'Caliente,' 'Control' to film in Corpus

Gabriel

Univision's Saturday morning block of "Control" (11 a.m.) and "Caliente" (12 p.m.) is coming to town to shoot a couple of shows and capture local flavor.
   There are always a few things one can count on while watching "Caliente": betties, beaches and bodies. And the show wants you to take part in the action.
   All you need is an ID that says you're 18 or older and some beachwear - sorry, Sisqo, but no thongs allowed. Speaking Spanish isn't necessary, but you do need to know how to shake your booty. With "Caliente" and host Charlie Bravo, it's all about the party.
   "Caliente" will film at the Solomon P. Ortiz International Center on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and at the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach starting at 8 a.m. Sunday. The episode will air later this year.
   On a more low-key note, Univision's teen-oriented newsmagazine "Control" is also taping in South Texas on Monday through Wednesday for a show to air in September, and its local connection is stronger than that of "Caliente."
   "We wanted to do a show based in South Texas because there are a lot of interesting things going on down there," said "Control" producer Veronica Salinas.
   Salinas worked for local Univision affiliate KORO for 13 years before moving to corporate headquarters in Miami last year.
   "When (Salinas) helped with 'Caliente' last April when they shot here, they liked her so much they hired her and now she's a producer with 'Control,'" boasted Araceli De Leon, general manager at KORO.
   Salinas and her host Karla Martinez will feature a saddle shop near the King Ranch, KSAB-FM DJs Dan and Happy, and one of the seamstresses who makes the pageant gowns for Las Doñas de la Corte.
   "For a lot of the stories, I saw potential because of the fact that I am from South Texas," said Salinas. "Especially the Doñas story - pageant dresses of that form aren't as common now as they once were."
   Both shows will air in Corpus Christi, throughout the United States and all over Central America.
   Clearly on top
   It may be lonely at the top, but Clear Channel's local radio stations are keeping each other company at the peak.
   Clear Channel's dominance is stronger than ever as it holds the top four spots, according to the recently released spring 2001 Arbitron ratings. Two of the stations - KNCN-FM/101.3 (C-101) and KMXR-FM/93.9 - surprisingly skyrocketed, stealing the No. 1 and No. 2 spots from KRYS-FM/99.1 and KSAB-FM/99.9, respectively, which are also owned by Clear Channel.
   The last time C-101 held the top spot was in 1983.
   "This is the best ever ratings period for us as a group," said Kent Cooper, regional vice president/market manager.
   KNCN-FM (C-101) grew four ratings points - an extraordinary amount for a station undergoing few changes. While Cooper attributed the rise to contests, C-Sculptures, free concerts and longstanding morning guy Rex Gabriel, the biggest reason for the hike sits elsewhere.
   Last March, the new owners of KRAD-FM/105.5 changed its format from modern rock to a Latin-tinged light rock, taking away modern rock from the dials and leaving a bunch of rockers in silence. Switching to KNCN, which is more classic rock than it is modern rock, was the most natural step for those listeners.
   And all this happened in this, KNCN's 25th year on the air.
   "You can't ask for a better anniversary present than to be No. 1," Cooper said.
   KMXR's popularity is surprising. It premiered high after reformatting to oldies during the last ratings period, but it continued to grow - more than three ratings points. Clear Channel's other major competing station, KUNO-AM/1400, came in ninth.
   The Malkan Broadcasting Co.'s three stations - KZFM-FM/95.5, KEYS-AM/1440 and KKBA-FM/92.7 - didn't shift much in the ratings. Rodriguez Communications' softer KRAD debuted poorly near the bottom of the bunch with a 1.4 rating, and none of its four stations made the top 10. And Pacific Broadcasting's only station in the top ten is the reformatted but ill-named KPUS-FM/104.5 (The Octopus) at No. 7.
   The top 10 radio stations overall in Corpus Christi are:
   1. KNCN-FM
   2. KMXR-FM
   3. KRYS-FM
   4. KSAB-FM
   5. KZFM-FM
   6. KEYS-AM
   7. KPUS-FM
   8. KKBA-FM
   9. KUNO-AM
   10. KNDA-FM/102.9
   Clear Channel, looking to expand its dial domination, recently told the Caller-Times about its 24-hour talk plans for KRYS-AM/1360, currently a simulcast of KRYS-FM.
   "We're going to have the best nationally syndicated talk shows and a really strong local news presence, too," said Clear Channel's Cooper. "We'll be news, talk and sports."
   Cooper already signed broadcast deals with the San Antonio Spurs, ABC national news, and as of January 1, 2002, will be taking KEYS-AM head-on.
   "We feel that we can do a better job or else we wouldn't be doing it," said Cooper.
  
  

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