noggi

Some of the stations I have worked for have pre-empted AM newscasts on some of those holidays.

Oof. Kinda looks like a temp set.

Actually, it’s that logic that’s killing TV news… Anyway, here’s an article from Deadline on this: https://deadline.com/2023/06/missing-sub-news-nation-oxygen-remaining-countdown-clock-1235422766/ I think the most interesting takeaway here is that there are people out there who watch News Nation.

The update is… fine. I do like the new logo. The insert graphics, particularly the lower thirds, need some work. I hate the little chip for story content, it feels like a tired old local news gimmick. It and the thin arrow make the banner appear very crowded. The best looking part of the package is probably that repeating N logo loop in the background. It’s nice they updated, but it’s nothing special.

YouTube TV updated the program key art (maybe this has been posted already) with the new logo, but NBC used a fairly old photo it looks like.

Obviously it has real time data - I meant “fake” in a more general sense, just questioning the design rationale behind it. It’s a lot of effort for such a little throwaway design element. I saw this on the NS write up and felt the same - would have made for a much cleaner open. There’s just too much to look at now.

The insert graphics are decent. The opens have a lot going on in them, I'm not sure I need a fake ticker and time/temp, but hey - props for trying something new. It's not the best O&O package out there but certainly not the worst and I think definitely an improvement over what most of the ABC O&Os have on the air now. Odd choice though going back to a very dated-sounding (well, it is dated, it's from the 90s) music bed... clearly they didn't want to spend the $20-30k for a few new opens/bumps?

This is a very naive take on the situation. The folks who were let go were incredibly talented. @Geoffrey is correct in that they’re keeping a select few, the only new hire is the vp/group design. Also - what a shitty move, not promoting from within for that role with a very qualified pool of candidates.

CBS just laid off a ton of design staffers at the O&O level and announced the creation of a centralized design unit. They recently hired someone from outside CBS to be a vp/station group design. A ton of very talented local art directors, designers, and Chyron folks got kicked to the curb today with no notice. Rumor has it the creative services producers are next on the chopping block.

Alternatively, what is the value of making them look different?

Did CNN abandon their bespoke typeface? (They may have done this a long time ago). This just looks like Helvetica Neue.

Contract issues? Money? The WNYW mets don’t want the extra work? Maybe filling in on Fox Weather isn’t as prestigious as a spot as you think it is.

Everything you read in this thread (and a majority of what’s discussed on this site) is pure speculation. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Not sure if this means anything but WJZ is using the little black box on LinkedIn… maybe they’ll launch Monday with this new show? Edit: Looks like this didn't happen, and the other O&O set to launch today delayed due to issues with their new Chyron setup.

Watched a bit this morning… sounds like the set isn’t really finished yet as they kept teasing showing it off “over the next few weeks” and didn’t show anything beyond that very flat 2-shot. In the 6a hour they went back to using a live tower cam in the background and it looked pretty bad.

No.

They tried to drain the swamp at CBS News & Stations but based on their recent hires… kinda feels like they’re right back where they started. In some ways, I hear it’s actually worse.

So apparently the key to building ratings growth is: new set confusing/mediocre branding more hours of news than anyone else

they were busy with a photo shoot.

They have their own promotions producers in each market.

When did OKC become such a hot spot for pursuits?? I’ve just noticed a ton of videos on YouTube from KOTV these last few months. Radars have some utility. Storm chasers have absolutely none in most markets. They don’t have the skill to actually use them as they’re intended… but they look nice in promos and parades!

Very gray, very poorly lit, very little depth or texture. It’s definitely a new set!

Sales team in the newsroom? Yikes…

This would be an awesome chance for some great local prime time programming. But I’m sure we will just see a ton of very mediocre local newscasts.

What is with this weird fetish for speculating about transactions that never could have / never will happen? Edit: Might as well contribute my two cents to the ANF conversation: what they just did is one of the reasons behind why I left local TV news in 2020. So many that have ascended the ranks of local news management have absolutely no idea what a “brand” is. It’s so much more than a logo. No one is addressing the issues with content. Look at a newscast from 1980 and compare it to one today - the format is almost identical, even the presentation… and that’s a huge problem. You want a younger audience? They don’t want to hear a 4 minute weather forecast from a guy older than their grandfather. There’s a station in Milwaukee that’s running a promo that says “DON’T WATCH US” and claims that they aren’t going to cover the car crashes and endless crime stories and they’ll focus on local storytelling… but guess what, I watched them and that was a lie. They can’t live up to that brand promise. I had the same reaction as some who saw the lead story on Atlanta News FIRST was the hurricane that was not coming anywhere close to Atlanta. So what does that new branding even mean? I don’t think there’s anything deeper here than just dropping a ridiculously high channel number. Changing call letters is incredibly stupid. I mean, go ahead and do it, but I don’t think it’s worth mentioning. Working in TV news was my dream, but looking back on it… I look at the product the stations I worked for put out and I ask myself: “Who is this for?” I give ANF a couple years before it’s dropped for another meaningless rebrand.