Sinclair...Again

[NEOMatrix 1299]

Here's WKEF's current news open. With the exception of the supers, seems to be as far as you can get from the Sinclair standardization:

[yt]pG86OnpSTZ8[/yt]

I honestly don't know why but Sinclairs obligatory L3s don't look as cheap as they do on WBFF. Maybe it's because it's expected for a market as small as Dayton.

[tyrannical bastard 3951]

I honestly don't know why but Sinclairs obligatory L3s don't look as cheap as they do on WBFF. Maybe it's because it's expected for a market as small as Dayton.

The supers on the newer incarnations of the Sinclair standardized look use kerning to slightly improve their appearance.

 

In WKEF/WRGTs case, this is a unique look to them as they have previously used the current standardized look(s) dating back to 2005.

[tyrannical bastard 3951]

WNWO has updated their website with the new logo and is now accessible at nbc24.com. As of now, the on-air look appears to be the same with the blue logo and the website is still in the Barrington-era format.

 

As for the new look that has been discussed in other threads, I'm thinking it's on hold until the dust settles here and whenever KDNL relaunches news. Of course, it could be the package itself and the logistics of having to deploy it to places that have never operated as spokes on a hub....

[Samantha 2895]

 

WNWO has updated their website with the new logo and is now accessible at nbc24.com. As of now, the on-air look appears to be the same with the blue logo and the website is still in the Barrington-era format.

 

As for the new look that has been discussed in other threads, I'm thinking it's on hold until the dust settles here and whenever KDNL relaunches news. Of course, it could be the package itself and the logistics of having to deploy it to places that have never operated as spokes on a hub....

 

And probably have four or five different graphics systems, not to mention that most of the Barrington station group still needs to receive HD equipment...

[sanewsguy 511]

 

And probably have four or five different graphics systems, not to mention that most of the Barrington station group still needs to receive HD equipment...

 

Sinclair is standardized on Chyron Axis. I know WOAI uses VizRT and I'm sure they have other stations they use other systems.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

Here's WKEF's current news open. With the exception of the supers, seems to be as far as you can get from the Sinclair standardization:

[yt]pG86OnpSTZ8[/yt]

The open is fine, but the L3s are a big pile of meh. Tries to be both busy and boring at the same exact time.

 

On a personal note, I've rode my bike not far from the affected areas in the video, so it kinda hits home in a different sense.

[Samantha 2895]

 

Sinclair is standardized on Chyron Axis. I know WOAI uses VizRT and I'm sure they have other stations they use other systems.

 

When you acquire stations on competing/different systems, like WOAI, that's where things get ugly. SBG has done a lot of that in the past few years.

[tyrannical bastard 3951]

It took several years for Sinclair to upgrade their current stations to the first generation of the common look. The "News Central" stations were first in 2003 when they either gutted the existing news departments or started News Central ones, and the others with fully operational news departments were upgraded between 2004 and 2005.

 

It could take YEARS for any changes to be done en masse, especially with all of the new acquisitions made. Stations like WTVC are an exception since they were purchased when still in SD, and Sinclair initiated the upgrades themselves. Before the Barrington purchase The other purchases were already in SD widescreen or HD however Four Points, Newport or Freedom built them.

 

Certain markets could never change, especially if they're #1 in their market. Hopefully Sinclair realizes this and doesn't mess with their success. WTVC is their ONLY station that is #1 in their market, with the complete default Sinclair look.

 

With WNWO and KDNL, these could be exceptions. They could very well be at the top of the list to change to Sinclair's next look, seeing how Sinclair cleaned house in Toledo, and the time is ticking in St. Louis to get a newscast going before ABC cries foul (if they do). Some of Barrington's smaller stations like WLUC and WPBN/WTOM virtually own their markets, and since they're so small, any changes could happen without disrupting viewing patterns.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

With WNWO and KDNL, these could be exceptions. They could very well be at the top of the list to change to Sinclair's next look, seeing how Sinclair cleaned house in Toledo, and the time is ticking in St. Louis to get a newscast going before ABC cries foul (if they do).

 

Haven't heard anything new regarding KDNL. The last story I saw was that something was supposed to be on the air in the spring. And considering that we only have a month of spring left and I haven't seen any promos or any more news stories about it, I think it's safe to say that a news program on KDNL isn't happening anytime soon.

[sanewsguy 511]

 

Some of Barrington's smaller stations like WLUC and WPBN/WTOM virtually own their markets, and since they're so small, any changes could happen without disrupting viewing patterns.

 

WPBN/WTOM does not own their market. They're a distant second place. The station that owns the market would be locally-controlled WWTV and satellite WWUP.

[rkolsen 1684]

I have noticed that WBFF in Baltimore seems to have gone the cheap route for their closed captioning. All the other local stations in Baltimore use professional captioning services like WGBH Media Access Group or NCICAP, the National Captioning Institute, but WBFF has decided to just rig the feed from their TelePrompTer to serve as their closed captioning. They are so cheap they don't even bother to edit out most of the coding that's used to trigger some automation including time codes (depending on the package source) for when the lower third are to be triggered. The only parts of the broadcast that aren't captioned are the weather segments, cross talk between the anchors and reporters in the field, teases of what's coming up next before a commercial break and parts where they ad-lib which just appears as . Consequently because they get the text from the TelePrompTer only a maximum of three words appear per line, only three lines are on screen at any given time, difficult names/words are spelled out phonetically and often then first lines of a report appear on screen before the anchor speaks.

 

I am not hearing impaired but I turn on the closed captions when I am listening to something on my computer, am on the phone or when an anchor mumbles something that was in audible. But if I was I would be pissed at how they royally screw this up. I can understand to a certain extent not captioning weather reports because the most important information will show up on the weather graphics but often times the meteorologist gives a much more detailed forecast In situations such as breaking news persons with trouble hearing will not hear whats important - such as during a tornado warning where the meteorologist or anchor was giving information on what to do (go down to the lowest floor of your building preferably in an interior wall and cover your body) and the station did not have a graphic for it people's lives could be at stake.

 

(Maybe this could be a new thread on closed captioning.)

[Samantha 2895]

 

I have noticed that WBFF in Baltimore seems to have gone the cheap route for their closed captioning. All the other local stations in Baltimore use professional captioning services like WGBH Media Access Group or NCICAP, the National Captioning Institute, but WBFF has decided to just rig the feed from their TelePrompTer to serve as their closed captioning. They are so cheap they don't even bother to edit out most of the coding that's used to trigger some automation including time codes (depending on the package source) for when the lower third are to be triggered. The only parts of the broadcast that aren't captioned are the weather segments, cross talk between the anchors and reporters in the field, teases of what's coming up next before a commercial break and parts where they ad-lib which just appears as . Consequently because they get the text from the TelePrompTer only a maximum of three words appear per line, only three lines are on screen at any given time, difficult names/words are spelled out phonetically and often then first lines of a report appear on screen before the anchor speaks.

 

I am not hearing impaired but I turn on the closed captions when I am listening to something on my computer, am on the phone or when an anchor mumbles something that was in audible. But if I was I would be pissed at how they royally screw this up. I can understand to a certain extent not captioning weather reports because the most important information will show up on the weather graphics but often times the meteorologist gives a much more detailed forecast In situations such as breaking news persons with trouble hearing will not hear whats important - such as during a tornado warning where the meteorologist or anchor was giving information on what to do (go down to the lowest floor of your building preferably in an interior wall and cover your body) and the station did not have a graphic for it people's lives could be at stake.

 

(Maybe this could be a new thread on closed captioning.)

 

The FCC has looked at captions a lot lately, including for television programs on the Internet, and wants to ensure parity and synchronicity with what is said on TV. This may not sit well.

[rkolsen 1684]

The FCC has looked at captions a lot lately, including for television programs on the Internet, and wants to ensure parity and synchronicity with what is said on TV. This may not sit well.

As I was writing the post I was reading the page from the FCC and per their guidelines their are only two expeditions: economically burdensome or the self implementing exemption neither of which would apply to them.

 

http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/exemptions-closed-captioning-rules

[sanewsguy 511]

With the exception of KSAT, who uses one of those over-the-telephone services, all the stations here just use the prompter feed for captions. Or more accurately, the script in iNews or ENPS can be coded for closed caption and fed to the automation system and prompter. This ensures that rundown codes don't make it into the captions. So WBFF isn't coding their rundowns right.

 

I don't find anything wrong with it. It's better than having no captions at all. For the weather, all you need to know is what it'll be like tomorrow. The rest is just filler.

[rkolsen 1684]

Yeah WBFF and doing things right is an oxymoron. I'm going to start a thread on this topic.

[Rusty Muck 4374]

The FCC has looked at captions a lot lately, including for television programs on the Internet, and wants to ensure parity and synchronicity with what is said on TV. This may not sit well.

 

[yt]7MzmihWo-tk[/yt]

[tyrannical bastard 3951]

The bottom line is, that mistakes are going to happen, regardless of how a show is captioned. The fact that the FCC thinks they can fix this through enforcement is idiotic and does nothing to solve the issue at hand. Even the best captioners hear what they hear and type it out of context.

 

Didn't there used to be a rule that stations in the largest markets had to provide live captions for live programs? If it's the top 25, Baltimore and San Antonio are out but Cleveland is in.

[rkolsen 1684]

The bottom line is, that mistakes are going to happen, regardless of how a show is captioned. The fact that the FCC thinks they can fix this through enforcement is idiotic and does nothing to solve the issue at hand. Even the best captioners hear what they hear and type it out of context.

Didn't there used to be a rule that stations in the largest markets had to provide live captions for live programs? If it's the top 25, Baltimore and San Antonio are out but Cleveland is in.

According to the FCC website there are no market based exemptions listed anymore. The only exemption that could apply would be undue hardship which doesn't apply to Sinclair.

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

The bottom line is, that mistakes are going to happen, regardless of how a show is captioned. The fact that the FCC thinks they can fix this through enforcement is idiotic and does nothing to solve the issue at hand. Even the best captioners hear what they hear and type it out of context.

 

Didn't there used to be a rule that stations in the largest markets had to provide live captions for live programs? If it's the top 25, Baltimore and San Antonio are out but Cleveland is in.

 

Speaking of your avatar, john christopher burns was the graphic designer responsible for a lot of artwork during that era of WOIO, He has "rerendered" a lot of his best or favorite work in HD on both flickr and Google.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcburns/8298404162/

 

https://flic.kr/p/dDiuhL

 

https://flic.kr/p/dDiupy

 

I gather he grew up in the Columbus area and started work at CHannel 4.

 

He has a lot of neat things in addition to TV artwork, such as this re-rendering of a Sohio station.

 

https://flic.kr/p/jDCcVP

[Samantha 2895]

 

Speaking of your avatar, john christopher burns was the graphic designer responsible for a lot of artwork during that era of WOIO, He has "rerendered" a lot of his best or favorite work in HD on both flickr and Google.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcburns/8298404162/

 

https://flic.kr/p/dDiuhL

 

https://flic.kr/p/dDiupy

 

I gather he grew up in the Columbus area and started work at CHannel 4.

 

He has a lot of neat things in addition to TV artwork, such as this re-rendering of a Sohio station.

 

https://flic.kr/p/jDCcVP

 

He went to Ohio University in Athens, but he's been in Georgia for 35 years or so now. In fact, the local company that did do work for WCMH was Cranston-Csuri, that cutting edge of CG firms (why Columbus? Ohio State's animation program).

 

None of the Columbus stations ever used his work, though in Cincinnati WCPO used Television by Design in 1987 (the year he went out on his own after being with that firm; WKRC would later hire TVbD in the 90s, and so would WOIO/WUAB). Toledo's WTOL also had a TVbD package starting in 1986; WDTN had several in the 80s and 90s. Of course WKBN went for a full redesign from him in 2008.

[sanewsguy 511]

Didn't 19xix use them as well?

[Samantha 2895]

 

Didn't 19xix use them as well?

 

Yes! TVbD had them as a client for more than a decade and well into the 90s. Plus I forgot WEWS, which JC Burns was around for some of the work on (though TVbD kept that contract). Thanks for reminding me.

[tyrannical bastard 3951]

....and to steer this topic back into something about the Heathens of Hunt Valley...

 

I don't think TVBd or John Christopher Burns have done any work for Sinclair stations, even before they were acquired. It is a shame to see his work gradually fading away in favor of group packages adopted by other companies.

 

And as for the closed captioning issue, I know the ENG is the easiest and most cost-effective way to do it, and live captioning is very expensive, so companies like Sinclair only take the live route if it is absolutely necessary, like during wall to wall weather coverage that is not scriptable. However, the use of maps and graphics is usually acceptable to convey warnings to the hard of hearing. Anything else is solely to appease the FCC IMHO....

[Rusty Muck 4374]

He went to Ohio University in Athens, but he's been in Georgia for 35 years or so now. In fact, the local company that did do work for WCMH was Cranston-Csuri, that cutting edge of CG firms (why Columbus? Ohio State's animation program).

 

None of the Columbus stations ever used his work, though in Cincinnati WCPO used Television by Design in 1987 (the year he went out on his own after being with that firm; WKRC would later hire TVbD in the 90s, and so would WOIO/WUAB). Toledo's WTOL also had a TVbD package starting in 1986; WDTN had several in the 80s and 90s. Of course WKBN went for a full redesign from him in 2008.

JCB was also part of WTCG/WTBS's art department throughout the late 70s and early 80s. (In fact, longtime Turner Broadcasting continuity announcer Bill "The Troll" Tullis also did some imaging for WOIO alongside their TVbD package.)

 

WEWS and WOIO adopted the TVbD look at the same time... WOIO from day one in November 1985, and WEWS in early 1986 (at the same time they adopted the "Good News" package). Compare

from that era with

from that era with

from that era.

[TVIntheDesert 183]

The Sinclair Fan Club (TVNewsCheck) put out a story this morning giving the scenario whether KOMO can become the top rated news station in Seattle. I think we'll see the Mariners (or the Cubs, for that matter) win the World Series before this happens:

 

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/76583/komo-ups-pressure-to-unseat-king-in-news