Baker’s Dozen By DOUG BAKER Shake-Up At Ch.2 RATING TROUBLES have a brought a not-unexpected shake-up in the Channel 2 newsroom, where executives who’ve tried a succes sion of formulae to break the stran glehold of Channels 6 and 8 on the video audience for news programs will try yet another lineup. Two early casualties of the shake-up are Mickey Hall, the girl who’s been playing second banana to Jim Bosley on the “AM North west” show, and Jack Berry, the onetime newspaper drama critic who brought a certain sardonic quality to TV feature spots. Hall was a relative newcomer to KATU-TV and her leaving came as no great surprise to the staff. Ber ry’s dismissal, however, was unex pected. Since Channel 8’s Ron Hold en left Portland some years ago, Berry has been about the only “in tellectual” doing TV news on any of the four commercial outlets in this town, and he was refreshingly out side the mold of most TV personali ties. Also leaving Channel 2 is report er Bill Swing, a onetime press aide to U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield. Early in the new year, Swing will become news director of Channel 12, replac ing veteran Don Stellges, who’s joining Bill Snyder Realty. “I've had 28 years in broadcasting,” said Stellges, “and I figured it was time to start looking down the road a ways.” There will be other changes at Channel 2 in early 1977. Instead of splitting the late afternoon news into two half-hour segments, KA TU-TV will broadcast a solid hour of news from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., putting them in direct opposition to Channel 8. (Channel 6 has been scheduling its late afternoon news a half hour earlier.) Richard Ross, the station’s ex ecutive news director and chief an chorman, will anchor the late after noon news on his own beginning Jan. 10, making greater use of on- tbe-scene reports from the station’s reporters. That means that Dick Bo gle, the longtime coanchorman, will be reassigned to general report ing and will anchor news programs only on weekends. Ross also will move into the late evening news slot as coanchorper- son with Kim Singer. Pat Wilkins will return to general assignment reporting and will alternate week end anchor chores with Bogle. . Some new faces doubtless will be showing up on Channel 2 before long. The station recently recruited Chris Thomas, a Boise newshen, to join Bosley’s morning show. Anoth er reported cosmetic change in the KATU air image will be the disap pearance of the traditional blazers worn by air personnel, a move pop ular with staff members who some times have referred to the jackets as “big band uniforms.” Station gossip has it that news room personnel earlier this year re quested a conference with top man agement to present their ideas on how to improve the news ratings. Asked to present their ideas in writ ing, a sizable number of staff mem bers suggested replacing Ross and Wilkins with “younger-appearing anchor personnel in the 35 to 40 age bracket,” an apparent token of agreement with the current trend to hire news personnel in their salad years in an appeal to the younger audience. Tom Dargan, KATU-TV general manager, said Monday that he had, indeed, met with members of the news staff and had solicited their written ideas. But he added that he did not buy the concept of the younger anchorman. ‘Tm not particularly interested in flash, style or faces,” said Dar gan. “Ross is a professional who cares. Not only does he read the news well, but he has great credi bility.” Dargan said the station fust had split its one-hour news package into two segments to provide a greater choice to Oregon viewers who, for some years had little option but to watch late afternoon news at 5:30 pm. and network news at 6:30 pm. KOIN this year broke the configura tion and that, said Dargan, had re lieved KATU of its responsibility for doing what was a difficult show. “With one solid hour, well have a better flow to onr news,” he said. Unvoiced by Dargan, but well known in the industry, is the prac tice of KGW-TV of “pirating” promising news personalities devel oped by Channel 2. In four or five instances in recent years, Channel 8’s news consultants have “sold” Channel 2 personalities to other sta tions around the country by taping their performances. Channel 2 has had many trou bles with its news format, but Dar- gan’s decision to expand Ross’s role on the air may be a positive step. Despite the trend toward younger faces on TV news in many com munities, Uncle Walter Cronkite continues to pull well as he nears retirement age. And David Brinkley, Harry Reasoner, John Chancellor, even the highly touted Barbara Wal ters, are scarcely striplings. ance ly’s had oughly danger tained released for Manson er length covered carved, head. her Monday. exemplary for Keith. tant Charles — well that degree more trial, went agreed later. Houten’s Leno Jan. agreed will Houten tation her found ceedings. peals cient havef