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Ironically the CBS Evening News is going back to a more traditional and familiar broadcast presentation for older (core) viewers. These changes at the local level scream bland rerun local cable news like Spectrum or CLTV. Disconnected from the more familiar personality driven, urgency filled traditional affiliate news of yore. And “community journalism” sounds like marketing to what other journalists want as opposed to what viewers care about. If they want to shake things up and be different take a look at KUSI. Manages to bring out the personalities of the talent, leverages Zoom/Skype heavily to expand the guest / story profile, adds a healthy dose of positive local events, interviews lots of politicians on things neighbors are talking about, is willing to prosecute a local issue for weeks or months. Difference is it understands its viewers and what they see / live with day to day vs what a journalist thinks they should see. Sure the national political slant is off putting and some “experts” are borderline. But it’s a genuinely different approach to news vs the old days (despite the old set) that works on a shoestring and you don’t see it much elsewhere. I was at first turned off by it but the upbeat personalities and stories really drew us in. Maybe you need Steve Cohen himself to pull it off and the San Diego sun attracts personable talent but it’s a genuinely differentiated product.

There's a negative halo from network newscasts for some portion of the audience (this goes back decades...the whole 'network news doesn't represent my views' thing isn't new among some portion of the audience, just magnified these days). Beyond that the channel number / call letters are a bit of a firewall that also makes it feel more authentically local. Eliminating the local station number / call letters, and using the exact network news name (CBS News) makes it all feel even less local, trusted for that segment of viewers. See in Pittsburgh how KDKA lags WTAE at 6pm but has a massive lead at 11. Some of the core KDKA viewers don't care much for the national CBS News outlet, preferring World News Tonight. I doubt this change would have passed the common sense test of Les Moonves. The press release for KCNC isn't even consistent. It calls it 'CBS News Colorado' upfront, then all the newscast titles are 'CBS Colorado News at XXX.' The former is much more network newscast tied with 'CBS News' as the exact phrase, the latter maintains some more local identity (keeping the 'CBS News' phrase out of the mix).

That KSDK theme sounds like an affiliate news version of the '83-'84 'Be There' campaign

KTVU 10 O'Clock News 1978

RE: that 2016 open in there that is inspired by the spinning world 80s and statue of liberty mid 80s opens - happened to run into Lester and his wife on the street and told him kudos to whomever did that work - it was really classy, approachable, identifiable work. He was appreciative and liked it too. Wish the open lasted longer.

KPIX Nightcast promo 1983 - action packed cut of 'signature'

This youtube creator parody of an 80s ABC O&O newscast deserves to be in the classic video - such attention to detail right down to the tone and facial expression for the opening story

Personally really liked the WLS graphics of the last several years, really easy to read from couch distance, nice dimension to them. 'Instant classic.' I know others prefer the flat mobile / tablet screen look but it's not my thing. The blurred skyline background is pretty though. Reminds me of the KTVU late 90s look.

Really interesting post here on Newscaststudio about Queen City News' theme, which launched after their rebrand, and wouldn't have happened had something else not fallen through. Great intent here with wanting something timeless, accessible, WPVI like. Going back to having full opens that take their time to build a sonic brand. Using organic instruments over synth samples. Aligning with the 'smiling people on the streets' visuals. All very promising things. But the execution here...while quality production...just comes across as too somber to my ears. There's not that sense of upbeat that should go along with community shots. And the pace of the melody seems too slow for news. Maybe future cuts will explore those dimensions. https://www.newscaststudio.com/2022/05/17/charlotte-queen-city-news-music-package/

Nice clean cut of the strings only mixdown of the main News Series 2000 bumper around 16:23 of that early 91 broadcast - have only heard it on WLS clips. Thought they had switched to the modern version of the package by then but guess it was later in the year.

Didn't realize WBBM did a copycat of the KTRK talent open with accents of the city names background from some other ABC O&Os (KGO, and one or two others I think).

I'm just amused Warner licensed the package in the same market KFSN used it for 20 years. I guess exclusivity formally ends when the license isn't renewed. Clever choice - it's familiar music to a lot of Fresno residents.

KBTV summer 1982 open, clips - gotta love the 'computer search' segment

WNBC Pyburn in 2003 was a milestone package and set

Thanks for stopping by Dan - really enjoyed your early KOMO work just from coming across it here and I didn't even live in Seattle to hear it as broadcast. Nice funk to it, a little playfulness, and urgent without being in your face. Still holds up well today. I'd be curious about what the station feedback was, how they decided on changing things up, and what input / inspiration went into the work.

Wow WPXI got a lot of mileage out of that set - looks like it was basically untouched through 2001/2, got a facelift by 2003, and lasted until they moved to a new building in the late 2000s.

1986 Today show documentary - lots of behind the scenes shots and clips

Yeah the shot of the baseball player taking a swing is the one that puts it into clone territory - but nice to see someone go with an arrestingly long intro, althought the music is bland Set looks decent, nice skyline shot, seamless, not distracting The 'Carolinas own' on top of 'Queen City' feels stretched - let's be WGN too! But it's definitely not a WTHR Eyewitness Newscenter Odd they led off the first 'queen city' format with a teaser about a story in upstate New York (taser incident)

Yeah the Paley page was taken down, looks like they're still taking registrations for the public to be streetside for Friday https://www.today.com/popculture/join-us-today-turns-70-t244717

Forgot about KNTV in San Jose for about 10 years starting in the late 80s Station: KNTV 11 San Jose News intro: KNTV 11, The San Jose NewsChannel Newscast title: KNTV News at 6, 11, etc Reporter tag: for KNTV, The San Jose NewsChannel It was differentiated, but to the point they were also the only station specifically focusing on San Jose. Was successful for its size, but seemed to fragment and get lost as the mid to late 90s rolled around. The set didn't have overt '11' cues in its primary shots - just The San Jose NewsChannel branding, but the lower thirds used the 11 logo with no San Jose branding Any old pop songs about Charlotte? They used Dionne Warwick's 'Do you know the way to San Jose' as the melody for their theme.

It's creative though being a Spectrum town I wonder if people will confuse it with being a Spectrum 1 like outlet (not as personality driven, lots of repeats of stories) - might be more differentiated if there wasn't already a Spectrum 1 Tough spot to be the 4th network cast in a town that already has a 24 hour cable news channel although maybe the opportunity is in declining Spectrum subscribers as people move to the streaming apps that feature local broadcast stations I liked their newscast before this - good personalities and storytelling style - but apparently that wasn't enough

Whoa they went really literal with the 'USA' branding at the outset

And things improved really quickly - forgot Bill Applegate was brought in a few months before Swanson brought his KABC playbook. Here's part of a Feb 84 article that talks about his changes (including daily 'discrepancy reports' for on air technical glitches).

They finally figured out mornings with Charlie / Gayle / Norah, but then...

Yeah I’m guessing couldn’t use the main set because the video walls needed some extra support and / or newsroom empty. Odd that the graphics were 2 generations behind but maybe that studios control room had an old character generator. Maybe they hauled in the old background and desk when the new set was built as some sort of backup shot for skeleton crew. Or maybe that newsroom area was untouched just off camera although the idle camera behind makes it seem it’s in a studio.