wabceyewitness

WNYW and WPIX both broke in several times this morning with weather updates and live reports. WABC is now pre-empting the second hour of Good Morning America Saturday. It’s also a weekend when schools and many businesses are already closed. Not much new information to report on for multiple hours except that it is snowing, it will continue snowing, and it will eventually stop snowing.

And prior to that, many years at WABC as a producer, executive producer and assistant ND. Great to see someone from inside who comes from a local news background take the reigns of the owned station group.

She tested positive for COVID so will be broadcasting from home for a few days.

Here’s a pic of the revamped weekend studio that mimics the TS studio. Honestly— kinda looks a little better than TS.

I’m told we should see a rollout of new graphics across the station group “soon and into the new year”. not sure how soon “soon” is and how far into the new year that means for some stations.

They’ve changed the main desk backdrop to an image of Time Square. I guess this change is to better distinguish them from Good Morning America

CBS Mornings had 4 anchors at the table this morning. Tony and Nate were joined by Jamie Yuccas and Michelle Miller Gayle King has been off this week, however, this morning was the first day 4 people were at the desk with no mention of Gayle.

Starting this week, they’ve returned to the previous “CBS This Morning” theme for the 7am Eye Opener headlines segment.

Noticing that the WABC local station bug that appears in network promos is pixelated. Just like the rest of the ABC rebrand, it seems straight out of Microsoft Paint.

The design company has this reel on their website showcasing the work they did for ABC. Interestingly, the ABC logo is downsized in the affiliate logos on this reel. Based on this and what we’re seeing in the rollout, it’s clear the owned stations pushed back on the the original idea. Also noteworthy, it that this reel shows what would be a WABC logo, but with the network logo placed the way KABC or KGO would.

That’s what I keep thinking… what is the point of their testing program if the results aren’t returned before they’re on air, or why are they allowed on air with results pending? That could’ve avoided all of this. That said, I understand the need to immediately isolate someone if they have positive results regardless of what’s happening around them.

Probably delayed. It’s fairly easy and cheap for them to swap in the flat logo on their current opens at this point. I imagine a larger graphics overhaul is coming so they’re holding off on paying for and spending time on minor changes to current opens. So far it seems like WABC is the only O&O to update the bug during news programming but has still left intact the logo everywhere else during news.

nothing about this rebrand makes sense.

WABC also updated the logo on their programming promos.

WABC used the updated ABC logo in its opening graphics on 9/11. I added it to the discussion about the new ABC logo and it’s rollout across the network and stations here:

Here is what WABC used for it's 9/11 Remembrance coverage opening.

Do we think new O&O graphics will roll out this week or next week? WABC used the new ABC logo in their 9/11 coverage, but just during the opening graphics. The bug used the old ABC logo, which is odd considering normal news coverage has been using the new logo in the bug and the old logo in the opens.

I watched the first block and enjoyed the tone of the program. I really appreciated that the top story focused on the crisis of overwhelmed hospitals (due to COVID surges) through the perspective of a doctor in Texas upset that he is unable to give people the care they need. A nice change of pace for morning news and a good shift away from basic general assignment reporting.

With WABC updating it’s bug during news to the new ABC logo, but not updating it elsewhere just yet, I’m assuming a graphics update may be on the way. I know the initial reports on the new ABC logo said the owned stations would roll out new graphics. I wonder how soon that will happen. I also wonder how uniform they will be since ABC has traditionally given their owned stations more freedom than other O&O groups.

I noticed that as well. He filled in on the weekend morning news once earlier this year, too. Doesn’t happen often but has certainly happened before.

On the Eyewitness News Briefs, you can now spot 3 different ABC7 logos and 2 different websites in a matter of seconds.

I really can’t believe Disney spent millions to rebrand ABC and came up with a logo that looks like a middle school student’s intro to graphic design project.

Also …. CBS now has a Black woman, a Greek man and Black man who was a former NFL athlete all anchoring a morning show in Times Square. Sound familiar?

Nice of them to give a nod to Robin, George and the GMA team who are already in Times Square.

According to FTV Live, the show will relaunch next week as “CBS Mornings”. That is according into a source who spoke to FTV about staff on the broadcast being upset with the current EP. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/8/31/it-was-cbs-newss-jeopardy-moment