NO TRIVIAL PURSUIT FOR DONOHO AT FOX SPORTS NET, HE HAS TIME TO REPORT.

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

Time out for TV trivia:

Question: What current Los Angeles TV sportscaster was born in Puerto Rico, lived as a kid for awhile in Africa, graduated from Missouri, began his broadcasting career in Grand Rapids, Mich., worked in Cincinnati, once did NFL play-by-play for NBC and appeared as himself in the movie ``Blue Chips''?

Ted Dawson? C'mon, we said current.

Wasn't Nick Nolte in ``Blue Chips''?

One more hint? Take a hike.

As long as Todd Donoho works in this town, that three-word phrase will always follow. But it's his latest job, as co-anchor of the fledgling 11 p.m. Regional Sports Report for the Southern California edition of Fox Sports Net, that puts him in the position to take a chance.

After nine years of the prefab rip-and-read, try-to-tell-a-joke sportcast at KABC Channel 7, Donoho has had to somewhat reinvent himself. Mainly, it's because he's got what other sportscasters in this city might give up their AFTRA cards for - time, as in a whole half-hour of it each shift.

``I remember going out to lunch with the station general manager at KABC once and he asked if there were any problems,'' Donoho said the other day before heading over to do a nightly Fox sportscast. ``I said, `Well, the only thing is that we've been cut from 4 1/2 minutes to 2 1/2 minutes for sports. It's really hard to get the scores and highlights in with all the teams we have to cover.'

``He looked at me and said, `Do we have to run scores?'

``I responded, `Does the weatherman have to give temperatures?' ''

Two months later, management told him to take a hike.

But the move was a blessing.

Donoho and his wife, Paula, together got to watch oldest son Kevin play two seasons as a standout wide receiver at Hart High in Newhall, where the team won two Southern Section titles. Donoho was able to coach his youngest son, Scott, in flag football plus spend more time with his middle son, Jeff, and his academic pursuits.

Donoho also helped research a best-selling book, ``And the Crowd Goes Wild,'' a CD collection of the greatest calls in sports broadcasting history.

``But as much as I enjoyed the time off, I started getting antsy,'' Donoho admitted. ``I love the area - I didn't want to move, so I had to see who had the best opportunity.''

Fox Sports Net's half-hour local sports news show, which had been struggling to find an identity, was the right fit for Donoho and the cable channel.

``If anyone can do a meaningful sportscast in 2 1/2 minutes, God bless 'em,'' said Donoho. ``I was very frustrated by that. At least I had `Monday Night Live' as an outlet.

``But here, on most nights we can do expanded updates on every local game and actually look at what happened and why. And it's totally different.''

For example: Donoho went as a reporter to UCLA last week to do a story on the basketball team's upcoming game against USC - the same day rumors heated up about Rick Pitino coming in to replace coach Steve Lavin.

Donoho did his features but also had an interview with Lavin. Not only did several local TV affiliates miss having a reporter at UCLA that day, but those that did could only run a soundbite or two from Lavin - and most went with the coach's quote about how Pitino was an ``opportunist.''

Fox Sports Net's Regional report had 2 1/2 minutes alone on the Lavin-Pitino story, plus another minute of player reaction and another minute of co-host discussion. And in addition to Lavin's ``opportunist'' quote, they had soundbites to show how Lavin's attitude about the whole story was more tongue-in-cheek than genuinely upset.

``They can't get the proper context of the story in that short amount of time,'' said Donoho of the local sportscasts. ``That'll always be a problem.''

For as long as he's been in these parts, Donoho has had no problem making sports trivia part of his game.

It was the main prop of his ``Monday Night Live'' show for KABC Channel 7. Before that, his ``Time Out For Trivia'' show for the old Financial News Network made him the ``Commissioner of Trivia.''

For the past 13 years, he's been the sports update guy who asks listeners to ``Stump the Commissioner'' on the popular KLOS-FM ``Mark and Brian'' weekday morning radio show.

It's not out of the question that show could return in some form as a Fox Sports Net show.

``If something like that came up, I'd love to do it,'' Donoho said. ``I miss doing it. It's a great formula with the phone-in part. But that's not the reason I'm at Fox right now.''

In due time, Todd. In due time.

THE RANKINGS: L.A. TV ANCHORS/REPORTERS

Each year, it's a different puzzle. Do the local TV guys and gals represent a branch of broadcast journalism or are they just there to get a laugh and roll the video? Do they have the drive to get the whole story or is this a vehicle they're driving to get a sit-com/game-show host/weatherperson position?

Even though Jim Hill and John Ireland may put in the most overtime, Curt Sandoval may be the most underrated and Claudia Trejos does the best simultaneous bilingual broadcast, we know it's all about a pretty face.

And personality. And popularity. And a bit of ego-stroking, with the chance to get a Screen Actors Guild membership for those movie cameos as ``local sportscaster.'' So here we try again to determine who's the best at looking good in the L.A. TV sports market - both genders - with your chance to vote via mail (P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills CA, 91364), e-mail (tomhoffarth(at)dailynews.com) or phone [phone].

We'll give you until Feb. 1 to vote and post the results in time for Valentine's Day. Defending champion Rob Fukuzaki of KABC Channel 7 will break all ties - and hearts - if a recount is needed.

Rank each of the following with a 1-2-3 vote, and go as far as you want. The boys and girls will be judged separately, and write-ins will be accepted (so Stu Nahan has a shot):

MEN

- Carlos Del Valle, KNBC Channel 4

- Todd Donoho, Fox Sports Net

- John Fricke, Fox Sports Net

- Rob Fukuzaki, KABC Channel 7

- Rick Garcia, KTTV Channel 11

- Steve Hartman, KCBS Channel 2

- Tony Hernandez, KTLA Channel 5

- Jim Hill, KCBS Channel 2

- Derrick Horton, KCAL Channel 9

- John Ireland, KCAL Channel 9

- Randy Kerdoon, KTTV Channel 11

- Barry LeBrock, Fox Sports Net

- Bret Lewis, KCBS Channel 2

- Alan Massengale, KCAL Channel 9

- Ken Rodriguez, Fox Sports Net

- Fred Roggin, KNBC Channel 4

- Curt Sandoval, KABC Channel 7

- Randy Sparage, Fox Sports Net

- Gaard Swanson, Fox Sports Net

- Bill Weir, KABC Channel 7

- Write-in candidate:

WOMEN

- Michelle Bonner, KCOP Channel 13

- Lisa Guerrero, Fox Sports Net

- Tanya Memme, KCBS Channel 2

- Suzy Shuster, Fox Sports Net

- Claudia Trejos, KTLA Channel 5

- Write-in candidate:

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: (color) Todd Donoho is enjoying a half-hour of reporting time nightly after years of trying to do his job in less than five minutes per show.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Box: THE RANKINGS: L.A. TV ANCHORS/REPORTERS (see text)