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The WABC theme is still powerful and catchy... the bumper theme is still pretty good. The *only thing I'd want to see replace it is the return of Cool Hand Luke....the orchestral bumper theme for that was the best.

It took a massive rain delay at the Indy 500, but WTHR is now airing this year's race live. https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/motor/indianapolis-500/2024-indianapolis-500-air-live-wthr-channel-13-central-indiana-following-rain-delay/531-2b6eae3e-e4cc-4280-acd0-93f63c030930

Technically, it isn't.

KABC has a different logo, wordmark, formal verbal news branding, and package color scheme. Even if the theme was 100% the same, they still wouldn't be a carbon copy of WABC.

Had a brief stint at WCBS in New York in the 90s but he was part of the station “massacre” at that station which resulted in him getting laid off.

Indeed, correct. However I think what previous poster could have been wondering/suggesting is if NBC does not renew some contracts to free up money for the NBA bid (like what Charles Barkely has insinuated TNT of doing with their NBA bid in order to get college football)

One should have nothing to do with the other.

Yet another departure in the 'Land..... WKYC legend Jim Donovan is calling it a career at the end of June. https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/television/jim-donovan-retirement-wkyc-cleveland-channel-3-news-sports-anchor/95-7eb461dc-b705-44cc-852c-735792d496e7 Not only in Cleveland, people are heading for the exits all across the country. It seems like this is a turning point in TV.

They do have an awkward and unwieldy logo (the "12" is much wider than the "Fox") so simplifying it for the mic flag was a good idea. Portland may also have a strong "anti-Fox" sentiment as well, so the less ties to the national news channel, the better. But if Gray is separating network identity for their affiliates, it may be a very tough sell, especially for their longer-tenured affiliates that have co-branded for decades.

The second theme is arguably a lot catchier so it should be an upgrade.

And here it is. 2 different music packages used during one (extended) close:

I guess WABC's theme and is ideally popular since they are the most watched station in the nation. So I get that. A lot of stations used it and now arguably the second most watched station in the nation is now on it haha. I just feel like the theme is too slow and heavy and doesn't capture the spirit of the Southland, in my opinion. It's not a bad theme but it's just so bizarre to hear it played there, I don't think I'll ever get over the music theme change haha. It just sounds way too serious, "rough and heavy," you know what I mean? It's Southern California, not New York. New York is hard, rough, tough, heavy and dark, gritty and fast. They should've kept the existing music as it was and not changed it at all. It doesn't make sense to me why they did that. Southern California's culture is chill (except for the traffic , which is slow too, haha) bright and beautiful. Their previous theme emphasized that the WABC theme is, well for WABC and New York which is well fast, serious, and to the point. The theme harmonizes that culture here on the East Coast. The precedent has been set. I hope they lose it sooner than later, haha. It's just out of place and I understand its just a news theme and but the new theme is the identity of the station and that theme makes me think WABC and New York, not LA. Personally.. Not to go offtopic, though, but I've always wondered, where does a station store the music anyway? Is it software that digitally controls all of the music or is everything just automated? Like does a person simply press a button that says "bumper" and we hear it? Or is each cut assigned a button, etc? I wish there was a behind-the-scenes of sorts that shows us how this stuff works haha. I feel like it shouldn't be hard for them to implement more cuts sounds and variations, etc.. I still very dearly miss the New Generation KABC music theme.. , especially the morning theme that was so nice and fitting for them. I guess I'm admittedly a huge fanboy of these themes .

Its honestly too slow and just antiquated in my opinion and the theme just doesn't fit with LA. I honestly wish they even got rid of it here in NY.. It is a catchy theme but it's been in use for 20+ years. Still shocked they switched to the WABC theme. So wild to me to hear the WABC bumper when watching the show haha.