINK PANTHER 7:30 8:00 MIGHTY MOUSE JERRY FALWELL 0:00 30 GREAT SPACE COASTER j30 tOOT FTL EDITOR'S DESK PTL MO 9:30 METRSPECT 9:30 10:00 JIMMY SWAGGART DR. SNUGGLES JIMMY SWAG GART 10:00 10:30 OZZ1E A HARRIET THE LAW 10:30 11:00 S1ARLET MOVIE THAT TEEN SHOW REX HUM BARD 1L-00 11:30 MAUBU GRAN PRIX ALL-STARS PINK PANTHER 11:30 13 SATURDAY THEATRE I FAMILY MOVIE 12N J2JO 12:30 1:00 INN MIDDAY NEWS REPORT 1:00 1:30 GREEN ACRES 1:30 iOO MARCUS WELBY P. SATURDAY THEATRE II WEEKEND MOVIE 2:00 2:30 2:30 3j00 ADOAMS FAMILY 3:00 3J0 WOOOY WOODPECKER 3:30 4t00 SCOOBYDOO WEEKEND MOVIE GLEN CAMPBELL 4:00 4:30 FLINTSTONES LORNE GREENE'S WILDLIFE 4:30 fcOO WONDER WOMAN JACK ANDERSON CONFIDENTIAL 5:30 WALL ST. JOURNAL REPORT 5:30 tcOO CHARLIE'S ANGELS STAR TREK STAR TREK j00 s30 fc30 7:00 GUNSMOKE SOLID GOLD HARDY BOYSNANCY DREW 7j00 7:30 7:30 fcOCT STAR MOVIE MOVIE CLASSIC ACADEMY AWARD THEATRE g.jg 8:30 400 OtOO fc30 10:00 TWILIGHT ZONE "TWILIGHT ZONE ABBOTT ft COSTELLO lOtOO" 10:30 BENNY HILL SHOW BENNY HILL SHOW AL McGUIRE SPORTS SHOW 10:30 WILD WILD WEST EVENING AT THE IMPROV SOLID GOLD (R) 11:00 11:30 ZZ 110 12 $100 MOVIE (Friday only) 12 II 12:30 12:30 1--00 1:30 I I "WTBS is no better programmed that KCBR ia Des Moines," saysGano. "The difference is, they have a satellite uplink so WTBS signals can be sent almost anywhere in the country).

Check the fare out of Chicago WGN) and Kansas City (KSHB). Our programming is very similar." Another problem KCBR has been struggling with is actually getting on the air. Originally, the station said it would begin broadcasting Jan. 17, but delays ia construction of its transmitting tower near ABeman have pushed that tentative date back to Jan. 29.

Station officials believe it is imperative to get on the air before the February ratings period begins. General Manager Denis Katell has planned his program schedule with great care. Because KCBR will have no formal news operation (it will hare two prime-time news breaks each weeknight), it has put series shows with proven ratings success opposite the other Des Moines stations' newscasts. For example: Monday-Friday at I pm, KCBR will present "Charlie's Angels." At 10 pm Monday-Saturday, "Twilight Zone" will battle the newscasts. Each weekday morning and afternoon will have a two-hour block of children's programming, including a studio children's show that will battle WHO'S "Floppy Show" at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday morning's schedule features lVt hours of public Des Moines Sunday Register January 23, 1983 3-TV.