KMOV stirs TV market

More ad time depresses rates By MEGAN COLLINS

Independent from CBS ownership for more than a year, a leaner, more aggressive KMOV-TV is running harder against its local TV rivals.

The result has been a glut of commercial air time on local stations, slowing the rise in local ad rates at least temporarily.

"It's a different market. It's more competitive," according to Bill Viands, general manager of KDNL, the Fox network affiliate. "The added inventory (commercial time at KMOV) is almost like having another station in the market."

KMOV went form being barely profitable under CBS to having doubled its revenues and tripled its profits since Viacom International took over the station in May 1986, according to trade publications and industry sources. Annual revenues since that time have climbed to more than $38 million, those sources said. Profits have climbed to more than $15 million during the first year under new ownership which has trimmed the stations staff.

KMOV (Channel 4) has grown by taking a page from KSDK's book -- namely preempting network programming to add syndicated shows. KMOV now offers 6 1/2 hours of local and syndicated shows compared with four hours before Viacom took over. Revenues from commercials on syndicated shows goes to the local stations as opposed to the network.

Network shows provide about 2 1/2 minutes of commercial time each half-hour that can be sold by the local station. By being able to install its programming, KMOV can add 13 1/2 minutes an hour in lucrative time periods.

Channel 4 also has lured away a newscaster and two reporters from KTVI (Channel 2). KMOV's audience share in the important 10 p.m. news slot has risen to 30 percent from 22 percent from May 1986 to May 1987.

The success of KMOV has been felt by such stations as KDNL (Channel 30), whose revenues had been growing in excess of 20 percent annually from 1984 to 1986, Viands said. In 1987, though, the station has seen a slump in that growth rate, he said.

Much of KMOV's success also has been at the expense of another station, KTVI. The changes at KMOV...