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It was, arguably, the ABC O&O's formula for success in the 90s: Copying WPVI. I think only WTVG, WJRT, and WTVD were doing anything resembling a deviation at the time. Even today, all the major O&Os have their video wall backdrops and what do they do? For most it's just a still image of the skyline. If any of them could find a way to make the blue wall look attractive on a monitor bank today, they'd probably do it!

Funny you should mention that... (Note: this was on a weekend morning and nothing was animated, so I'm thinking this is an emergency backdrop for when things are on the fritz. That said, they've only EVER used it once.)

(NON-NEWS) I've been checking the Edd Kalehoff library site these days, and there are some sport themes that share the same signature. It reminds me of Fox's iconic NFL theme. Do you know if it was used by any network/station in particular? https://kalehoff.sourceaudio.com/#!details?id=13429859 https://kalehoff.sourceaudio.com/#!details?id=13429870 https://kalehoff.sourceaudio.com/#!details?id=13597188

So his delivery is a bit stilted with some body gyrations?

KSTP June 17 1994 5pm KSTP June 17 1994 6pm ABC News June 17 1994 Just about 3 hours before the infamous chase began.

I was at a fair in downtown St. Louis today and happened to walk past KMOV. This is what I saw. Make from it what you will.

WLS, Chicago; 11:30 a.m., 1997:

And what’s odd is that this open debuted during the Gannett era - in fact the waning days of the Gannett era, as you had posted in the Discovered composers & publishers of music themes thread: “WLVI: Channel 56 is a last-minute entrant in the fall set-remodeling contest. Its "10 O'Clock News" gets a makeover Oct. 25 - which, not-so-coincidentally, is the same day WSBK-TV (Ch. 38) begins broadcasting a WBZ-produced 10 p.m. newscast. Look for a new anchor desk, an expanded background with brighter colors and new computer-controlled lighting. The station will also modify its graphics design to match the set changes.” This was from October 1993, and Gannett would sell the station the next month, finalizing the sale to Tribune in 1994. This video also shows proof (17:37):

It's very similar to this WGN open in particular:

No opens or anything like that, but a rare treat just the same: bits and pieces of WSFA news from January 1961.

WLS, a very conservative station, used that KABC-style setup for ages -- since 1984 (I believe). Only the backdrop and the shape of the desk changed slightly over all those years. I like their early '80s set better:

I can't believe that the #1 station in one of the country's largest markets had a horrible news set! It was 1997, not 1978!

More Eric King goodies. WRBL in 1995 looked...pretty pedestrian: Another KMID newscast from 1995, this time at 6pm: WTVG's 13 Action News in 1997: WFLA in February 1998: