MediaZone4K

'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.

Don’t care for the way the giant “CBS Mornings” box hangs on screen when the lower third is absent.

Looks decent, and they do use the studio better than Today. I hope it doesn’t become like Studio 57 on CBS, used for everything.

Thank You! Was always curious how WSVN’s flashy format would have handled something as cataclysmic as 9/11. It’s also interesting to see the WB Miami station using New York’s WB affiliate coverage, since the network had no national news service. Apologies for taking the thread back to that dark day but this video has a compilation of how several cable channels broadcast 9/11. Apparently Viacom networks (VH 1, CMT, and MTV) showed CBS News coverage, TLC carried BBC World News and even HSN carried some international news service. Facinating. I cannot think of another event in which entertainment cable channels suspended programming to carry a national news event other than BET carrying CBSN coverage of the Derek Chauvin verdict in 2021.

I guess intelligent morning tv would be like the Bryant Gumbell/Jane Pauley years on Today as the best example. Extended interviews, news magazine type feature pieces and conversations with people like military generals, foreign policy experts, and introspective authors. Dumbed down would be modern GMA. Stories on some former Power Ranger actor caught up in a murder mystery or secret recordings of dentists’ snarky side comments while the patients were under anesthesia (ACTUAL stories that they have done). CBS Mornings on the other hand would be focusing on millennial home buyer-ship rates, climate change’s threats to Florida’s oyster population, and pandemic exoduses from cities to the rural areas (actual stories they’ve done). They borrow some bits from the competition but the positives outweigh that for me.

It speaks to the strength of WABC’s news team that they’ve maintained years at #1 with some of the worst graphics and iffy sets in the market. KABC and KGO have better looks and sets. The flat abc logos from the 90s looked better than the 2021 flat logo. Perhaps because it’s surrounded by graphics that don’t match and is on a hd not sd television.

The first 30 mins of each morning show has decent news quality content. However, CBS Morning’s 8am lifestyle hour is still superior to the Disney sing-a-longs, half decent pop music performances, and deals and steals on GMA … and the laugh, cry, “authentic moments” on Today. (To it’s credit the 8am hour of Today is still more watchable than GMA). GMA & Today feel significantly dumbed down from their former selves. CBS Monings might have a few flaws (attempts to mimic the competition, and Gayle’s constant opinionated side remarks) but it’s still the more intelligent of the three shows.

Is any part of Times Square visible from the set? If not, what was the point of moving to Times Square if they weren’t going to utilize it as a backdrop? Obviously ABC doesn’t Times Square but it feels a bit duplicative to center another morning show nearly across the street from GMA, and have Nate (who I like) taking on a similar role to Michael Strahan. On the flip side Fox & Friends is also at Rockefeller Center (just not that adjacent) so touché.

He’s a pretty decent substitute anchor. It feels like he’s being groomed for any future vacancies either at Today or Nightly News. Always good to have decent talent in the reserves, similar to Whit Johnson on ABC.

Wish it were a total overhaul. The desk looks nice, unfortunately the studio is still barren in favor of that giant video wall. I’m glad their utilizing the plaza especially filming outside during the 9am hour.

Just like abc, a giant graphical step backwards. The tiny bug looks right for a streaming service not network tv. I liked the serif looking font for CBS, but this is a nice look as well. Of all the Morning show attempts CBS has has was CBS This Morning (2012) the most successful? and I’m curious as to which morning show attempt do you think was CBS’s best?

Agreed. The graphics are very CNN and the CBS bug is too small, otherwise the lower third is a nice look, much improved! The name change however was utterly unnecessary. If this fails, give up the morning attempts and hand the slot to the local cbs affiliates.

Sandra & Joe solid pairing that would work well on weekdays, but the current line up is already solid. WABC really has strong anchor talent currently.

Good because this new logo is a massive step backwards graphically. WABC in general has been the lesser of the big 3 stations graphics and studio wise, none the less they’re still on top!

Does WPIX really need another newscast? Their morning news is alright but the rest is just okay quality wise. From a business standpoint I suppose it’s beneficial to them.

Tom is really being featured prominently. He anchored a special report on the end of the Afgan war. CBS could take a page from NBC and ABC, take the time to really boost and develop talent incase you have to fill a more prominent vacancy in the future.

Didn’t CBS already try and fail to use the Sunday morning formula/brand on weekdays back in the 80s??? Similarly didn't they switch from the name CBS This Morning to “This Morning” in the 90s? History repeats itself. The new studio looks better than the current, and Nate might be a better fit than Anthony but the name change was unnecessary. You’ve had the title CBS This Morning for 9 years now, keep the consistency. They would have had me with “Sunrise”, “Daybreak” or “Dawn” but CBS Mornings is bland. Hopefully they leave Jane in the OG set on Sundays and continue to top Today and GMA content wise on the weekdays.

i wouldn’t mind hot bench at 4 and a Judy rerun at 4:30 as the lead in to the 5:00 news.

Keep Judge Judy at 4! Then again how long can a daily syndicated show remain popular in reruns only.

plus Steve did the 10 pm that night too! Crazy schedule.

Give Regan Medgie the spot with Bianca. She has a vibrant personality for for mornings. Find male co-anchor for Rosanna. Sad about Kerry though.Robert Moses might work on “The Noon” though.

Add another female anchor to cover 5 and 7pm is all they need to ensure that all newscasts from 4-11 have an anchor duo. With this method, each individual anchor would have a relatively even distribution across newscasts. That way (for example) Natalie wouldn't have to be on at 4,6,7 and 11. As for CBS 2, I think the issue is the newscasts feel a bit corporate at times rather than genuinely New York. It’s hard to explain but I see CBS o&o stations are struggling in other big markets too, so there is that factor about there is newscast that doesn’t beat out the competition.

With all this talk about past anchor teams I’m surprised Roz Abrams and Bill Beutel were never official co-anchors, granted that they were two large presences at Eyewitnesses News during that time period. It would’ve been like Chuck and Sue, the straight-laced news man with the more vibrant and personable female coanchor. I grew up on Diana Williams who was awesome, but I feel like Roz would’ve been a stronger presence with Bill B at 11.

The desk standing looks bad, the solo anchoring isn’t the best, the “COVID” desk looks very mediocre especially because we know WNBC is capable of much more based on studio 6B and earlier sets. To their credit News 4 is the second best news team in the market after Eyewitness News they just have a few kinks when it comes to their anchor rotations and visual presentation.

Wow! Nate seems like a cool guy so he should be a cool addition. Hopefully CTM's move to Times Square doesn't begin a directional change that dumbs down the program. GMA is already the Times Square morning show so this will be interesting.