Video: San Diego's CW6 news signs off

San Diego Union-Tribune

March 31, 2017 4:15 PM PT

As the co-anchors of the “CW6 News in the Morning” broadcast — where guests can include politicians and puppies and topics can range from grand jury investigations to allergy-survival tips — Lynda Martin and Jim Patton are used to juggling. But on Friday, getting through their four hours on the air was more of an emotional tightrope situation. It was the last day of local newscasts on CW6, and Martin and Patton were wobbling.

“I did not think I was going to cry this morning,” Patton said after signing off. “But I was wrong.”

In January, it was announced that XETV CW6 had lost its CW Network affiliation to KFMB-TV Channel 8, which will run both stations. As for XETV, it would be shutting down to become a Spanish-language station.

The announcement was sudden, but XETV’s final chapter unfolded over several long months. The local news programming is ending with Friday’s 10 p.m. broadcast. The CW prime time programming — including “Arrow” and “Supergirl” — will air on CW6 until May 31, when the whole CW network becomes part of the KFMB-TV family.

So how does a television station say goodbye to its community after more than 60 years? On the last “CW6 News in the Morning” broadcast, they did it with tears and beer, a San Diego police chief and a San Diego Zoo porcupine and a whole lot of memories.

Here is a look at the end of CW6 and a guide to what will happen next.

Where’s my show? Channel shuffle 101

In the time between the CW6 sign-off and the May 31 introduction of the new CW San Diego, cable viewers tuning in to the old CW6 channel spot will see reruns of syndicated shows. Over-the-air antenna viewers tuning in to Channel 6 will see Spanish-language programming.

Beginning May 31, cable viewers will likely find all CW network programming (including “Supernatural” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) and CW San Diego local news on Channel 6. (That will definitely be the channel position for Cox Cable and Spectrum customers, and KFMB anticipates that Direct TV, Dish and AT&T U-verse will keep CW San Diego on Channel 6 as well.)

As of May 31, over-the-air viewers will find the CW network shows and CW San Diego programming on Channel 8.2.

Beginning May 31, there will also be a slate of new CW San Diego newscasts. The “News 8 on CW San Diego” local newscasts will be produced and operated by the KFMB-TV CBS News 8 division, which will continue to produce its current CBS News 8 broadcasts.

Longtime KFMB-TV News Director Dean Elwood will oversee the CW San Diego news, and the CW and CBS 8 newscasts will share staff members (including on-air talent) and content. Some staff positions will be filled by former XETV employees.

The “News 8 on the CW San Diego” broadcasts will air weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The KFMB-TV news schedule on CBS 8 will not change.

One station, many networks

Since coming to XETV almost 40 years ago, Vice President and General Manager Chuck Dunning has watched the station cycle through network affiliations and identities like an “America’s Next Top Model” contestant whips through costume changes.

When Dunning came on board, XETV — which had its offices in Kearny Mesa and its transmitter and operations in Tijuana — was an independent station, having lost its ABC affiliation in 1973. In 1986, it became one of the earliest stations to join the fledgling Fox Broadcasting Co. They built a state-of-the-art studio in 1999 and began airing local newscasts.

The Fox years came to an abrupt end in March 2008, when XETV was notified that Fox was moving its San Diego affiliation to KSWB Channel 5. Five months later, XETV became the San Diego home of the CW.

It has been a long, alphabet-strewn road, but if you ask Dunning what XETV achievement he is the most proud of, his answer is short and frill-free.

“Existing,” said Dunning, who has clear memories of the days when they taped their prime time line-up from Fox’s East Coast feed and trucked the tapes down to Tijuana. “I’m proud that we were able to stick around.”

Rules of the game face

The great news about finding out you’ll be losing your job in two months is that you have plenty of time to plan. The tough news is that you have plenty of time to worry, mourn and worry some more. And for the CW6 on-air talent, plenty of time to act like nothing’s wrong while many thousands of people are watching.

“To ask people to stay motivated, focused and inspired for 60 days when they don’t know what the future is, it’s a lot to ask,” Dunning said. “From what I have observed, their attitude has been beyond what you could expect.”

Earlier this week, Martin, Patton and Kohn gathered on the news set to talk about the secret to weathering XETV’s long public goodbye. People often refer to their work colleagues as family, but when your job involves pre-dawn hours, between-commercials down time and lots of on-the-fly improvisation, the family analogy is not a big stretch.

The morning show team knows that Patton is prone to giggling and Kohn is prone to tripping. Martin can tell you all about Patton’s ongoing roof repair adventures and Kohn can confirm that when inappropriate laughs break out at inopportune times, Martin is usually the instigator.

And they will all say that when you have to keep it together despite the circumstances, these are the people who make the burden bearable.

“It’s been so hard, because all of us get along so well here. That’s what I’ll miss the most,” said Martin, who came to XETV during its 1999 local news hiring blitz, jumped to KSWB/Channel 5 in 2002, then returned to XETV in 2005. “The word I’ve been using is ‘surreal,’ because it feels so strange. I’ve come and gone, and now I can’t come back. This is my work home, and the doors are closing.”

Parting and a party

On its last day, the “CW6 News in the Morning Show” was a bigger, crazier version of its all-inclusive self. In front of the cameras, there were emotional video tributes, uninhibited dancing from Kohn and Martin and visits from San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, a San Diego Zoo porcupine and a mascot from Legoland California.

Off camera, current staffers joined Ruben Galvan, Marc Bailey and other former members of the XETV family on the outdoor back lot for hugs, selfies and toasts featuring craft beer provided by some of the many local brewers who appeared on the show’s monthly San Diego beer news segments.

Whether it was local chefs whipping up Valentine’s Day desserts, the San Diego Animal Support Foundation showing off adoptable pets or a representative from Rady Children’s Hospital talking about an upcoming fundraiser, the CW6 morning show was a place for San Diego to celebrate and discover its best, most entertaining self. That conversation isn’t over, but it won’t be happening here anymore.

“They’ve developed this great community presence here, and that has been a really positive thing for San Diego,” said Assembly member Todd Gloria, who dropped in to pay his respects. “I got some really tough questions from them over the years, and I think that’s a good thing for our city and a good thing for democracy. It’s sad to see it go, but I’m so glad they did what they did on the air.”

Some of the XETV production people have found jobs at other local stations. Dunning will work through September, as he negotiates the sale of the sets and other closing-up-shop duties. Patton will soon be taking a part-time anchor job at KGTV Channel 10, but moving on could take awhile.

“When you lose something, that’s when you realize how special it is,” Patton said, as the party threatened to swallow him up. “I’m heartbroken, but there are a lot of smiling faces here and a lot of support. I’m definitely going to miss this place.”

Twitter: @karla_peterson

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