HearstArgyleFan90

KOAT just got the updated Hearst open that was introduced last summer, but they still use the old open after the first commercial break.

If not, I think the WBBH graphics are just custom-made for that station because I haven't seen it being rolled out to more stations in the Hearst group, especially since some stations began using the Diagrid 2.5 open during the summer of 2024, months before WBBH switched to their version of the Hearst graphics. I say this because during the floating logo era, some stations used their own modified versions of those graphics (e.g. WLKY, KOCO).

It looks like another update to the diagrid package, only appearing more rectangular. And the Strive music package is still being used, just with newer cuts. What I am referring to is a complete overhaul of the graphics and music, like when the diagrid graphics and Strive debuted in 2012, or when the rings graphics package was introduced in 2004 (in that case, however, most stations started using NewsMusic Central's Hearst TV News Music Package before switching from camera v2 to rings). Only other difference between this update and the last two is that WESH is not the first station to be using the updated graphics.

That being said, I was expecting an entirely new graphics package for the Hearst group because with the previous two graphics packages (camera and rings), there was only like one update and then they get replaced with new graphics along with new music. The camera graphics were introduced in 1995 w/ Gari's Image News as the theme music. Package was updated in 1998 along with newer cuts of Image News, but some stations instead used the B Package (now Revolution). KITV and WMUR used a customized version of these graphics in 2002. In late 2003/early 2004, most stations dropped Image News or the B Package in favor of the Hearst-Argyle TV News Music Package by NewsMusic Central. Around the fall of 2004, the rings graphics debuted. I believe KOCO was the only station that didn't switch to the NewsMusic Central music package until they dropped the camera graphics package in favor of this one. The package was updated in 2007, and, for many stations, a floating 3D rendition of their logos was used in the background. Diagrid debuted during the summer of 2012 along with Strive by InTheGroove music. Package was updated in early 2018 to be more 16:9 friendly, with newer cuts of the Strive music package. A new open for newscasts debuted earlier this year on some stations.

I went on to a few other stations' websites, and yes, there are other stations still using the old opens – WESH, KSBW, KCRA, WLKY, KETV, WPTZ, WCVB, KOCO. WTAE also looks to be using a mix of both. WYFF and WISN are using the new open.

Looks like KOAT is still using the old open. What other stations haven't switched to the new one yet?

And here is a promo for a KCRA newscast in spring 2000. This was right when the station unveiled a new set and began using its customized version of the B Package, but continued using the pre-Hearst graphics. I wonder if at that time only the opens and talent rejoins were from camera v2 and everything else stayed as is until the fall of 2000 when everything was updated to camera v2.

This thread has not been active for a year. But I found two other KOAT newscasts, one from mid-October 2003 and the other from early October 2004. The 2003 newscast features KOAT's unusual variation of the camera v2 graphics, and it was two-and-a-half months before the station began using the NewsMusic Central package The newscast from 2004 was when KOAT was already using the rings graphics, but the weather segments continued using camera v2 for a short while. And...I also had a dream one night that I was watching a KOAT newscast from 2021. The station was still using camera v2, Image News, their 1999 set; and Mike Lewis still provided the voice-overs.

I was speaking with someone who used to work for KOAT, and from what he told me, the station started using "Image News" and the H-A graphics around December 1999; but due to technical difficulties, it would sometimes be mixed up with the pre-Hearst graphics, and some newscasts used "The One and Only".

I think it could've been a short-lived variation of the v1 L3s, originally meant for V2. If you notice, the blue area looks a bit more "3D-ish" and it's a different shade of blue (looks kind of lavender blue) than what v1 used. I suggest watching the entire clip, not just look at the thumbnail.

In the case with KOCO, only the L3s and weather graphics were from camera v1; all other graphics such as news topics, split-screens, and other graphics were from camera v2. And this was pretty much the case with any Hearst station that started using camera v2 in 1998 or 1999, as the L3s that would eventually be updated for camera v2 were introduced around 2000. But here's an interesting case with WESH.

I saw that newscast, and only the opens and talent rejoins were from camera v2; all other graphics were from camera v1. I believe WCVB completed the transition to camera v2 around 1999, although they didn't get the updated L3s until they debuted a new set in March 2000.

And I even found out that WTAE received the updated L3s for camera v2 sometime in January 2000. Perhaps some stations like WAPT received these L3s before WTAE got them.

Here's part of KOAT newscast from October 2004, so my guess is they started using the rings graphics around September of that year (about the same time as WESH).

Here is part of a KOCO newscast from 1998 back when they first started using camera 2.0 Correct me if I'm wrong but could KOCO have been the first HA station to use camera 2.0 and not WCVB? And here's another KOCO newscast from September of '98