Monday. June 9, 1980 kLltr Dallas iTtitrituiu Nriws 9C FD H\Rk New news shows are busting out all over In these early days of June, it is not the month, but the news that is “busting out all over.” Fast on the heels of Ted Turner's 24-hour Cable News Network comes another eventful program in prime time. On Monday at 8:30 p.m., the In dependent Network News (INN) de buts on KXTX-TV (Channel 39). It may prove to be a healing balm for those who slog through rush hour traffic in a futile effort to catch the three major networks’ nightly newscasts. First, though, they’ll have to realize that Channel 39, Dallas’ “Christian channel,” offers more than beatific smiles from the likes of Jimmy Swaggart, Ross Bagley, Rex Humbard, etc. “That’s the image we’re trying to do away with,” says general manager Roger Baerwolf. “Don’t get me wrong. We’re still trying to save souls for Christ — and we’re not ashamed of that. But we’re trying to alter our image so we can compete more in the marketplace. I think there are still some people in this market who may not be aware that we exist.”. Channel 39’s long running 700 Club is being pushed back one hour to 9 p.m. on weeknights to make way for the. station’s first half-hour news program. The lead-in to the news will be reruns of Get Smart, which Baerwolf says is a hot item due to the recent theatrical release of The Nude Bomb, where Don Adams revives the character of bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart. INN IS PRODUCED by independ ent station WPIX of New York. Chan nel 39 is one of 27 clients that will receive the program via satellite, ac cording to WPIX spokesman Robert Blake. “Until the hardware became avail able, there was no economically via ble way for independent stations to get a national network news,” Blake said in a telephone interview. “We’re giving them a tight national and in ternational newscast.” Operating under a first-year budget of S6 million. INN will reach an estimated 30 million households around the country. Blake predicts an initial audience of about 2.S mil lion. What they’ll see is a “nothing but the facts, ma’am” kind of news cast presented by Bill Jorgensen, Pat Harper and Steve Bosh, the same trio who anchor the nightly Action News on WPIX in New York. Adding a dab of color is frisky sportscaster Jerry Girard, who appar ently enjoys putting athletes’ feet in their mouths. The fifth member of the INN team is news analyst David Schoenbrun, who resembles Cannon, the slovenly private eye played by veteran character actor William Con rad. ACTUALLY, ALL of INN’S newscas ters have a Real People look about them. There are no glamour pusses among these pleasant-faced middle- agers. They look like they’ve been around and know their business. Take Ms. Harper’s case. When is the last time you’ve seen a 45-year-old woman anchor a news program? INN had a trial run last week in the form of a “dress rehearsal” shown on closed circuit to local sub scribers. Jorgensen, Bosh and Ms. Harper ran down the news of June 3, which included the “Super Tuesday” presidential primary elections, an ex plosion at the site of the Statue of Lib erty and the continuing plight of the Cuban refugees. A featured segment was the Brit ish Broadcasting Company’s inter view with Idi Amin, the former strongman of Uganda. INN receives its international news coverage from VISNEWS, a syndicate of the BBC, and UPITN, a partnership between the In ternational Television News of Great Britain and United Press Interna tional. Whatever the story, the news came first, leaving no room for “happy talk” or any of the other drivel that is supposed to establish a news anchor’s “personality.” That doesn’t mean the INN an chors are dour robots. BOSH, FOR EXAMPLE, couldn't re sist grinning through most of the ac count about Jimmy the Greek’s odds on who killed J.R. Ewing, described as the “back stabbing, low life” star of Dallas. Bosh gave the story a nice tongue-in-cheek touch, but then moved on to the next subject without encouraging further frivolity. In short, INN’S anchors seem to know the difference between han dling and fondling the news. Those who can’t catch Cronkite, Chancellor or Reynolds won’t get shortchanged by the latest news network, which has the look of a quality pinch hitter. Bill Jorgensen (left), Steve Bosh and Pat Harper anchor a new news show that provides a later hour alternative to the networks. //3» 'ijV //« Iff, ’ Jfi£ .'■■■■>•*****« IBbTA \ f' 'Wm 4/m m j I .j&v- j i 1 II ifr