The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 489

Cover story Channel 41 giving up its independence Fox to broadcast five nights a week KSHB Channel 41 is about to pass the midpoint on the road from independent station to network affiliate This fall Channel 41 will show in October 1 986 At last report the Fox network reaches 91 percent of all TV households Through most of August three Fox shows With and Living have finished among the top 20 programs each week This fall in a daring move Fox will pit against Cosby at 7 pm Thursdays In all the fourth network is adding 10 shows this fall virtually exhausting its supply of newly developed series If more than a few of them strike out it will be months before the network can replace them Fox will introduce four of its new series this week and Lewis make their debut at 7:30 and 8:30 pm Sunday respectively "DEA" will go on at 8 pm Friday and will be seen at 8:30 pm Saturday Basking in the Fox New shows on Channel 41 this fall include a comedy starring Robert Walden (above) and "My Talk featuring Jennifer Bass as the host of a comedy-talk show broadcast from her living room spotlight has given Channel 41 far greater visibility than ever before But for the station which turns 20 years old this fall being a Fox affiliate also has meant fewer opportunities to schedule syndicated programs it acquires on its own The most obvious change has been in the area of movies Like many independents Channel 41 had counterprogrammed the network affiliates by offering movies every BARRYGARRON carry five nights of Fox network programs as well as Fox shows on Saturday mornings and a half-hour show weekday afternoons The fall Fox schedule covers every night except Tuesday and Wednesday Plans are to add programming on these two nights before the end of 1 992 Although it is a long way from achieving parity with ABC CBS or NBC the Fox network has come a long way since it signed on with Joan late night weeknight Only a few years ago the station had the right to show 2500 films But more Fox programs means fewer opportunities for movies This fall the Channel 41 movie shelf will hold only about 1000 films That number is likely to dwindle to 500 a year from riow said Bob Worming-ton general manager Part of the reduction he said is also due to a trend See CHANNEL 9 Big changes just ahead on Channel 62 Local programs more sports among plans by new owners By BARRYGARRON TV-Radio Critic known as an independent station would devote up to five nights a week to Fox network programs the only independent station left in Kansas City and we are committed to local MacDonald said 41 has jumped with both feet into the Fox For now seems more a goal than a reality at Channel 62 But the station took a See CHANGES 6 costly programming For that reason some of the programs on the schedule are almost certain to be replaced this winter certainly proud of it but not the best we will have to he said Meanwhile MacDonald is emphasizing movies a daily two-hour block of Disney shows for kids Big Eight basketball and the local identity He pointed out that KSHB Channel 41 traditionally studios and its call letters In a little more than two weeks Channel 62 will become the property of ABRY Communications a Boston firm that also owns independent TV stations in Baltimore and Cincinnati Jim MacDonald general manager said the new owners planned dramatic changes for Channel 62 including better and more For KZKC Channel 62 the fall schedule can be considered a work in progress because the station is in the midst of a huge transition that ulima-tely will affect its programs its equipment and probably even the location of its Page 4The Kansas City Star TV September 2-8 1990.