KCET's licensing fee due as donor fatigue causes shortfall.

AS the extent of Hurricane Katrina's devastation became clear in early September, Al Jerome, president of PBS affiliate KCET-TV (Channel 28), went on the air to encourage viewers to give generously to relief efforts. The station also cut back its own fundraising efforts feeling it would be inapproduring the crisis.

But by mid-October it became clear that KCET's overture had come at

a cost: a gap of more than $1 million in its $50 million budget that likely will take several months to erase.

The shortfall represented a 57 percent drop in what the station expected would be raised in its membership, major gifts and planned gifts accounts in September, typically a good month. A mid-October mailing to subscribers requested a special donation toward making up the difference.

But the drop in contributions came at an awkward time for the station, because its annual $5.5 million licensing fee for PBS programming was due beginning Nov. 1 in several payments. And while October's books have not yet closed, Jerome said there are signs that donor fatigue may still be depressing contributions, with last month's fundraising off 20 percent.

"We've at least stemmed some of the bleeding," Jerome said, adding that the station is pinning its hopes on its December pledge drive.

Meanwhile, NPR affiliate KPCC-FM (89.3) had its best-ever fall pledge drive in late October, raising $1.2 million in nine days from a record 7,000 subscribers.

KPCC actually benefited from a hot news cycle, even though pledge breaks were preempted by special NPR coverage of the withdrawal of Supreme Court nominee Harriett Miers, the nomination of John Alito and the indictment of I. Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.

Ratings Hit

Overall television ratings may be taking a downward turn, but what could explain the 32-percent average ratings dive of KNBC-TV (Channel 4) this past September?

Typically, fall ratings fluctuate when networks unveil the season's new lineup, but a one-third change is extreme and toppled the station from first to third place.

Blame the Olympics. According to David Bright, KNBC's research director, NBC's broadcast of the 2004 Summer Olympic games drove last year's ratings up, making this year's ratings seem lower by comparison. "The reality is that four days out of 28 can have a major impact on the month's ratings," Bright said.

KNBC's slide actually began with the loss of NBC's top-rated "Friends" and "Frasier" after the 2003-04 season. The network is bolstering its faltering lineup with weeknight comedies "The Office" and "My Name is Earl."

Paper Drop

For more than two decades, the New York-based magazine Paper has been documenting the bleeding edge of pop arts and culture, providing its 100,000 subscribers a heads-up on the likely future influence of hip-hop, skateboarder and gay culture before they hit the radar of mainstream media.

Despite an East Coast bent, Paper's publishers, Kim Hastreiter and David Hershkovits, have a soft spot for trendy enclaves west of the Mississippi. A few years ago the entire editorial staff and contributors set up shop at a Las Vegas hotel for a special Sin City issue. Next month, they're coming to Los Angeles.

Paper will establish a temporary cultural outpost at Melrose Avenue's Acme Gallery on Dec. 7-11, where New York-based indie fashion designers, musicians, artists, stylists and photographers will stage events with their West Coast counterparts. "We like to create culture and document it," said Hershkovits. "We put all these creative talents together and light the fuse."

Among the figures on tap for the noon to midnight salon each day are macrame bikini designer Ashley Paige, comedian Phyllis Diller, the Citizens Band cabaret troupe and drag queen Lady Bunny. The event has even attracted some headline corporate sponsors, including Adidas, Chrysler, Kodak and Nokia.

This and That

El Segundo-based fight-of-center weblog PajamasMedia.com re-launched last week with a new name, Open Source Media, an expanded focus and $3.5 million in venture capital funding. Financial backers include angel investor Aubrey Chernick, the founder of computer software firm Candle Corp. It will include wire news content, advertising and more than 70 blogs from writers ranging from "Instapundit" blogger Glenn Reynolds to CNBC talk show host Larry Kudlow.... Univision Television Group co-president Tom Arnost has resigned, leaving Michael Wortsman as sole president of the Los Angeles-based Univision Communications Inc. division, which oversees station operations. In addition, Charles Stuart has been named the group's executive vice president and director of sales. He had been executive vice president of national sales.

Staff reporter Ann Riley-Katz contributed to this column.

DEBORAH CROWE Staff Reporter