New TV station MyNetworkTV targets young viewing audience
A new Spokane TV station makes its debut on Tuesday: KXMN-11.
KXMN is a KXLY-TV sister station, airing a new national network, MyNetworkTV.
This new station will air a series of “prime-time drama strips” – aka, prime-time soaps, or telenovelas – Monday through Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m.
On Sept. 25, it will also launch a 10 p.m. local newscast, MyNews@10. Kjerstin Ramsing will anchor the newscast, which will air weekdays.
The station is clearly aiming at a young audience. Steve Herling, KXLY vice president-general manager, said in a press release that the newscast will “engage our MyNetworkTV viewers, MySpace friends and radio listeners” in developing its coverage.
KXLY’s radio personalities also will show up on the new station starting Tuesday. The morning team from KZZU-FM (92.9 Zzu) – Dave Sposito, Ken Hopkins and Molly Allen – will host a live show weekdays at 10 a.m. called “The Zzu After Party.”
Rick and Teresa Lukens, the morning team at KXLY-FM (Classy 99.9), will host the “Married in the Morning” show every weekday at 11 a.m.
And Dennis Patchin’s local KXLX-AM (ESPN 700) sports talk show will be simulcast weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
You can see this new station on Comcast digital cable channel 114, and over the air (via antenna) in Spokane on channel 11 or in high-def at KXLY DT 4.2; in Coeur d’Alene on channel 38; and in Moses Lake at channel 43.
The CW on KSKN
This would be a good time to remind viewers that KSKN-22 will become the region’s CW Network affiliate when that new national channel launches the week of Sept. 18.
The CW combines programming from the old WB and UPN networks.
Travolta’s coming
John Travolta will be coming to Spokane this month to see sister Ellen Travolta and nephew Jonathan Rau in “Bus Stop,” which runs Sept. 14 through Oct. 1 at Interplayers.
How do we know for certain? Because he told us so, during a phone interview from Toronto, where he is rehearsing “Hairspray.”
Watch for the full story in the Today section on Sept. 14.
No, he did not say exactly which days he would be in attendance.
Interplayers Gala
Speaking of Interplayers, it will have its Second Annual Summer Gala at the theater, 174 S. Howard St., on Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The gala includes an auction, champagne, chocolate, hors d’oeuvres, dramatic readings and live Latin music.
Tickets are $25, available by calling (509) 455-PLAY. Proceeds will benefit the theater.
The filming of ‘Frank’
If you’ve noticed a lot of film trucks, cameras and gaffers around Spokane and Priest River, Idaho, recently, that’s because North by Northwest Productions started filming its latest movie, “Frank,” last week.
It’s about a family enjoying an idyllic summer on a mountain lake when a stray dog (Frank) enters their lives.
The film doesn’t feature any big names, but you might recognize Jon Gries, who played Uncle Rico in “Napoleon Dynamite.”
Western swing hero
Dean Simmons, Spokane’s pedal steel guitar legend, was inducted in August into the Seattle Western Swing Music Hall of Fame.
Among the other inductees: Ray Price. That’s not bad company.
Simmons has been one of the Northwest’s leading practitioners of this demanding musical art form since the 1950s.