Al-SA-TX

 

On the graphic front:

 

- G-Teams Fox Affiliates KIDY & KXVA put up their This is Home promos on Monday.

KXVA: https://www.facebook.com/KXVAFOX/videos/443216345843188/?permPage=1

KIDY: https://www.facebook.com/Kidyfoxsanangelo/videos/696773593777805/?permPage=1

 

They are supposed to roll out their new graphics today. Hopefully AI-SA-TX gives us a link/video of the open. (wink wink). Still waiting to get a grab of KIII's open as well.

 

After the KXVA & KIDY switch, all of the ex-London stations will be on the new graphics.

 

Ask and you shall receive..sometimes. haha

 

http://www.myfoxzone.com/video?clipId=11418130&autostart=true

 

Here's our A block, some minor issues but overall I thought it went well. We do have a time/temp via newsticker, but our world now server only encodes video directly from Tricaster.

 

Edit: Here is the full 9 o'clock cast.

 

http://www.myfoxzone.com/video?clipId=11418907&autostart=true

 

That is scheduled to be the same day as KIDY/KXVA, unless they slide to the right as well.

 

No, we got affected by this delay too. We launch on Wednesday.

 

So it's basically a hardware issue then?

 

It's not really a hardware or software issue, well for me at least. I know what's wrong, I just don't know how to fix it in Lyric.

 

Is it just me, or is their logo in the bug area extending outside the L3? And are they in front of a chromakey?

 

 

image.jpgimage.jpg

 

Yes, KAGS has a chroma key set. Previously, they use to stand up until they got a desk...which I'm a little jealous of.

 

And the bug extending pass the lowerthird bugs (no pun intended) the heck out of me. It's mainly because the chyron text field template didn't accommodate the correct logo space, and it's difficult to change it to match it to the other categories for it to animate correctly. KCEN managed to correct it, but I haven't figured it out. Hopefully that makes sense. Basically, if the bug was placed correctly, the lowerthird text would get buried underneath it.

If you're interested in KCEN's/KAGS' show opens...

 

KCEN:

 

KAGS:

 

I'm not quite sure why everyone is using the same music cut. Anywho, a slight change to our schedule - KIDY/KXVA will now roll these out on Wednesday, April 22.

 

KYTX did do a decent job, although in my opinion, the weather production leaves a bit to be desired, especially with their banners having different sizes on different screens, etc. KIDY/KXVA's are the ones I'm most excited to see, simply because you all will be the first Fox affiliate for the group. Just want to see how that FOX logo blends with the color.

 

As for KIII, I'm surprised as you...especially since your parent just renegotiated all their ABC stations in like October. Unless ABC changed that part of the contract....

 

I'll admit that the banners being a different size would cause my OCD to explode. I'm making sure that does not happen here. I'm thinking they're sized differently because KYTX was a little behind last week before their launch on Monday, so they may have been in a rush and simply downloaded some templates from various other Gannett stations with the WSI select on demand website. We have done that too, but again I'm going into WSI and sizing everything appropriately.

 

 

Branding wise, I'll just say that vertical logos are hard to work with in this type of design. We're keeping our brand/logo style, overall it blends fairly well, but there are issues with the bug and the size of our logo.

 

I sort of anticipated that KYTX would change over to CBS19.

 

I doubt it. The change to KYTX was predictable and inevitable. Their box would not have fir int the logo box without being skewed and shrunk. Also, they were already branding as CBS 19, and I'm sure their CBS affiliation contract required them to "prominently cobrand" the network affiliation on their next graphic refresh like ABC forces their stations to do. For that, KIII will (most likely) have some form of ABC 3 in their branding when they switch.

 

That's a negative. Much to my surprise, there is not an ABC logo on KIII's graphics. It will remain 3News unless they add the logo in-house.

 

 

I thought their legacy stations used Chyron though, do they not?

 

And you'd think Gannett would've upgraded KIDY's production controls away from the TriCaster but I guess that's not happening...

 

I believe only one original Gannett station uses Chyron. I don't know why KYTX is using the basic fade in/out, ours have more animation to them. We're all using different versions of Chyron, so it's hard to code something for all the stations to use. As for our production operation, no. Tricaster is here to stay...unfortunately (and KAGS, too).

 

As for the rundown, it may or may not come around, it all just falls back on getting that coded for Chyron.

 

Overall, KYTX did a great job on their rollout.

I can't speak for the other stations, but I'm using a cut that none of the other gannett stations use. I'm honestly really surprised this cut hasn't been used before.

Latest on the Lone Star Group:

 

Launch dates are tentative at this point, and it really just comes down to how we end up building these graphic templates in Chyron.

 

Also, we will not have a rundown on screen like the rest of the Gannett stations.

 

KYTX: March 16

KCEN/KAGS: March 21 (This is a Saturday for some reason, I'm not sure why)

KBMT: April 13

KIII: April 15

KIDY/KXVA: April 20

 

As for websites, I'm not sure about the other stations, but KIDY/KXVA is stuck with World Now until January 2016.

Quick Update:

 

New Gannett Stations (ex-belo) will roll-out the updated lowerthirds/split screens etc. on Tuesday, January 20th during the noon/midday show.

The Original Gannett stations will roll them out on Wednesday, January 21st during the noon/midday show.

 

No word on the Lone Star Group. I assume the timeline remains around late March/April.

 

KUSA has been using these updated lower thirds. I think they debuted this week, though I don't watch every newscast in town everyday like my former crazed self, so I can't be sure when. Everything also slides up a line when they turn on the ticker beneath the rundown. There's also a little bit of animation to that new blue stroke in the bug.

 

I like that they take up less space, though since none of the other graphics were updated, these lower thirds are misaligned with everything else, which can look messy, especially in the double boxes.

 

Has any other Gannett station adopted these? If not, this is probably the first time KUSA has gotten anything new graphics-wise before any other station.

 

 

I'm told the misalignment on the other graphics (including weather graphics) will be addressed at a later time, but yes this is the updated format. Interesting that they're using them already, definitely appears KUSA is the testing site.

 

As for the gradient, viewers didn't like the sliver of video underneath the the rundown. I personally don't like it, but it doesn't bother me any.

 

Will they still get chopped off the screen?

 

The widescreen format will stay.

 

I have insider confirmation that G3pO will receive an update.

 

Rollouts will start the second week in January for the Original & New Gannett Groups. This update is only for the lowerthirds. They won't be taking up much of the screen anymore, time and temp will be relocated. I'm sure viewers will like the updated format.

 

The Lone Star Stations (London) will start the transition to the Gannett graphics package starting in January, but probably won't roll out until the mid March or even April.

 

KXVA posted a promo on their facebook page for a sweeps story, and it has the hallmarks of Gannett.

 

Pay attention to the lower third.

 

Here

 

Trust me, that had nothing to do with the fact that we're under Gannett.

 

You almost seem like the updates that G3 plans on rolling out seems to be based on the MOS coding behind the scenes, seeing as you state that it is not a relaunch.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the other Gannett stations use Deko for graphics?

 

As I understand it, they're modifying the size of some of those things to accommodate viewer feedback.

 

I think most use Deko/Axis, but I believe the Belo stations were able to code their Miranda systems to work.

 

Any signs of former London stations switching soon?

 

Likely not going to happen until after the new year. It's my understanding G3 is working on an update for the graphics that include modification of the information bar, line up, etc. Don't get your hopes up, it's not a relaunch.

 

I think they want to roll out the updated stuff to the Lone Star Stations (this is what the ex London stations are referred to) rather than launching the old stuff and then turning around and update them with changes they're making.

 

Also, there is the fact that we all use Chyron for our on-air graphics, and the other Gannett stations don't use chyron, if I remember correctly. It's going to take time to get the proper equipment (and help for us smaller markets who don't have an IT Dept) to run this kind of setup.

 

As for Presto, I don't think any of us have been informed on that either.

 

Also, this is for anybody who knows about TriCasters. Is there a separate CG is it integrated into the TriCaster? Reason I ask is because KIDY/KXVA use a Tricaster to produce their news and the animations are basic. Just like WAAY, another station who uses a Tricaster, has L3s that are rather basic in animation. It makes me wonder whether G3 can port the look over to a Tricaster or if Gannett is forced to either build out a new full control room at KIDY. Or, G3 can create a "dumbed-down" version for KIDY.

 

ChyronHego makes a system that is specifically for the NewTek tricasters - it's called ChyronIP. When I first got here I didn't know much about Chyron, I still don't...I was just taught how to build CG templates and how to incorporate them into ENPS. We use the basic fade in/fade out because we literally had no time to sit and play with Chyron prior to our launch, we got the system installed a week before. After things settled, I finally found some time to play around with our Chyron and was able to learn how animate text in and out.

 

Essentially, there can be animation there is just lack of training and time...I don't know how G3 plans to incorporate their graphics into our system, but hopefully they'll bring someone who knows Chyron more than I do. It'll be interesting to say the least.

 

I always forget that you are around AI. Question -- when you say not likely, do you mean on the moving front or the set build-out?

 

Moving -- I think our KIDY operations are here to stay at our current location. A set would be fantastic, we have the space for one, it'll require some additional construction but it's possible. Just the lack of funds, I suppose.

 

 

I didn't realize they just moved. New studios are on 5 S. Chadbourne and their previous facility was on Irving St. I was looking at the Irving St. facility which was super small. Though the new building isn't super big by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, looking on Google Maps, it looks like it used to be a bank building and then KIDY bought it and moved in. Wow, news to me.

 

EDIT: Yep, a former CitiBank and the list price was $550,000. London got it dirt cheap. It's 12,130 Square feet, so it's not huge, but for that market it looks to be a reasonable size. Maybe there's room in the building to build a new set...

 

http://www.sanangelo.org/uptown/realestate/Under%2020000%20sq%20ft/Citibank.pdf

 

KXVA would have to find its own facility they are currently in an office building which I assume is just a sales office right now.

 

Maybe they'll be looking into the LIVE-U backpacks that KABB here uses. The quality isn't great but it's reliable for the most part, unless the cell network in that area is congested, which unless there's big news, it's not. But it's always nice to have at least one truck to go live with. But the cost is much cheaper. I think the backpack is $10,000 while a live truck is half a million. Take your pick.

 

Compared to the KLST/KSAN studios, we have a decently sized building with some unused space downstairs. As you mentioned, it was a bank so there is a vault down there that is deemed a "fall out shelter". If you look at google maps, there is a tunnel that was used for a drive through...our studio is located on the other side of that wall in the drive through. We use that drive through space as parking now, but if we really wanted to expand we can close off that drive through and expand our studio space, I think that would give us some more room for a set.

 

KXVA is currently settled into a office space area. We have AEs who work there and a newsroom for our reporters. It's not very big.

 

 

 

KIDY's building, with a logo I've never seen used on the sign.

 

 

KXVA's office (used to be a fed-ex shop). It now has a KXVA sign out front.

 

That's not the right location for KIDY. That's our old building.

 

All indications point to that happening. Also, somebody else will need to get the open because my tuner hasn't come in yet and I won't be at home during the day tomorrow.

 

Bonus points to someone who can get the open without using Bandicam (because I hate the damn watermark because people won't pay the $35). If nobody can't get the open or somebody uses free bandicam to get it, then I will post full evening newscasts.

 

That video was from before their current news operation launched. I don't even think they have newscasts on the weekends currently. I can tell you that was actually an improvement from what they had under Bayou City:

 

If you look at some of the oldest videos on that YouTube channel, I love how they have all these promos for KABB's news and basically attempt to pass it off as their own.

 

If Gannett wants to build out a full studio then they would need to find new quarters. The current building in San Angelo looks super small so I think the use of a virtual set and in that particular space was kind of necessary and not by choice.

 

And I think Gannett will build them out a control room. It looks like they're using a TriCaster system. That's not a bad thing, but its capabilities are limited over a full PCR system. I don't know if they have any microwave vans either to go live. It doesn't appear so.

 

If they want to see how a small market standalone Fox affiliate should be run, they need to take a look at KJTV in Lubbock. For that market size, KJTV does an impressive job.

 

Not likely for KIDY. We just moved into this building in January of this year before we launched our news operation, and our building is surprisingly large. I'm surprised no one around here has mentioned the thought of Gannett completely splitting the KXVA/KIDY operations...I just want to point out that is a possibility.

 

Trust me, I would prefer to use a full production switcher board. Tricaster is great to a certain extent, but as you mentioned it has it's limitations. As for live shots, we utlize something called tarradaks (I'm not even sure how to spell that) which basically means we rely on cell phone signal to send a signal back to the station, but we have not been very successful in getting it to work. We are working with new options, and are testing out some new equipment tomorrow, actually. Again, I would prefer live trucks, but for a small market that kind of equipment does not come cheap.

 

The KENS version is much better. Almost as if KVUE saw KENS promo and decided to rip it off.

 

Lame. In fact, my strangest suspicions are confirmed in this promo, that some news people don't know how to dance.

 

If you ask me, they all look the same. KENS' version looks like a rip off of KING ( ). I think KING5 did a nicer job at executing their promo.

 

Although I do like KVUE's ending.