Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 60

boohs and authors Analysis of a conflict: "Arab and Jew" by David Shipler contains stories of individuals on both sides. The review is on Page 8. Sunday, Oct. 25, 138S SHIRLEY EDER if? ART DIANE HAITHMAN SOUND JUDGMENT Call Entertainment: 222-6828 (7 C3n Sob Cr 11 Talbert Cashin in on Only the wealthy need apply for an account Insider's Notebook The ultimate in status is in the works in Oakland County: The Executive Bank, whose only customers will be people with a proven net worth starting at $500,000 or who make a minimum of $150,000 a year. Why? Simple.

Most banks will tell you that wealthy customers make up less than five percent of a bank's clientele, yet create as much as 70 percent of a bank's profits. Wouldn't a check from that bank say it all about someone? Ford Motor Co. sets sales and profit records all independence WKBD challenges the networks ivith savvy staff, programming over the place and do you know one thing about President Harold (Red) Poling? Nope and chances are you won't, even though he may well be one of the most colorful and quotable auto execs around. Low-profile is top priority. Why? I Fnrrt's hrain tniet Hrwsn't want tn l'CTV sj happen to its executives what it Mike Duffy television I joresaw Happening to um Lnair-jyj man Roger Smith.

His GMEDS- ai mmmJ in nuhlir nttornnrec Call it the lean, mean programming machine. Channel 50 (WKBD-TV), the longtime top gun of independent TV stations in Detroit and one of the most successful independent stations in America, certainly isn't suffering from an identity crisis. No way. Not today and not tomorrow. Be it shrewdly scheduled movies, Hawk-eye Pierce and his sitcom pals, Piston basketball or "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," Channel 50 has been on a roll for the past decade.

"They know who they are and what they want to be and they're aggressive at it," said Alan Frank, vice-president of programming and production for Channel 4 (WDIV-TV). "I think they have a sensitivity to the market and to what their audience wants," said Jeanne Findlater, vice-president and general manager of Channel 7 (WXYZ-TV). "And they're willing to pay high dollars for it." THE IMAGE of the typical independent TV station wasn't always so hot. Compared to the usually more powerful, richer and glossier network affiliates, independent stations had trouble getting much respect. Or a very large audience.

"The stereotype was that independent stations were blue collar, lowest common denominator programming," said WKBD program director Paul Prange. "People thought independents ran nothing but 'Gilli-gan's Island' reruns sign on to sign off." No longer. Though the slightly cheesy image remains for some stations and off-network reruns still comprise an important part of an independent's allure, there have been significant changes made. Since the 1970s, independent TV has exploded as a real broadcasting force. The number of independent stations has mushroomed from 85 in 1976 to 260.

And as the numbers have grown, so has the strength of independents. With the independent stations generating $2.7 billion annually, national advertisers have more than taken notice. The programming on independent stations has also become a lot more diverse and attractive, spurred by the rise of first-run syndicated shows such as "Fame," "Star Search" and "Puttin' on the Hits." Plus, there's the boom in first-run animated programming for children, with such weekday shows as "He-Man," "Silver-hawks" and "Transformers" putting a dent in the networks' Saturday morning kiddie video monopoly. During the 1980s, program distributors See WKBD, Page 7F Poling have soured as GM stumbles. It's Roger-bashing time in the media and the halls of GM, where his whispered corporate nickname, "Squeaky," is now used openly by disgruntled underlings.

And it may get worse. That rumored reduction of 25 percent of the salaried personnel by mid-'87 is actually low some insiders figure more like 46 percent of the white collars will have to go. You ought to hear some of the mudslinging, blame-fixing and finger-pointing going on among GOP insiders and party leaders about Bill Lucas' poorly run, seemingly-lost campaign. "What did you expect?" says an off-the-record GOP biggie. "Lucas didn't win the primary; Dick Chrysler lost it.

We have our second string in there." Biggest fear is that if Lucas pulls less than 40 percent of the vote, the Republicans are in danger of losing lots of other offices, too. Listen carefully! Two different Detroit morning radio personalities both just walked out on their longtime sweeties. Nobody's talking in either case but you just might be able to tell if their estranged relationships are affecting their on-air behavior. WXYZ-TV programmer Larry Alt's shift of versatile news anchor Dayna Eubanks' talk-and-inter-view current events show from her high-profile p.m. Sunday time slot to 8 a.m.

with a smaller audience isn't setting well with the black community and Eubanks fans. It's "going to be her permanent time for a while," I was told, "until after the first of the year, anyway." Eubanks is reportedly furious. Note: She was replaced in the afternoon by wrestling matches. WINNER: Veteran singer-entertainer but first-time talk show host Tony Orlando, for brightening up Channel 4's 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

hour all week with a possible syndicate hit in the making. LOSER: Producer Joseph Nederlander's "Into the Light," extinguished on Broadway after critics found no electricity. PARTING SHOT: Channel 7's anchor king Bill Bonds missed a newscast this week because of "oral surgery." It caused one wag to ask: "What for? To remove the fangs or implant wisdom teeth?" On-camera personalities first drew viewers to 50 vy Dettclou yj Peteison tv people names 8 faces "I'm really Bill Kennedy. No, actually Lou Gordon never died. I'm here.

I'm here." Ron Sweed, the Ghoul, returning to Detroit TV in 1983 They were all at WKBD-TV, Channel 50, in the 1970s. They gave Channel 50 a personality, especially Gordon and Kennedy. They were Detroit TV, years before Bill Bonds and John and Marilyn were the biggest names on that side of the camera. And then there was Lucy and "Star Trek" and the sports that still are staples of the station's schedule. WKBD-TV, named for its founders, Kaiser Broadcasting, Detroit, went on the air almost 22 years ago, Jan.

10, 1965, after a year of asking Detroiters what they wanted and weren't getting on the Detroit area's five other TV stations. The answer had been more sports. So Channel 50 bowed with a lineup of basketball, football and Red Wings Hockey and built from there. (After a foray on Channel J.P. makes the final cut for 'Good Morning' joh IT'S A BIG WEEKEND for WJR's J.P.

McCarthy. He'll be in New York this weekend for his own 1 personal version of the World Series. He'll be talking with Capi- 20, another Detroit independent, Red Wing hockey returned to Channel 50 this season.) BUT, ALMOST from the beginning, it was sharp-tongued Lou Gordon who made viewers important and ordinary aware of WKBD. A wealthy manufacturer's representative who enjoyed politics and journalism, he got into broadcasting at WXYZ radio and TV. For 12 years, until his death at 60 in 1977, Gordon baited guests and railed against big corporations on his Channel 50 show.

Utilities were particular targets if he thought they were gouging the "little people." Monday mornings in Detroit's workplaces, Gordon's latest escapade was fre- See PERSONALITIES, Page 7F DICK MAYERDetrolt Free Prest Old movies hosted by personalities like Bill Kennedy, sports coverage of the Red Wings and Pistons, and "MA'SH" and "Star Trek" reruns have made Channel 50 the No. 1 independent station in Detroit. of co-hosting the "Good Morning, America" show with Joan Lun-den. While New York media watchers have all but awarded the slot to cable talker and WABC-TV personality Regis Philbin, McCarthy reportedly made the final cut, as one of five or six finalists, and i Alice Cooper comes back, bloodied but unbowed OK, students. It's time for class.

Ozzy Ozzy Osbourne. Take a seat up there at the front. You guys from Motley Crue, sit next to him. Kiss, Ronnie James Dio, Ratt, W.A.S.P. everyone sit down, please.

Today we have a guest speaker. His name Is Alice Cooper. He did what all of you do, the Alice in Water Wonderland Alice Cooper plans to open his first tour In five years with five shows in Michigan, Including two in Detroit where he was born, and one in Toledo. With the Vlnnle Vincent Invasion opening, the shows will be: 7:30 p.m. Lansing Civic Center.

Call (517) 483-4100, 10-5 weekdays. 7:30 p.m. Wendler Arena, Saginaw. Call (517) 776-1330 anytime. 8 p.m.

Thure. and Joe Louis Arena. Friday's show Is sold out. Call 567-6000 anytime. 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 1, Toledo Sports Arena. Call (419) 698-4545, weekdays. 7:30 p.m. Nov.

2, Wings Stadium, Kala-mazoo. Call (616) 345-5101 anytime. McCarthy now says he'd really like the job. YOU REMEMBER Chicken George the character Ben Vereen portrayed in the "Roots" mini-series? Well, now there's Chicken by George. And the George is Phyllis George, who now boasts one of America's more unique resumes: ex-beauty queen, ex-sportscast-er, ex-morning news show hostess, wife of an ex-Kentucky governor and now yes! chicken queen.

She has developed and marketed a collection of frozen chicken entrees under the name "Chicken by George." Kroger supermarkets in Kentucky are test-marketing the dishes and were mum with the Wall Street Journal about how sales were going. Officials were also tight-lipped about what exact contribution she has made to the product besides lending her name. Said one official: "We don't want any outside circumstances affecting sales." Why, of course not! "INTO THE NIGHT," that born-in-Detroitdied-on-Broadway musical, did generate some laughs along the Great White Way. Several theater critics who witnessed the Dean Jones show's brief, fling in New York report that the gallows humor of the stagehands at the Neil Simon Theatre spawned the following line: "Into the Light and then into the truck." Small consolation to local show backers Joseph Z. Neder-lander and Richard Kughn.

Edited by JOHN SMYNTEK From Mtl ma win reports 4. U4j hard rock roll with the makeup and the theatrics, long before you did it. Now he's making a comeback, and he'd like to talk to you about it. "The idea is for Alice to come back and more or less do a refresher course on Alice," explained Cooper, 40, from manager Shep Gordon's office in Los Angeles, where Cooper was rehearsing for his first tour Gary Graff music "Now the idea is to get out on tour and crush "em." SO SAYS the man with a woman's name who through chopping up baby dolls and sticking his head in a guillotine in front of thousands of paying customers at a time became a pop culture icon during the '70s, a forerunner of the glitter and theatrics that See ALICE, Page 6F in more than five years, which starts Tuesday In Lansing. "At the beginning, I thought, 'Who are these the Ozzys and Motley Crues and all of them.

They're ripping off everything I did. They've done everything, blatantly. It was so obvious they were just doing warmed-over Alice. I was saying, you don't own that. If you did it first like I did then you own it.

C3 paa, soap operas, Page 7 J. II TV felt Changs, news shows, Page 6F. Alice Cooper, a pop icon of the '70s for his elaborate and highly theatrical stage shows, is back on tour and out to show performers like Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue just how gruesome a show can be..