KOAA, KKTV collect heap of awards

It's been a banner week for scripted TV - HBO's epic miniseries "John Adams" on Sunday, CBS' Monday night comedies and FX's "The Riches," plus ABC's new "Miss Guided" on Tuesday. You can read more about new shows on my blog at springstvtalk.blogspot.com.

But this week's TV Talk looks at developments closer to home:

KOAA tops CBA awards

KOAA/Channels 5&30 won station of the year honors at the Colorado Broadcasters Association awards last weekend in Denver.

KOAA won eight first-place awards, including best newscast for the station's "KOAA News at 10 p.m.," best weathercaster for Mike Daniels and best specialty reporter for James Jarman.

KKTV/Channel 11 also won eight firstplace awards, including Don Ward and Shannon Brinias earning best anchor team honors.

KRDO/Channel 13 won three first places, including best sportscaster for Rob Namnoum.

On the radio side, rock station KILO (94.3 FM) won station of the year honors.

Colorado College plays on KOAA

Friday night's CC hockey game will be carried live by KOAA. The CC Tigers will take on the winner of tonight's Minnesota-St. Cloud State game at 6 p.m. Friday in the semifinals of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Final Five tournament being held in St. Paul, Minn.

News First adds Rockies

Local Colorado Rockies fans will get the chance to see more games this year, thanks to a deal KOAA signed with the defending National League champs.

KOAA will carry 23 Rockies games on its News First Now cable channel (Comcast Channel 9) and one more on 5&30.

"This really will be, we hope, a foundation of additional, highly attractive sports programming that will draw more viewers to News First Now," said Dave Whitaker, KOAA's general manager.

Whitaker thinks interest in the Rockies will be much higher this year after last season's Series run.

The first 20 games in the package will be every Sunday afternoon game from April 6 through Aug. 24, followed by Saturday games Sept. 6-27. The Sept. 6 game against Houston will be aired on 5&30.

KOAA started News First Now in 2004 as a weather channel, then added newscasts at 4 and 9 p.m. last year. The Rockies games will be the first nonnews programming on the station.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0275 or awineke@gazette.com