MEDIA / KEVIN BRASS : When a Picture Counts, the Mad Scramble Is On

In the world of television news, where a good picture is worth a thousand words, the tragic and unexpected death of Sea World’s performing killer whale Kandu last Monday was the type of news event that cried out for visuals.

Unfortunately, Sea World officials closed the whale stadium soon after they realized something was terribly wrong. The television news teams had to scramble.

KGTV (Channel 10) actually had a camera crew in the park, taping another story, when word of the accident leaked out. They rushed over to the stadium, where spectators were still watching the show, but they weren’t allowed in.

Both KFMB-TV (Channel 8) and KNSD-TV (Channel 39) first heard of the incident from audience members who called the stations, not from Sea World. When their camera crews arrived at the scene, they weren’t allowed into the park.

Perhaps remembering past Sea World incidents, when amateur photographers had provided dramatic footage of the whales injuring trainers--most recently when the late Orky crushed a trainer--the television crews stopped people coming out of the stadium, looking for any home video cameras, as well as witnesses.

Channel 10, with the first crack at the crowd, soon found someone with footage of Corky’s last swim. They purchased the tape for less than $100, according to news director Paul Sands.

Meanwhile, back at the stations, both Channels 39 and 10 were looking for aerial support.

Officials at Channel 10, the only station in town with its own helicopter, were fuming, because “Sky 10� was in the shop for its annual maintenance. Like Channel 39, they had to rent a helicopter to get the most mournful video of the incident, the aerial shot of Baby Shamu circling her dead mother.

Channel 8 picked up aerial footage from Entertainment Tonight, a show the station carries, only to discover that Entertainment Tonight had picked up the footage from Channel 39.

Channel 8 didn’t rent a helicopter. But it managed to obtain shadowy video with a few frames of the actual incident which cost Corky her life when a French tourist called the station. He requested $5,000 for the video. News director Jim Holtzman offered him $250, even though the video was on a foreign format. The tourist/free-lance photographer took the money.

“It was one of those instances when it was five minutes before the 6:30 (newscast), so we took a chance,� said Holtzman, noting it’s not unusual to pay for video. “You try to encourage people to think of you.�

Channel 39 was also able to find amateur video of the Corky incident, but it didn’t have to pay for it. Two viewers, one with VHS the other with Super-8 footage, settled for on-air credit and a guarantee that the station would return the tape.

According to industry insiders, there is little doubt that KSWV-FM (102.9) is preparing to drop “The Wave� format, which has not managed to carve out a ratings niche in its two years in San Diego. Industry speculation is focusing more on what format the station will switch to, once the Wave officially crashes. A recent item in Radio and Records’ “Street Talk� column suggested it would become a classic rock station, but others believe it might move toward either “Pirate Radio� or a contemporary hits format. General manager Mike Shields would neither confirm nor deny. “We’re looking at all options at this point,� he said. . . .

There is more than a little irony in a half-hour animation special called “Shamu: the Beginning,� currently in production. It includes a tearful scene of Baby Shamu learning of the death of his parents. Watson General Pictures of San Diego and Lion’s Den Productions are finishing work on the program, which doesn’t have an air date yet. Representatives of Sea World, which has some creative control of the program, and Watson General said Kandu’s death will have no impact on the show. . . .

As promised, new KPBS-FM (89.5) program director Michael Flaster has begun to tinker with the station’s programming lineup. Local news segments will be added to expanded versions of “Morning Edition� and “All Things Considered,� in addition to new blues and acoustic music shows. The big loser appears to be “San Diego On Air,� the show featuring the work of local producers, which is being switched from a weekday to a weekly format, one hour on Saturdays. . . .

Former reporter Bob Donley’s long-running, wrongful-termination suit against Channel 10 has been thrown out of court. . . . Kelly Wheeler has been promoted to director of operations at KSDO-AM (1130), replacing long-departed Jack Merker. . . . Originality runs rampant in television news. Both the Channel 8 and 39 sports departments are soliciting home sports videos from viewers. . . .

Larry Himmel will begin a five-day-a-week column--�humorous commentaries on the El Cajon scene,� Himmel said--for the Daily Californian on Sept. 3. . . . Meanwhile, negotiations are under way to bring Himmel back to Channel 8. . . .

While almost every professional writer, and wannabe, in town dreams of getting a novel published, Channel 39 photographer Michael Peak’s first novel, a fantasy for Signet called “Cat House,� is now in bookstores. The 60,000-copy first printing has already sold out to bookstores. His second novel, a spinoff to be called “Harmed and Dangerous,� is in the works. . . .

XETV (Channel 6) will become the second station in town (Channel 39 is the other) to broadcast in stereo, beginning Sept. 13 with the airing of the Who’s star-studded L.A. performance of “Tommy.�. . .

When he was host of XTRA-AM’s (690) morning show, Mark Williams attacked competitor KSDO-AM (1130) at every opportunity. But now he’s looking for work. Recently he had a stripper deliver his resume to KSDO’s Wheeler. “It definitely got our attention,� Wheeler said. Williams also interviewed at WLS in Chicago, the station that hired KSDO’s Stacy Taylor, but he hasn’t heard back. Williams has four months remaining on his XTRA contract, so he’s not exactly desperate. . . .

The Newspaper Guild has fired the latest salvo in its on-going battle with the Union-Tribune Publishing Co., taking out ads on five bus benches, including one in front of the U-T’s Mission Valley headquarters. “Stop union busting at the Union Tribune,� the ads say. . . .

Former Channel 39 reporter Rory Bennett’s free-lance career is booming, thanks to the popularity of reality-based television. She has been hired to produce segments for Group W’s syndicated “Missing Reward� show, and she’s doing on-camera reports for “Inside Report,� a syndicated show similar to “A Current Affair� and based in Miami.

An invitation to a polo match, dinner at Tony Bill’s restaurant. The honors keep pouring in for San Diego State University grad Mark Lawrence, who won a prestigious FOCUS award, a national student film contest, for his 14-minute adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “The Inspired Chicken Motel.� He will be further honored at a dinner at the Director’s Guild Theater Tuesday night.

The Padres may be going for the big porcelain dive, but Channel 51 and the team have agreed to add a couple of September games to the broadcast schedule.