Vlad

The last time they did a talent open was for the Giant Octopus designed graphics package (2012-2016) those were another set of amazing graphics for WABC at the time. When they switched to their preceding graphics package, they stopped doing the talent intros for the weekday 11 pm broadcasts, I guess they need more airtime to deliver more stories in the 35 min window. But I believe on the weekends they do the talent opens as those broadcasts are longer. Those graphics were quite stunning at the time. And honestly they could still work today. Obviously what they have now is better but at the time those were pretty nice!

Oh wow so that is the shakeup we were all eluding to for a while! We did all say that this day could come last year! Its an end of an era, and it a sign of the times. Bill Ritter was and continues to be a staple of Eyewitness News but he will be tremendously missed at the 11pm, I remember when he and Diana were anchoring back in the early 2000s in the years post 9/11 they were setting the stage for greatness it seemed like they wouldve been there forever till Diana stepped down to do exactly what Bill is doing today, to be more present and with family before ultimately leaving the show. I can see him leaving and retiring in 5 more years! As for Eyewitness News this Morning well we'll have to see what happens but its a big shakeup. But its a fitting role for Pedro considering his experience in morning TV during his days in LA and Mike is now setting the stage to become WABCs lead anchor as we all expected. Mike's stepping into some huge shoes!

Oh wow that's exciting! Something to look forward to as the weather inevitably gets warmer! Wild to see the difference between the outgoing and new studios, glad to know that it's the same designer, at least it retains some familiarity in that way. When you see the rendering of the outgoing set, you do see the age, especially with the tiled background, which was popular in the 2010s. The new set is more refined, cleaner, and just refreshing. I also like the new Wordmark or typeface they used for "EYEWITNESS NEWS" in the new set's rendering. If they actually had switched to that, it would make WABC and KABC uniform but clearly they decided to keep their identities. Thanks for sharing those renders!

It might help to note that WPVI's Action News is actually a format of its own. Which fewer stations use compared to WABC's approach. So WPVI's presentation is aligned with their format. The "Action News" format differs slightly from the "Eyewitness News" format. In the Action News, certain dynamics such as time requirements, storytelling, etc, have to be followed, reporters don't dwell too much on the stories, to keep the news going and be able to cover more stories, so you'll probably here less fill in talk and more direct storytelling, whereas with the Eyewitness News format, there is more of a deeper dive which allows for more captivating presentations, fill in words, empathy, "happy talk" etc to be embedded within the show. Whereas with the Action News it's more straight to the point and quick which could be better for some audiences. Action News https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_News Eyewitness News https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewitness_News

Yeah I dunno, I get that the ad-lib and personal biases can impact the integrity of the broadcast, but at the same time, it is sorta the thing that makes them human really, and can occasionally make the story captivating and compelling at a time where the attention span of people is pretty short.

They did it a couple of days ago when they debuted the studio for the 4 pm show. Well, they did it during a going-on-break bumper shot when I had rewatched it. It was a nice aesthetic. I'd imagine they probably won't do these shots forever, so we should enjoy them while it lasts as the novelty of the new space wears off and they return to the regular live shots, etc.. It reminded me of the classic way of doing the news where they would show the anchors talking before the break, that was a nice touch. :). Regarding Bill Ritter’s ad-libs during the broadcasts, it is important to note that he is a seasoned veteran and a legendary figure in the New York market. His industry reputation allows him to incorporate these ad-libs into the show without disrupting its flow. By doing so, I think he enhances the overall value of the production. A lot of veteran anchors similarly did this, similar to Bill Beutel when he was there before he passed he had his signature closing remark at the end of the 6 pm shows in the '90s. Chuck Scarborough did the same before he departed from WNBC, and the same with retired anchor, Jim Gardner on WPVI before his departure. Bill's a sentimental and empathetic guy, you see it in his presentation and reporting, especially after 9/11 which gripped him and many of the reporters and journalists here in New York. It's not an easy market, this city requires a lot of hard work and diligence to survive here. So naturally the reporters and anchors are just raw and heavy-hearted from all the years of tough storytelling. Personally, I like the adlib it really provides a sense of authenticity to the broadcast and adds an extra level of depth and value to the show.

Yeah it's an evolution indeed from their previous set, arguably one of the nicest in the market, just well executed and placed properly. The lighting is great, the set is large and no longer cramped, overall a major much needed improvement that we've all waited years for. Cant wait to see the other one elements and how the dynamics are put it to use during their other shows. Overall it's an incredibly wonderful improvement! Gonna really miss the streetside studio, at this point only Chicago's Eyewitness News (WLS-TV) has the State Street Studio if I remember correctly. Only gripe I have is the ticker with the Eyewitness News and ABC7NY etc, I don't think having that moving behind them is necessary, its a bit too busy, but other than that, its an amazingly beautiful set! WABC now the cream of the crop with their on air presentation and product.

Thats wild! Glad they had a safe landing! Im sure they'll be covering that tonight in their newscast. BTW, Does anyone know when the final broadcast from the UWS studio is gonna be? I want to make sure I'm there for it!

Yikes! I totally missed this thread! I've been wondering where the conversation was for this topic, but makes sense to have it here as this is the space on the forum for Sets and Studios! Wow, the new set will be amazing to see when it goes live in the coming days. I'm excited to see the new look of the studio, looks like it's pretty much ready to go. Based on what we've seen thus far, the set is beautifully designed, which exemplifies and embodies the flagship that WABC is and its signature product. The new space looks extraordinary and the current outgoing set's future is quickly coming to an end, it's been more than 10 years in their current studio. The street studio was amazing and a nice treat for New Yorkers passing by so it will be sad to see it go. But it served its time. It's the end of an era for sure for ABC's presence in the Upper West Side, but the new set now is as I expected very reminiscent of the grandeur of the KABC West Coast flagship and the quintessentially "Eyewitness blue" color which is a staple of WABC continues to be the case here in the design of this new set. Very nice element of having the blue neon Circle 7 overhead that is really beautiful and reminiscent of the past iterations of the design. Let's see how the unveiling goes! Exciting times are ahead for WABC and New York fans of Eyewitness News in what will be the dawn of a new generation and chapter of this news organization and arguably the rest of the world who watch and stream on the internet! I gotta say, WABC is finally embodying who they are with their on-air appearance. It took YEARS of us griping and bemoaning on these forums (I've certainly been one of those critics and outspoken about their appearance) at how they were never the "best" with their on-air look. They delivered a solid product, but never had quite the appearance that represented that because they always seemed to have the shorthand of the stick in that aspect, despite being the flagship ABC station. But as of this year, this will no longer be the case as that all changed last year when we witnessed the amazing graphics upgrades which are now the best in my opinion in the market, and now what looks to be a gorgeous studio to be unveiled in the coming days. Perhaps we'll see the new set unveiled ahead of the Oscars. Congrats to them they certainly deserve it!

Aw, I will miss her. She always had a sense of grace when delivering the news. She always delivered the news in a calm way that was captivating will miss her dearly. So unfortunate that her home was also destroyed in the Eaton Fire, that must've been wild to report on a story that was directly affecting her. Godspeed to her in her future.

There were some photos shared in an earlier post here. Ryan Field posted some photos on his X account on the unfinished studio, but nothing recent has shown up, they are probably keeping it under wraps for now.

Does anyone know when WABC and the Eyewitness News Operation will move to the new studios downtown in Hudson Square? Was curious because I wanted to make sure I see their final day at the West 66th Street location.

Yeah there is a lot of hidden opposition in the reporting there is a bit of resentment in it across the board on all of the news stations.

Gonna miss their outgoing space so very dearly. I remember when they moved to the street-side on Columbus Ave in 2011. It was a refreshing moment for them. I remember driving there from Long Island and parking the car just beside the studio just to get a star-stricken glimpse of the anchors haha. I think it was during the weekend so I saw Jeff Smith, Joe Torres, and Sandra Bookman at the time seated there. But it's been more than 10 years in the studio so it makes sense for them to refresh again, hopefully, they'll get a nicer look, hopefully, a bit brighter this time than their previous look. But they used that space pretty well all in all so will be nice to see what the future holds for them at their new space at 7 Hudson Square.

Seeing Shirleen Alicot anchor the New Year's Eve broadcast was nice. When Bill inevitably retires, I could see her being a future 11 p.m. anchor; she has the poise and presence. Maybe Mike and Shirleen in the evenings?

I know its been several days past Christmas now, but I gotta say, it was a solid broadcast. And remember there are no newscasts for the entire day at WABC so I think its more than fair to have the broadcast. Solid broadcast non the less, thanks RolyPoly for posting this!

Jim Dolan retired. He had a small gathering of friends and colleagues for his retirement on an IG post a few months ago. It wasn't posted on his profile but I believe another mutual follower posted it. I'll try to look for it and share it here. :).

Based on the previous posts, it seems like the changes will happen in Spring 2025 ahead of their move to the new studios in Hudson Square.

Are these changes going to happen to coincide with their new space in 2025 after the elections, or will this happen sooner?

I think Josh Einegar is a really good contender for the evenings, he has such a captivating persona and grips the viewer with this style of storytelling. Another excellent future candidate, with a lot of personality is Chantee Lans. They are solid future fits for the station's flagship broadcasts. But they also may not like the anchor desk and more than likely love the field. But I think they are good candidates because Chantee has anchored a weekend broadcast once and she was fantastic. Also, Josh Einegar often does the "Extra Time" segment on ABC7NY and he too is just excellent with his delivery. Lets see how these changes play out. Mike Marza is also great too but for some reason he doesn't really leave a lasting impression. The station really has some of the best storytellers and talent in the country when it comes to news delivery and reporting, they will make the right choices. Chantee Lans reporting on the Memorial Day Weekend Festivities at Jones Beach this past year. Josh Einiger's report on 1 year later on the Hamas attacks in Israel:

Dallas Raines is actually much older than Marc Brown. Dallas is 70 and Marc is 62.

I still dearly miss their previous music.. But great execution of the new package! I guess when I go to LA it will feel like I'm at home with the WABC theme haha.

Sade on GMA! She did an awesome job, she did say "Good Night" though at the end of the broadcast hahaha, cute blooper.

Yeah if those images that Ryan Field shared with us are what could be the new WABC studio next year, then it looks much larger and spacious than their current one. I'd imagine it to be on par with KABC. Perhaps these images below are the unfinished new WABC spaces? Could also be for ABC News / World News Tonight as well... But the newsroom pic on the bottom certainly looks like that could be for WABC / Eyewitness News especially with the characteristic blue lighting hue on the ceiling.

I wonder if they'll retain their current on-air look i'd imagine they'd do so. Graphics are less than a year old. Anywho, I'm going to greatly miss their street-side studio that was such a nice way to connect with them. Their current set so far has been their nicest studio. I remember when they first opened the set in 2012 and I was living on Long Island, I would drive to the station just to get a glimpse of the broadcast lol. I noticed they kinda stopped showing the outside shots in the newscast or at least they don't really emphasize it anymore so maybe it could be their way of shying away from that..