CircleSeven

This is some sad ass shit. And I’m not lying. I know it’s been ten days, but it’s still a somber moment for me. The fact that it finally happened, is nothing short of poignant. It's been ten days but I'm still in grieving mode. The fact that they had to end 21 years of not only a musical piece that’s been very synonymous to the station, But the viewers who grew to accustom it, after the main News Series 2000 theme ended. I mentioned about the sentiment of the music, I don’t think its even stronger than right now. After October 25’s 10pm show, it’s was like a part of me, a piece of my childhood, just died with it, The fact that the News Series 2000 Plus theme would last this long it nothing short of incredible. Yes, at six years old, I wasn’t fond of the theme when it first began, because it didn’t really sound like its predecessor theme News Series 2000, you know the Cool Hand Luke update. Yeah the 1989 morning theme survived for another eight years and a few months (and btw, I missed the original theme more than the 2001 themes). But over the years, even after 1998 when Floyd Kalber left, when one of the last original NS2000 cues was used for his closings during the 6pm show, and started using the Plus almost full time and even after the 2005 Hothaus Graphics change, I’ve grew to embrace it. I’ve not only grew to embrace a longtime news theme, but while the other O&Os have gotten new music, the station decided not to acquire new music. Yes they’d acquired that 2001 update to their morning theme. I think the last time the station went with completely new music was back in 2007, when they did , and it was the last time a new update was used, prior to that unveiling of the new package with that new name (which I will still not going to utter) in 2009. In 2007, when I found out here that the station would probably get new music, every time before that 3:28pm tease comes on, I would fear that the new music would come. But as the time went it never came. Fast forward to ten days ago, when I heard what I just now found out its NG2 cue of that other ABC theme, I had terrible feeling inside. I was thinking, OMG, I can’t believe this shit. Then the opening theme song was played. I couldn’t do nothing but shake my head. This is sad. To the fact that the 1992 theme is now gone. I can’t believe those bastards would do that? I highly commend Tom Hebel for not using these cues, because none of them would have the characteristics that the 1992 & 2001 cues have. It’s sad that just almost 13 months ago, he resign as CSD of Channel 7. And that’s when old Dumbo Idler, brought his little sidekick Curtis Miles from his other station to replace Hebel. This is what I have feared, that once a new CSD would come, the theme that I grew to embrace and love would cease. And since the inevitability happened, it’s a goddamn shame. _____________________________ Let’s talk about the cues. Yes the new evening cues have that familiar News Series 2000 Plus signature logo as the original theme, but the tune itself was indeedly recycled from that updated morning theme that WFSB used. And the shocking thing about that is, that is my favorite Advantage NG cue thus far. I love that cue. As I explained, the bumper theme used is from NG2 of the ABC O&O package. I dunno why they pick that cue for the bumpers and teases because it’s very inconsistent to the opening & closing cues which those both are the same theme. There’s some other cue that replaced that guitar-driven cue from original NS2000+ for their return from commercial cue, which that cue includes the familiar NS2000 logo on it. Now let’s talk about the morning cues now. And the “New” and I’m saying new loosely because this cue is not new to me whatsoever. Not in any stretch of the imagination. Earlier I stated that I received WLS’s sister stations in NY & LA via satellite. So we’ve gone from a 2001-composed customized morning theme recycled from another Gari tune, First News, to a morning cue from that other ABC pack that was composed hmmm seven years prior, in 1994? Now don’t get me wrong, I love the older Gari stuff more than the NG themes anyday. So they’re using the morning theme 1994 Series 1 ABC O&O pack. But the bumper they use is none of than that same music they use for the opening & closing cues for the evening shows. And then the cues used to return from commercial is a variant of the NG2 bumper they use for the nighttime shows. So you come from somewhat consistent (they were obviously inconsistent when dropping the afternoon bumper outside of 11am show in 2009, but the morning & evening shows were somewhat consistent), to a boat load of inconsistencies with the use of the newer cues. Let me brief y’all about when I first heard this new morning theme. I first heard this theme on WABC, first WLS doesn’t used this segment of theme, but it’s at the beginning of the full theme song. That segment was used for WABC’s longtime campaign “Protect Our Children” where they show children across the tri-state area who have been missing, and they would play that theme for that. I also heard it on WABC’s longtime public affairs program, “Viewpoint” where they played the theme song in full as a close. Also check this out, this morning theme, was even customized to include the WABC’s familiar 5-note signature logo (y’all know what I’m talking about). In LA, KABC would use this theme song as a bumper & closing to their morning themes, yet they continued to use the main opening theme song for the opens, until its HD launch in 2006. That version of the same morning theme also was customized to include the KABC’s 4-note signature logo on it. So I’ve heard the WABC & KABC versions of the same theme song, What WLS is using is neither one of those versions, as they’re using the 6-note Generic version of that theme song. But wait what did lazynetjunkie said?: Hmmmm, I didn’t think about it until he mentioned it. Could is possibly be a customized Series 1 with the NS2000+ logo on it? And if both WABC & KABC had custom versions of the Series 1 themes, then no doubt it had a version with the NS2000+ version for WLS. And if Gari still have the masters for those versions, and if that demo is still around, I wish Gari can dig it up and resurrect it, so WLS if they chose to continue to use that morning theme, to use the version with the NS2000 logo of it, instead of the generic logo. If they can smack-dab the WABC logo into the KABC’s breaking news cue from Series 1, I can’t say that it can’t done. But to tell you the truth, Hearing all the cues they use now, I’m saddened that Idler & Miles decided to eliminate a theme song that resonate with many of its viewers. __________________________________ I’ve saw the Facebook & Twitter feeds throughout this past ten days, And while some comments were positive on the day of the launch, as the days went on, and some weren’t as happy about the changes. Many folks were complaining about the new graphics were to in-your face & busy, to the morning ticker being small (a couple of days later, it appears that they’ve enlarged the font of the ticker and use all caps). Some other, which said that the old graphics were unique and stood out more, they even compared the new graphics as it looks like it was similar to the graphics from the other competitors, like Channel 2 (which by the font and main color, it does kind-of look a bit similar to the 2002 package) and Channel 5; to looking more like the other ABC O&Os. To me the new graphics kind of splashes a combonation of elements from graphics from other sister-stations. Although it doesn’t look like it fully, but the opening has that style almost like the opening of KABC’s current opening. And the lower thirds are almost like a condensed version of the similar lower thirds used by sister-station WABC. Like I’ve said before, I don’t really care about set or graphics changes, but the music is like the bread and butter of the cosmetic presentation. Thank God the content style and delivery haven't changed. But the use of the new music cues doesn’t fit the longtime content style & delivery of the station’s newscast. Yes the graphics are now a tad bit flashier and a bit too busy, but if you can work around it by tweaking with it, the original theme song would’ve worked. The newer evening cue doesn’t have the characteristics that the original 1992 theme had. Like I stated I commend Tom Hebel for not using those newer cues, and if he would’ve stayed, we probably would’ve still used the same theme today. When you do changes, you have to think about an effect that it would end up outraging viewers. I’m not happy that it isn’t a PVI-effect, despite having some smaller complaints, while I still see a few that said, they do love the graphics. Like I stated, for some who are younger then 20-years old, never heard anything other than the old theme. News Series 2000 Plus was our MCTYW of Chicago, and it’s sad that on Friday Night, October 25, 2013 would be the last night that of News Series 2000 Plus. It’s like a part of me just left with it. To me, and maybe some others, the old theme had sentimental value. And Dumbo Idler and his sidekick Miles stripped that the next night, with some uncharacteristic, watered-down New Generation version of the old theme. We all know that the newer versions of the themes made by Gari is nothing good compared to the Original. Now don’t get me wrong. I love every Gari theme from the old to the new. But there’s a strong difference whether these cues are appropriate with the content of the station’s newscast. I remember what Emily Barr stated that its now previous theme song would last another 15 years. It would have. Just when Ms. Barr left Channel 7, I was worried that once they get rid of Hebel or if Hebel retires, someone new would come and strip away the theme. Now since the inevitability occurred ten days ago, the uniqueness is now gone. Yes Eyewitness News name returns, and it shouldn’t left. But the familiar tune that I grew up listening to, the one that I didn’t even like when I first heard it, but grew to embrace so many years later, and the longevity of the usage, is now ceased. When folks who live in Chicago or people visiting the city, folks know that theme by heart. Who would remember the new theme, despite having some form of the older theme? The old theme in the consciousness of the viewers in Chicago this long, it would’ve probably lasted another 21 years. These newer themes, including the new NS2000+ NG evening cue and those assortments of ABC O&O Theme cues, wouldn’t even last a year. And you wonder why Gari always does these timely updates to existing packages? Nowadays, when you change the theme music once, it will be changed again and again. Where ever happened to using music that will last a long time? Do every station have to change their theme songs every 9 months to 5 years? Stations just pick a pre-composed package and that’s it, with no planning in producing a commissioned cue of their own. I hate that now my favorite television station looks closely like a clone of these other O&Os, just how I feared. It’s sad as hell, and it doesn’t make any goddamn sense. I always preach about the locality, identity, individuality, originality, creativity and the style of every station. And I feel that WLS lost nearly all of that at the start of the October 26’s show. I will never say “Oh it had a good run, but it was time to go”, “Oh it was a nice but, I want to change”. If an element have strong merit from the jump, then that should be a tradition that should never be altered, even if it is 21-years old. You can’t change 1992 to 2013 in a easy snap of the finger. I stand firm when I say “If it ain’t broke, Don’t fix it”. And I really stand firm when I say, “Change Ain’t Always Good”. These two mottos I stand firm for and that’s what I feel with these changes at Channel 7. If Miles and Idler really did their homework, as they stated they did their own study that Eyewitness News still reasonate with Chicago, and that I won’t protest, wouldn’t have been wise to think long and hard about the history and the sentiment of the music? I don’t think they’d got it when you play this new somewhat watered-down uncharacteristic version of the theme, while you laced that with some ABC NG2 cues, then place the morning theme from Series 1 theme with the Generic Logo of the ABC package, older than the 2001 theme. If I had a morning theme of choice, I would resurrect the 1989 theme. Yeah, it could’ve been far worst. They probably would’ve forgo all of NS2000 themes and go full straight ABC O&O Theme and I would really been pissed than. But I’m already pissed as is at this point. My major point is this, with dropping the 21-year News Series 2000 Plus theme, was the WORST move John Idler and Curtis Miles have done since stepping foot at 190 North State Street. But I cannot be shocked because, that’s been their plan from the get-go. Their plan was to change to try to alter the uniqueness of the station, and make it more like these other O&O stations. Look at where they came from? The same station Mike Caplan was before coming to Channel 7, and where WBBM’s Don Schwenneker is now at. Listen to the new talent open and listen to that other station’s talent open, and you will wonder what that “You’re Watching…” came from. And my biggest pet-peeve is where the announcer ends the opening with that “……Starts Right Now”. Another element that other station use. I cringe when I hear that. It’s a shame that my favorite television station has to succumb to these changes that makes this station look so bland, or blend in to not only the O&Os, but the competiting stations. They could’ve kept the new graphics without being so busy and flashy and kept the original theme in, but they had to go the NG route, and that’s plain sad. It’s even more depressingly painful is hearing the new cues over the older cues, it sounds like they’re from a smaller mid-market station, instead of a big market station. Every time I hear that NG2 cue, and that even that new closing theme, I have a bad cringing feeling inside and I don’t like having that feeling. I guess because I miss those old cues, any new cue that comes about pales really bad in comparision. It’s really sad that they had to get rid of News Series 2000 Plus and use a new dried-up version of it. Seriously, dropping the 1992 News theme is like losing someone you love, And that is how I feel. What I’m going to miss the most is the 90+ second closing theme, which on some nights, you damn near hear that almost in full. But I guess they don’t care about bringing at least that back. They wouldn’t mind playing that looped up bumper cue, and the end logo of the new close, which doesn’t have the feel like the old theme have. And that alone is shame. So John Idler & Curtis Miles better be happy, because there are some folks that are not liking their changes they’ve made with the station. I guess they don’t care about those who don’t. But as I said before, they better hope they don’t lose their #1 spot. And if they change “refresh” the station is to get more ratings, I think that they’re dead wrong. And I hope there not saying that changing the music cues is because of a cost-cutting move either, because if that is the case, I think its 100% grade-A purified bullshit. In an overall sense, they just don’t care about historical overtones or the sentimental value of those elements. The Dumbo even said it in an interview with Lewis Lazare stated that he doesn’t like the word “nostalgic”. That should tell you right there that if they cared, they wouldn’t drop the 1992 News Series 2000 Plus theme. I don’t buy any of their reasonings why they brought back to Eyewitness News name, because my theory is the only reason why they bought back the name is not because people in Chicago still resonate with the name, is because the new heads obviously did it to not only try to invite more younger demographic with shiny new graphics and such, and to try to change some of the content to incorporate the new cosmetic elements of the newscast, but to eliminate the differentiation from the other O&Os, ending the “One of these things is not like the other..”-mantra, and I guess they have accomplished that. And it’s just plain sad. Originality is what made this station so unique, from the other O&Os and It’s sad now that it has been altered, by getting rid of an element that resonated with the viewers. To me, Idler is WORST than Ahern, bar none. I don’t care if y’all defend those no-good dirty lowdown bastards (That’s what I said) Dumbo Idler and his sidekick Miles, but I’m not. I haven’t since he stepped foot at 190 North State Street 17 months ago and I’m not now. All they do is to change everything that I love about the station and doesn’t care in the process. It’s a goddamn shame that they had to go this route, to eliminate a timeless gem. The damage has already been done. I’ve witnessed other stations eliminating its longtime theme song in other markets in recent years, KTVU, WCSH, WSYR, but this one hits close to home, and the sentiment is even stronger. I’ve seen it happen at other stations, but I never thought WLS would be one of those stations. And it’s all thanks to John Idler & Curtis Miles. In closing, I'm not impressed. Although I would be exceedingly pissed, and I am, I'm more sad about this than anything. Like I said before, bringing the Eyewitness News name back was never the problem. But getting rid of a timeless gem was the worst move I've seen since his tenure. It is painful to hear all those new cues, especially hearing that NG bumper and that new evening close. I don't care how old, or how some folks have said it was to "dated" it was. News Series 2000 Plus was a historical overtone that should've never died. This is some sad ass shit. Sad Sad Sad.

The approval papers of KTVA & KATH was posted this morning. Now they can hurry up and close this deal once and for all. Almost one year since they'd announce the deal.

Well look where the last place Fox was in Corpus Christi? One of KRIS's LP sisters. I think it was K47DF. Why didn't London formally closed their deal to acquire KUQI is the real question.

Lots of paperwork tonight. First the consummation notices and you know what these are from. Okay to recap, the stations KGNS, KCWY/KCHY, & KGWN/KSTF were consummated last Friday. So its Frontier's stations for now, as Gray will soon acquire those stations. Also, Chambers-owned Bend, OR ABC affiliate KOHD sale to Zolo Media, was consummated on Halloween. KOHD is now the sister to CBS affiliate, KBNZ-LD. And finally, High Maintenance Broadcasting-owned Corpus Christi Fox station KUQI have filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

And with KGWN's satellite in Scottsbluff, that gives them coverage in the entire state of Nebraska, from east to west. So the regional footprint is even stronger in that part of the country. With Laredo, that gives Gray their 3rd Texas market, not close to what Nexstar or London has/going to have. Outside of Waco, Sherman & Laredo are although not the smallest, like Victoria, the two are among the state's smallest markets. I have strong doubt they'll emphasize more in that state.

Okay, I don't understand, Frontier still was awaiting for the greenlight on the Idaho stations' KPVI/KXTF. I know the article didn't mention it, but should that get the greenlight, are they're going to give that to Gray too? So much for forming a station group to join the lone station, WGXA. Unless Gray wants that too.

Two consummations this morning. As posted above, The FCC greenlighted the application of Grand Junction's KJCT to Excalibur on Wednesday, the sale was consummated the very next day on Halloween, breaking its longtime relationship its adjacent market sister-station KRDO in Colorado Springs, and become the new sister stations to Gray's in-market sister NBC station, KKCO and adjacent marke sister, KKTV. And KJCT's website now uses the typical Gray's CMS site. Also WMDT's assignment of license application to Marquee Broadcasting, which was approved on September 20, was consummated as of Friday.

The FCC has greenlighted the KJCT sale on Wednesday.

NEW M&A Tonight!!!! B&C states that Duhamel will sell its family-owned station KOTA in Rapid City, SD to South Bend-based Schurz Communications. KOTA has been owned Duhamel family since its inception in 1955. KOTA also operates three satellite stations where they coin their coverage area "KOTA Territory", KDUH in Scottsbluff, NE, KHSD in Lead, SD and KSGW in Sheridan, WY.

Guess which station is short-staffed because of recent turnovers? The Denver Post explains. I didn't know more folks were leaving at an alarming rate.

Is that really necessary? WLS does the same thing, only they use a louder swoosh sfx. New at 10, New at 4, New at 5, New at 6, New This Morning, etc. etc. It's like they want every graphic to fly at a person's face. It's very uncalled for. It's the same as showing the Breaking news graphic, especially when there's no breaking news. Talk about overkill.

So it happened earlier tonight, KSEE 24 went HD. First I didn't notice until I saw it a few times, but the time & temp is not on top of the bug, it's in the upper right hand corner. And when a live shot is shown, the LIVE icon is next to the time and temp. I see this changed in the near future. That's already a new pet peeve. Never place a time & temp bug anywhere other than adjacent to the station logo bug. The station didn't go with The Rock, while some have speculated. Their theme song of choice? Locals Only!! I think that's a good choice for them. Here's the look at both KGPE & KSEE new sets. Photos Courtesy of KGPE/KSEE through their FB walls.

Almost one year since they'd announced the deal, and over ten months after the paperwork has been used, it's been basically all the broadcasters in the state vs. GCI, as they feared a media monopoly. I guess the FCC didn't see that, and sided the telcom company. Ten Months. Wow! Let's hope these other apps don't get prolonged like this. The Cunningham TOC to Anderson proper & Sinclair/Barrington apps is already gone over seven months now. The Nexstar/ComCorp apps is heading to its sixth month in about a week.

KSEE's morning crew announce the last day of their tempo set in the studio's garage. It looks like the changes could be implemented tonight, if not sooner. Update 1:26pm/PDT: Anchor Stefani Booroojian confirms on her FB wall that the new look and HD will start tonight starting with their 5pm show.

It's obvious why Phil can't do the 5am on Sunday Mornings, unless you want him to look like a zombie. But here's an easy question. Why can't Troy do the entire 4-hour Sunday morning broadcast too? Yes, Phil has done the Sunday Mornings since it's inception, but damn. Phil needs a break at least. That makes tons and tons of sense. Yes there are other weather anchors/meterologist at do the entire weekend newscasts morning and evenings in other markets, but when there's a gap between, the late evening Saturday to the very early morning Sunday, something's got to give.

KSEE did their own news report about their new set today. It looks like they'll probably going to launch on the day of the Sweeps, as they said, within a week. Their sister-station KGPE debut their new digs on a Wednesday.

Well I don't give a damn because I don't listen to either one. I only reference the other, only to mean some dumbo wants to chant while a reporter is doing a liveshot.

Oh so we're back to this Opie & Anthony crap again..... I don't find any of that funny.

And it's exactly what he wants to do. He told the B&C that he wants to expand outside of the purchase of WKTV. Again, it's going to be a hard sale, while existing groups are trying to merge into these super-groups.

I guess it's one little approval at a time. The FCC has greenlighted KOHD's sale to Zolo Media today. Now I understand that KOHD still have to pipe-in KEZI's newscast for a minimum of a half a decade, but since Zolo now have the CBS & ABC in Bend, when are they going to pour in some sort of capital to compete with NPG's KTVZ/KFXO and have at least a in-house news ops, instead of showing out-of-market news piped in from Portland & Eugene?

Yeah, The Rock would be the easy, but I wouldn't be shocked if its something other than the Rock. Maybe Third Coast or Signature. Anywho. In Syracuse, the Post-Standard stated that WSYR is in process of selling one of its buildings, while expanding another building. Construction is underway to extend its existing one-story 3,850 sq. ft. facility, while selling its other 15,000 sq. ft. building. The reasoning is to have all 115 employees be under one roof, instead of two, and when several administrative positions were eliminated after the acquisition, they felt they needed less of that space. Now I understand you need more of the space to have everybody in one place, but I have a feeling that there's probably more to it with this expanding one building. I understand prior to the closing of the acquisition, WSYR was centralcasting Newport's Upstate NY station's right? Have they finished unwinding that, and formally move those centralcasting ops to WROC? I'm asking this is because I think its more wise, is that the place that needs to expand is not WSYR, but at WROC, where it becomes a crowded field there.

Well, guess who's next.... Could it happen next week? Looks like from that background, they might be using the KARK/KXAS package.

No, Heartland Media has nothing to do with Gray Television.

The first Monday since the reopening of FCC site and we have a NEW M&A Tonight!!! Anyone thought that Bob Prather was going sit out after he left leading Gray Television, you have another thing coming. Hell, I didn't see this coming. Through the paperwork, Prather through his firm Heartland Media, LLC, is buying Smith Media's last station, Utica's WKTV for $16M. The APA was made out on October 1st. I knew Boston Ventures weren't going to hold that sole station for long. And I did state that Gray should've gotten it. But I never thought a former Gray leader would even come close to acquiring a station after he left from a company that had a massive chain of stations. Now I'm not sure if he's going to even try to acquire more stations, as it's getting even harder to form a new group, while many groups that are already here are trying to merge with each other. It's going to be a very hard sell.

:rofl!: :rofl!: :rofl!: Do an average Joe Schmo really care who owns them? Let's just say it's owned by some sort of Deathstar that no longer exist. Anyways they'll probably bring that tag within other pages on the site. But I first say that same design when I link Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle article about WHAM taking over WUHF ops over a week ago. That's when I saw WBIR test design, that was the same one, plus what USA Today is using. Yeah that's a lovely way to be original Gannett. I'm hoping that their live streaming software be like the current Gannett TV sites. But I was hoping the Belo sites be more like Gannett's current TV sites. And anyways, I still think we're going to have to wait until anything would probably come from both DOJ & the FCC. Because if we don't hear anything prior to the Holidays, i'm speculating this thing will go in past the start of 2014 before we hear anything from them. And the MG & Tribune deals might see the greenlight before Gannett does, despite all three having denial petitions.