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15 hours ago, Daybreak said:

YouTube has all of CBS Moring Shows openings from 1961 to present day and a couple of things caught my eye…

 

1. I did not know Diane Sawyer was on the CBS  morning program so long. I just thought she was there for like a year but from the video it seem she was a cohost for much longer. 
 

2. Out of all the cohost of this program, I distinctly remember Rene Syler and Maggie Rodriguez taking them getting let go from the show the hardest. 
 

3. I always said it was a huge mistake to fire Maggie and Harry to replace them with Erica and Chris. They were not that good and it was destined to fail.  

https://youtu.be/jTWV2lSeHvU 

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

4 hours ago, bostonmediaguy said:

 

The date in question was a Sunday. The Sunday Morning studio would have been staffed and ready for that day's broadcast.

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. 

5 hours ago, bmasters1 said:

 

Excellent response-- very informative! I take it then that these studios from 20/20 in the 80s w/Downs and Walters, and The Prudential College Football Report in 1986 w/Jim Nantz for CBS Sports, are also examples of masthead banners.

 

Also, I'd like to know-- was CBS Sports' Studio 43 overhaul in 1981 (this Studio 43 of course also being used for CBS News at one time, on the CBS Morning News w/Kurtis and Sawyer) based on Roone Arledge's ABC idea?

Who knows if they specifically said 'copy ABC News' but wouldn't be surprised if it influenced people involved in the project. Not a lot else on TV those days than the 3 networks.

6 hours ago, bmasters1 said:

 

"Masthead banner"-- that's a term I've never heard before. Are you referring to the part of the set that had the title of the broadcast (or the overall name of that station's news operation), much like would be on CBS Sports in Studio 43 in the 80s, when Brent Musburger was on The NFL Today, with The NFL Today title in the background on the set?

You got it. 'Masthead' is what newspapers call their logo on the top of the front page. Banner well that seems like something you'd hang high up. 

I think Roone Arledge, who started the practice when he overhauled ABC NEWS, had some name for them -  maybe it was banner or signage or something.

I'm guessing in the KPIX case they saw KTVU had a plain beige masthead banner and used a world map for the center backdrop and was climbing in the ratings, so figured why not try that.  Their prior masthead banner was an ABC NEWS knockoff with the black background. 

KPIX Dec 1987 open (cut off) - glimpse of a short lived update to the 84-88 set that replaced the plain beige backdrop behind the anchors with a world map, and updated the masthead banner above

KRON May 1980 Update 11pm preshow and open

Some early Telesound Signature action on KPIX 1981 - cued up in 2 spots

KPIX 1987 Nightcast preshow (weeknight version. -  a little more action packed than the weekend version above)

KRON 1981 preshow - rare stuff on this channel

Earliest Roz Abrams footage? - KRON Nov 1983 preshow (there's also a tease with her at 14:45)

KPIX Eyewitness News Nightcast April 1990 with a longish close of the 1988 Michael Karp package

These graphics / the open were replaced later in the year by the avant garde lower thirds that replaced over the shoulder graphics 

And KGO March 1984 with the 1982-84 custom theme package 

KPIX December 1983 Nightcast (partial) 

KPIX Eyewitness News Nightcast April 1987 - weekend. First time a full newscast from this era of KPIX music / graphics has been posted. 

On 10/3/2021 at 1:39 PM, Samantha said:

 

No kidding. Big fan of the theme music, too. Unfortunate why we have it, though—it was taped because of the story of a 2-year-old baby (and others) who died in a fire.

In the foreign language US local market news theme category this ones a winner…it’s from their 80s “Window to the World” jingle package 

On 9/20/2021 at 7:55 AM, iron_lion said:

'Today' (1982). Loving how sped up the format is at this point compared to the Brokaw & Walters years. Not too slow and not the ADHD level pacing of today. It also seems that they were frequently experimenting with sets. I've seen the blue version of this current set before but  wasn't aware there was a brown variation as well. The sets from the late 70s up until the O.G. studio 1a (which was awesome) were all very well done.

 

Steve Friedman the producer then sped up the pacing - also was there for the revolving sets while they tried to figure out how to beat GMA - he was there early 80s to 87. Probably got feedback his new blue set was too cold for the regular viewers, gave it the Earl Scheib treatment and made it brown.  

I think Magid was their consultant  - and they went to that textbook "plain background to let the talent pop and become identifiable" look with the minimalist 1983-85 set.

Then Bryant and Jane got their chemistry mojo after she came back from maternity leave in 84. NY skyline came back in early 85 with the new living room set, and they overtook GMA that year. 

This 'flat logo' totaliarianism among brand circles in the name of working better on mobile / digital is misguided.

TikTok - probably the most breakthrough mobile / digital brand of the last couple years has a logo that's explicit in giving the impression of dimension and motion, complexity. Is it a good logo? I could care less for it, but it hasn't prevented them from being easily identified in a mobile environment. 

Let the logo adapt to the medium. The bigger the screen, the more intricate and subtle the logo elements can be. Mobile can have a 'flat' look, and 4K TV something with dimension and texture. Yes I know a lot of video is repurposed for both screens, but the prior look was perfectly presentable on smaller screens. 

NBC seems to get this. 

KNBC 1986 4 and 5pm, with plenty of the low profile desk for the 4pm

Cued it up to the handoff to the 5pm with the dual sets in action, also some clean pieces of Newscenter II in the bumpers

16 minutes ago, WWUpdate said:

WTCN, Twin Cities, 10 p.m., 1979:

 

 

The anchor, Stan Borman, is perhaps best known for playing a newscaster in The China Syndrome. I suppose this casting decision is one reason why the movie's portrayal of local TV news feels so real:

Here's why

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/12/29/kpix-at-70-remembering-newscaster-stan-bohrman/

As a footnote, when the hit television show “The Streets of San Francisco” was filmed in the Bay Area in the 70s, one of the stars — Michael Douglas — watched Bohrman on KPIX. Douglas later cast Bohrman in his movie called The China Syndrome”. Bohrman played a television news anchor.

Separately, no lower thirds from WTCN in that newscast? Just saw them in the network piece and the health report (syndicated?). 

Did Stan last at WTCN until Magers came on the scene?

Quote

 

 

WCCO May 1998

Here's an out of left field music package. For a about year or so in the late 90s WCCO used Gari's Newschannel, with the original early 80s cut for the open and close.

I remember emailing the news director at the time saying it was cool - I don't think he knew it was a retro thing, just that it was 'a Gari package.'

18 hours ago, VHSgoodiesWA said:

Paul Moyer and Colleen Williams on Southern California's #1 News, the Channel 4 News, taped 2/10/99

 

Didn't realize for that period they were using throwback OTS from the mid-late 80s - with the bold Helvetica italic and shiny outline.

Now looking back, the whole thing - open with a big 3D effect and talent shots, simple lower thirds, was a bit of a throwback to 'what worked' before the tabloid style of 93. Would have been great if they went back that that 80s style '4' logo.

11 hours ago, iron_lion said:

Weary of the flat white box look as always, but not bad! NBC again proves it self to be the best of the bunch graphically, even in the flatness era.

The peackock color variant below the white box is a nice touch especially. It reminds me of the WNBC light spectrum graphics from the mid 00s:

I’m glad that they eighty-sixed the white bar (except for weather) that used to occupy unnecessary real estate at the top and bottom of the screen. More of an actual picture now.

Nice to see that 'glimmer' of hope graphic artists are waking up to what works well and stands the test of time

More flat nonsense - how much we've regressed from the Pyburn pinnacle at WNBC

Make use of light and how attractive it is on lit screens. Get rid of white backgrounds - those are made for paper, too harsh on the eye with a lit screen.

KDKA Noon Feb 1985, with the 1984 - 85 (or 86) version of the 'Eye-wit-ness-news' melody package and no Fort Pitt tunnel open. Uses a trolley instead, maybe just for the Noon.

We know the prior theme from before the  '84 wall of monitor set was a Klein & work, so maybe this and the mid / late 80s package with the sax closing was as well.

KDKA Feb 1985 Pittsburgh Number One special

KDKA May 1991

Here's a strange one...

A beta version of the blue set with the 80s logo in the header and ice blocks on the side. KPIX would debut its blue set in early 92 with similar ice blocks but no header.

Theme is an update of the Eyewitness News melody that might have only aired for months (there's a Dec 1990 clip on YT using the mid/late 80s version).

Lower thirds use the Futura font KPIX tried out from 1990 to early 92 - I'm guessing the Futura took a cue from the CBS Evening News, the way Serifa and the blue line on KDKA was borrowed from the network. Both KD and KPIX wouldswitch to the red line with italic Univers Condensed by early 92 along with with copycats of the 3D metallic Welch ABC O&O look for their opens

Here's that Dec 1990 clip with graphics, set music basically unchanged from the mid/late 80s.

At the very end of the video, it switches to another recording where you get a glimpse of yet another interim set or flashcam newsroom backdrop - looks like a grey world map with the 1984 - 1991 logo. Not sure how long that lasted but looks like 1990-1991 was a revolving door of creative elements.

KDKA May 1987 - hard to find airchecks from this era

Dan was thoughtful enough to post some cuts of his KOMO work in high fidelity on his site - both the funky mid 80s theme and the orchestral theme from 1987 

https://www.dandeanmusic.com/komo-tv-music-comp-for-site/

Also a bunch of KING work here

https://www.dandeanmusic.com/king-tv-music-comp-for-site/

3 hours ago, RCA TK47 said:

Some KCRA footage from what looks like the late '70s (I don't think the year 1982 is correct) showing off their transition to tape and live microwave technology.  I love how Bob Whitten is showing off the LiveCamera 3 van and it's microwave equipment... but it looks like its not even installed yet. 

 

 

 Cool find - those styles look more like mid 70s. For a history museum you’d hope they get dates right - they’re almost 10 years off on this one!

6 hours ago, SoFloTVClassics said:

KCBA News 35 1992

 

 

KMST 46 Eyewitness News 1992

 

 

That KMST set...never seen one like that for evening news. Looks like they were going for the living room of a seaside cottage.

KRON NewsCenter 4 Update 12/31/86 - vintage early Gary Radnich joking with Emerald Yeh during the sports segment

Cool WXYZ clips - that transition from the 5-6pm with the 6pm anchors walking on set is a gem. Probably the most interesting dual set I've seen - lots of variety in shots.

And mixing it up with original Cool Hand Luke and the Gari cuts is another nice touch.