The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 232

Cover story Channel 62 tries for a new image Station juggles schedule changes call letters and cranks up the power From the inside out almost everything is new at Channel 62 The station even has new call letters KSMO a combination of the postal abbreviations for Kansas and Missouri to replace KZKC ABRY Communications which bought Channel 62 BARRY GARRON "ALF" "Mania's Family" and "227" At 10 pm a second episode of "Mama's Family" will replace "Trackside at the Woodlands" Beginning June 24 Channel 62 will carry a new show "Johnnie on the Loose" starring Chicago disc jockey Jonathon Brandmeier It will run at either 10 or 10:30 pm depending on the success of "Mama's Family" Beginning last fall Channel 62 bought numerous movie and sporting event packages The spree is likely to continue as Channel 62 positions itself as Kansas City's movie and sports station A recent deal with Disney gives Channel 62 the rights for the last 20 Disney movies (including "Marrying Man" and "Scenes From a as well as the next 30 produced by Disney and its subsidiaries Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures Response to a recent Kansas City Blades broadcast was so good that Channel 62 said it would try to carry eight to 10 more hockey games next season The station also plans to supplement its Big Eight basketball package with four or five more University of Kansas basketball games "You have to punch every lever at once" said Jim Mac Donald general manager of Channel 62 Other levers the station is punching: In the next two weeks Channel 62 will move to new offices and a new studio on Cambridge Cir- last fall has spent millions to turn a threadbare station with weak power and makeshift programs into a full-fledged independent with a respectable lineup and a signal every bit as strong as its competitors' The new Channel 62 schedule takes effect this week partly shaped by the opinions expressed by 18000 viewers who filled out ballots in the "Your Vote Counts" promotion begun in March Highlights include a daily 7 pm movie that will Channel 62 is moving "Hunter" starring Fred Dryer (right) from 7 to 9 pm Monday through Saturday and showing movies at the earlier time "Peggy Sue Got Married" starring Kathleen Turner and Nicolas Cage (above) is at 7 pm Wednesday cle just west of the state line A new control room and equipment will permit state-of-the-art production When the move is complete Channel 62 will be the first station with a fiber-optic link to its transmitter A new antenna installed at a cost of nearly $500000 now carries a signal strong enough to reach every comer of the metropolitan area A customized graphics package including animation and a new station jingle will give Channel 62 a clean and contemporary on-air look Contests will be a regular part of the station starting with a May promotion with McDonald's restaurants in which daily cash prizes will be offered compete directly with movies shown on KSHB Channel 41 on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday In June the station will team up with Coca-Cola for another "watch and win" contest A new children's dub Crew 62 will be created Gub host Amy Payne will travel in a neon-colored Crew 62 van to give out prizes around the city The club will be featured each day in six 90-second segments broadcast during children's programming Within a year the station plans to introduce a regular public affairs program Within six months it will carry a music video show with local disc jockeys Another show featuring local stand-up comics is being considered The voting showed that Hunter" reruns were espe cially popular with middle-aged and older adults As a result the show will be moved to 9 pm The new lineup from to 7 pm an important time for independent stations features syndicated reruns of "Perfect Strangers" Pag 4Tne Kansas City Star TV April 21-27 1991.