The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 210

end to local TV news wars, declaring viewers the winner. This promotional salute of all the local stations for winning six of the top 10 news awards in recent competition was admirable. "We've got a new attitude," KOCO-TV trumpeted. But when then KTVY prepared to unveil its changes last week, peace-loving Channel 5 bushwhacked 'em a couple of days before with spots saying there's more to promotion than just "a new set andor new music." New attitude? Guard your back for an old trick. But it's easy to call a truce in the TV news wars, particularly when you're a distant third in the ratings.

Noriega had the same thought cross his mind a time or two last Christmas. ROAST AND TOASTS -Raised glasses to KOCO-TV general manager Tom Kirby for eliminating the use of the word "exclusive" from Channel 5 stories. It's confusing to viewers particularly when they see the same piece minutes later on a different station. A truckload of briquettes for KOCO-TV anchor Tom McNamara, who delivered two inaccuracies during the station's recap show of the teacher protest and passage of the education package. (8:30 p.m.

April 20) McNamara said The Oklahoman "missed" one day of coverage of the teacher protest in its April 16 edition. He then went on to praise the coverage of subsequent days. But there was coverage April 16 on Page 4 a story of more than 30 inches on the bill's prospects and the strike, in addition to an adjacent list of schools to be closed, McNamara finished by saying "it has been a long week for the press" and hoped all could move beyond this. But his gaffe in a sensitive area didn't make the week any shorter. The public questioning of news judgment by one media organization of another is too ticklish an area for inaccuracy.

In relation to a KOCO-commissioned survey, McNamara said only 14 people out of 400 state residents polled didn't know about the teacher protest or the bill "for that fact." But fact showed seconds later on TV screens that it was 14 percent of those surveyed which represented 56 people. 0 now we know. KTVY has become KFOR 4-strong, the strength of Oklahoma. But KFOR? It sounds like an industrial spot remover. For a couple of weeks, Channel 4 promised TV reception in Oklahoma would get stronger, and "you'll feel the difference, and "you'll see the difference" all this beginning at 10 p.m.

April 22. But after the first five minutes of stronger and different, the sounds of folks slapping the sides of their TV sets could be heard across the Oklahoma plains last Sunday night. Why, the dang picture was the same as before. Linda Cavanaugh's hair wasn't any brighter. Dan Slocum's voice didn't boom any louder.

And Bob Barry Sr. didn't zoom in and out with a weird 3-D effect like they had on Foreman Scotty's show or in Friday the 13th, Part 5S, About the only thing different was the newscast was a lot longer, probably due to 13 min-ates dedicated to the impressive history of the station. Then there was the station's new song. It was pretty, but unfortunately longer than most lymns on Easter morning. But KFOR? Already, the cruel plays on words have started.

Former NBC newsman Edwin Newman started penning a suicide note, after Slocum irew a chuckle from Cavanaugh with "FORtu-iate." Be ready for a segment on local real estate "FORecIosure" or a culinary feature, 'FORk," The possibilities are endless and iownright scary. Funk may start slugging Wag-lalL Be FORewarned, this FORmat FORay by KFOR FOReshadows unFORtunate of words, FORcing a FORmidable FOR-orning on viewers who may FORfeit their sanity. Peace In Our Time? For weeks, KOCOTV (5) has proclaimed an APRIL 29, 1990 TV NEWS.