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Looks suitable for (yet worse than) those sets for a news sketch on Saturday Night Live.

It is true that most TV helicopters are leased. Often, they are bundled with traffic reporting services, provided by one of the major traffic providers. The pilots and the helicopter reporters are generally officially employed by the traffic service, and not the station. They simply act as contractors. This keeps their head count off the station books, and delegates all payroll and benefit handling to the traffic company. When you tally up all the things included in the helicopter contract (helicopter, pilot, camera, reporters, insurance, maintenance, traffic service, etc.) the cost is easily well over one million dollars a year. On top of that, helicopters generally have a use variant, similar to a mileage agreement on a car lease. Stations get a set number of hours per month (use it or lose it). Anything over that comes at an additional hourly rate, that can be between $700-$1000 an hour. And no. You can’t carry over unused hours. It can take just one extended breaking news event to send the helicopter expense wildly and enormously over budget. It usually falls to the assignment desk to monitor monthly usage of the helicopter. If the assignment editor sees the monthly hour total reaching its ceiling, he or she usually will get the news director’s approval before crossing the line into extra hourly charges. In every newsroom I’ve worked in, it became common for the last few days of the month to have “no fly” orders.

These sets are becoming more room-like, and not in a good way. And what's the deal with the massive "Gray" logo on the right?

Those logos are soooooo smooshed!!!

I'm curious to why the Gray logo has to be on the front of the desk? KOTA/KEVN have been adding it to their weather graphics as well (and not doing it well).

ABC News Nightline coverage of the opening night of Gulf War I from January 16th-17th, 1991, taped from WVUE (now a Fox station) in New Orleans: https://archive.org/details/abc-91-gulf CNN's coverage of President George H.W. Bush's State of The Union address from January 29, 1991, via Cox Cable in New Orleans: https://archive.org/details/cnnsotu-91 Nightline's report from February 22nd (again taped from WVUE) on the threatened coalition ground offensive against Saddam Hussein, which ultimately took place the following day: https://archive.org/details/abcnightline-22291 CNN Gulf War coverage from February 23rd, just hours before the ground war phase of Operation Desert Storm began: https://archive.org/details/cnngulfwar-91

Let me begin with your very own preface - Not trying to be provocative but... 1. I am surprised and pleased by the outpouring for Brian - I am a fan, and agree he made a significant mistake - and paid a significant professional punishment. As is the case in our criminal justice system you do the crime - you do the time. But, after that one hopes to return to their previous life. Not saying what he did was criminal. But, WOW what a show of support in the last 24 hours. AMAZING!! He should be proud - and let us not forget Brian did it without a college degree. 2, Now for my controversial moment - in response to your comment - These values of integrity and judgement you speak of are not only critical for newscasters but for people in general - including presidents, senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, doctors, lawyers, etc. Hello, January 6th calling. If we can look the other way on a twice impeached, one term former president, or a wacky-at best former NYC mayor, or a FL/TX/NY governor or so many others, including their fierce supporters and enablers - then why not forgive the embellishments of a demoted, rehabilitated former network news anchor, who worked hard to keep us informed. One thing for sure - I can't wait for the book tour.

A few newscast airchecks I uncovered from Eastern NC. WNCT 11pm newscast from 2001 WCTI 11pm newscast, 2004 The latter half of a WNCT newscast from 2004, weeks away from switching over to the Media General 'crescent' graphics & Wall to Wall News. While the main set was getting a refresh, they were on the Fox 8/14 set temporarily with modifications... I think I figured out the reason for the odd handcuffs background. They were doing a heavy crime-focused series at the time, "Crime and Punishment" as mentioned by Marti Skold at the end of the broadcast.

Again, it’s Meridian. Considering the competition, WTOK has a serviceable set.

It's not a complete overhaul. Non-news junkies wouldn't immediately notice a difference. It's just an evolved look for some various graphic elements. I've already seen some of the "updated" look on KGW.

The after-SNL time period where I am used to be filled in the 80s, 90s, and early 00s with either It's Showtime at the Apollo, Soul Train, or on the comedic side, Night Stand with Dick Dietrich and America's Dumbest Criminals, and of course KING-TV had Almost Live forever, and it was always a fun topper to a late night. Now...a local church called Time of Grace bought out every post-SNL timeslot in the area (and beyond) for their 'how do you do fellow kids' ministry. It's the perfect cure for insomnia. The Saturday night newscast on an NBC affiliate in-season is usually a dirge. You lose five minutes of show you have the rest of the week because of SNL, governments are closed, the crime roll is shorter, and it's packed with stories where you basically have to get people out to go to festivals and funruns, and network/corporate must-runs, along with weekday junk you want to burn off ahoy. You also never have the rights to the local college football team in most cases since all NBC's got is Notre Dame, so outside WMAQ and WNDU, why care beyond the highlights? Most of the audience isn't even really watching because they're out or watching football at their local favorite bar. Outside of Notre Dame nights where you pray they don't go into overtime and Uncle Lorne rages in a press release Sunday morning about starting at 12:42 a.m., there's no excitement to them (except for the one time where that Kansas anchor said 'let's get the f**k outta here!'). I admit...I laughed quite a few times at this show, and I've laughed at Mike Polk's YouTube stuff often. It is a good alternative to the umpteen football games on (which for the area outside a couple of ABC weeks, never involves an Ohio team), and so WOIO wins the night; most of that audience from 48 Hours isn't in the demographic anyways. And when Pat Tomosulu did this on WGN in the exact same time period, it seemed to be fine, but suddenly it's a network affiliate and the death of the Fifth Estate?! (shakes head) I've seen much worse weekly local content, and better this than a 'bonus' edition of the midday advertorial show 'after dark'.

WABI’s new set is very interesting.