sfomspphl

KOVR Live at Noon November 1983 - they tried a hybrid news / lifestyle studio guest format

KABC Eyewitness News 1988 Thanksgiving 4pm

WDIV started a trend of hourlong anniversary specials in Detroit 

Here's WXYZ - Robbie and Diana look great and both very gracious about Bill 

WXYZ promos reel

And WJBK getting in on it

Ah Geraldo…

This I’ll give to NewsNation and Nexstar…

Perry Sook is filling the broadcast leadership void left by Les Moonves’ resignation. 

A shameless cross promoter because it works, doesn’t try to chase the young adult audience that’s been fickle for decades, and pushing retrans hard. 

 How much juice is left from satellite and cable and streamers paying subs - who knows - but those years long contracts give a lot of runway. 

Debra O'Connell now running ABC News and the O&Os

https://nypost.com/2024/02/14/media/abc-news-president-kim-godwin-gets-new-micromanager-boss-effectively-demoted-sources/

Guess it's a good thing for WABC (and maybe stations in general) a WABC lifer is at the top of the combined role 

Straining your talent by having them stand for an hour doesn't sound great for arresting delivery of the copy on the prompter. Competition must be loving this. 

KJEO 1985 (also some KFSN at the beginning)

WAVY 1981 last day of 'Area 10 Eyewitness News' - full clip of the 'proud as a peacock' affiliate news theme at the end 

WLS Eyewitness News 10pm November 1986 

The unique part of this clip is the set covered in blue panels for the election

22 hours ago, SFTV said:

KGO has flipped to the new look right now at 11am and brought back the main opening theme.

 

during 2020-2024 they have been using the Breaking News / COVID theme

Thank goodness. Those grey toned shots with the 'better' Bay Area in the open were so grim looking.

This post has a “wide” shot and confirms this is a temp set - new one might be a year away 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2vpLR0vKCl/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

3 hours ago, mouseboy33 said:

Ugh. I remember as a kid GMA having the worst sets. Too me they were also so....outdated. Like a grannys attic or basement. Or they felt like a old living room full of brown furniture. They were never distinctive, just old and full of old dusty stuff. I dont remember this set in particular, but i remember them always having this "feel". This set looks like a old furniture store full of closeout furniture that hasnt sold. NBC Today always felt fresh, new, urban and modern. Still not a fan of GMA. ABC News sets always felt "off" to me.  This includes the graphics. Though I was a fan of Peter Jennings.

Yeah once they ditched the backyard scenery with staircase motif from 75-9X GMA stopped being distinctive. Guess that was around the time they moved from the entertainment to the news division. 

Wasn’t a fan of the 90s Today set myself. 85-90 luxury condo and the 06-13 were my favorites there. 

10 hours ago, A3N said:

I wonder if they're using the upstairs setup that KSWB when the current set was built? The textured wall panels were also from KSWB's previous set.

Might be - someone in another post mentioned KUSI in a “new building.”

I remember some media piece saying they would consolidate at KUSIs building because half the building was vacant. 

Maybe they are in the KSWB temp set area while the KUSI building is renovated for dual use. 

Also a data point…a job posting for a weekend morning producer says KUSI is #1 in that time slot. 

Unfortunately for both stations the rescan this month is turbulent - lots of confused people on social plus streaming has gone wonky in the last week. 

Edited to add...

As of today KUSI.com redirects into Fox5SanDiego, with the KUSI logo at the top adjacent to Fox 5. 

Moving onto a temp set 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2f4n5Cyu6q/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Looks better than the O&O implementation. Less in your face with the eye and CBS name. 

But close enough you pick up the cues it’s related to the network news parent. 

On 1/20/2024 at 1:49 PM, MediaZone4K said:

WPVI still holds out, but their current lower thirds are pretty decent. Very Graham like. I almost hope they don't change.

PVI's flat graphics look cheap though. These can definately stand the new upgrade. Just like the new Cox package, 3D and flat look awkward when mixed.

Reguarding tone which was brought up during the WABC's discussion...Having seen snippets from their evening newscasts, especially when Jim Vance was there, 6ABC has a real national evening news like presentation. Very clean and ultra professional news product.

When I last watched just before Jim’s retirement I had the same network nightly news impression except 6 seemed even more professional. 

1 hour ago, MorningNews said:

^ mostly agree with this. Not to belabor the point but is there a theory to WABC’s approach? I remember being shocked at the 2005 set and their graphics. You’d think the top station would have a more ambitious on-air presentation especially since the other O&Os in the group were mostly always solid.

 

Channel 7’s format is flashy, maybe even obnoxious. In contrast, their on-air presentation has always been one-dimensional. Feels like it’s by design.

I think they and PVI pay more attention to their generational (older) viewers and in WABCs case ethnic communities who might be newer to the language. 

Both groups probably value straightforward, easy to see and digest info on the screen over the latest design trends. And the older viewers are creatures of habit.

Kind of like the Wheel / Jeopardy approach - change is gradual and iterative. 

54 minutes ago, TSSZNews said:

Three potential reasons for this:

1) The open is being generated live out of Ross. Like a Viz, there needs to be dedicated system resources for playback, and any video save for MP4 or the platform's preferred codec would be an enormous resource hog.

2) Video probably makes the whole canvas look too busy with everything else going on around the main frame.

3) Licensed stock stills are less expensive than video 

Yeah probably #2 is a part of it. Interesting touch the ticker banner at the end has the live time and current weather headlines.

Also guessing the temp/forecast tile next to Lee in the open is also 'live.' 

15 hours ago, TheNewsTV said:

 

 

Thats better - had a feeling the weekday opens would be different. Full on urgency with the teletype, keeps all the identity hallmarks of EWN intact. 

I am surprised though they're using 100% still shots for the tiles in the opens vs some or all as video with some motion.

The Eyewitness News masthead fits in well, smart of them to keep it.

Losing the teletype would be short sighted. That’s as much a signature of WABC as the Eyewitness News name. The urgency calls you from across the room that the news is starting. 

Seems like an easy edit let’s see what the weekday opens look like.

On 12/30/2023 at 3:13 PM, SoFloTVClassics said:

WTVA Morning Report and The Today show 1990

 

WXIN FOX 59 Nightcast 1994

Really cool you can see an overhead shot of the studio live during the break at 1hr:16 with the interview platform being wheeled in and out, Bryant and Deborah coming and going. Another second break follows the next segment.  

KPIX 1983 special report open (and some others for the 75th anniversary)

2 minutes ago, hmaxhanson said:

You mean KTVU?

Yeah they mislabled it. Makes more sense.

Audio of Dec 31, 1973 KTVU 'Action News'

https://californiarevealed.org/do/110a8815-26be-4a63-8d6a-860ee50c28ec

KCRA Channel 3 Reports 5pm  12-14-1983 (most...cuts to KOVR at the end) - earliest use of 'where the news comes first' theme I've come across

audio is on the 'right' audio channel - 'left' channel is another station (KXTV?). Use the balance control in your settings to hear either one.

https://californiarevealed.org/do/92b39edc-0916-4db7-9785-4690b414e89a

KCRA Channel 3 Reports 1980? open with a comic book looking logo

https://archive.org/details/casacsh_002398

This story has the anchor desk 2 shot and the story wall. I think the weather is going 3D like KPIX, at least looking at a promo that aired. 

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/high-speed-train-from-rancho-cucamonga-to-las-vegas-aims-to-cut-travel-time-in-half/3289036/

Would look less generic if they put attached a physical banner of lettering to the top of the story wall and/or main anchor backdrop wall that says 4 LOS ANGELES or something.