WKTV (Utica) Gets New Set

[MikeBucc 29]

WKTV got a new set tonight. A few things to keep in mind, WKTV is in Utica and the previous set was so bad that while the new set may not seem like much it's a major upgrade.

 

The station isn't in HD yet, but says they will be within the next 6 months (end of year/2015).

 

Watch the video of the unavailing. They keep saying there's still more to be done. So I'm not sure if the open newsroom look is staying forever (or what's "not finished"). The view into the newsroom doesn't seem to fit, so I wonder if something is going to change with that.

 

http://www.wktv.com/news/local/A-new-era-gets-under-way-with-unveiling-of-WKTVs-new-set-269886481.html

 

I'll try to post some pictures later, but the video above gives you a great look at the set.

[sanewsguy 510]

Seems like Bob Prather bought the Gray set design over to Heartland. The set looks very similar to KAKE/KOLO/KHAS's current set. All use the same general design.

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

WKTV got a new set tonight. A few things to keep in mind, WKTV is in Utica and the previous set was so bad that while the new set may not seem like much it's a major upgrade.

 

 

I wouldn't be ashamed of that set. Looked good to me. I would be ashamed of HD not coming until 2015, however.

[MikeBucc 29]

 

So far people (on facebook) think it's too much blue, too dark (I thought it just looked like that on the live stream) and don't like seeing the newsroom.

[Geoffrey 860]

Nice upgrade... but if you're going to put the newsroom in the background, it HAS to look better than that! A few boring desks? There's not any real depth. Plus the back wall is super plain. They should dress it up.

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

Nice upgrade... but if you're going to put the newsroom in the background, it HAS to look better than that! A few boring desks? There's not any real depth. Plus the back wall is super plain. They should dress it up.

 

If you watched the video, I think she was hinting that they were going to do something with that window.

 

I almost like the font they used in that logo, but it looks like they skewed it all wrong. It looks like you're viewing their logo in 4:3 stretched to a 16:9 screen. I bet it REALLY looks goofy when it is stretched on a 16:9 screen.

 

Kind of reminds me of the Hearst-era logo for WDTN, which I always liked. The font they used for the "2" was way ahead of its time, it came even before Obama popularized the "Highway Gothic" look. Now you see variations of that "Highway Gothic" font everywhere.

 

[sanewsguy 510]

 

Kind of reminds me of the Hearst-era logo for WDTN, which I always liked. The font they used for the "2" was way ahead of its time, it came even before Obama popularized the "Highway Gothic" look. Now you see variations of that "Highway Gothic" font everywhere.

 

 

Close enough. Gotham, not Highway Gothic. BTW, Gotham as a font had not yet been created when WDTN made that logo.

[MidwestTV 1232]

Very hard to believe that's supposed to be an upgrade. The video quality on the website was so bad I'm surprised I could even see anything. What's astonishing to me is the fact that it apparently took them until August 2014 before they were able to stand up and move around the set and not be bound to the desk. It honestly looks like something from the early 2000s. Plus, if the set isn't even done yet, then why debut it?

[sanewsguy 510]

 

Very hard to believe that's supposed to be an upgrade. The video quality on the website was so bad I'm surprised I could even see anything. What's astonishing to me is the fact that it apparently took them until August 2014 before they were able to stand up and move around the set and not be bound to the desk. It honestly looks like something from the early 2000s. Plus, if the set isn't even done yet, then why debut it?

 

I think the set upgrade should've been accompanied with a switch to HD. As MidwestTV said the quality isn't great, and I think HD should've been a bigger priority than a new set.

[rkolsen 1684]

I think the set upgrade should've been accompanied with a switch to HD. As MidwestTV said the quality isn't great, and I think HD should've been a bigger priority than a new set.

At a bare minimum they should have gone to enhanced definition 16:9. As for the set it looks good for the market 171/210.

 

My only complaint is with the weather set - I hate the cloud paneling it looks cheap. Pm idea of the perfect weather center would have the basic control pod, computers next to the wall with a few HDTVs displaying various maps. If they want to have bare walls then make sure they match the ret of the set. Maybe have a sign with the network or station logo with the name what ever they'd call their forecasts - etched glass perhaps. The weather sets I like are from some of the NBC O&O like WTVJ, KXAS, KNBC and I also like WABCs as well.

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

Close enough. Gotham, not Highway Gothic. BTW, Gotham as a font had not yet been created when WDTN made that logo.

 

Well, my point was that whoever did the artwork here was way ahead of their time. That logo kind of captures the "Gotham" look (which I think was inspired by the font used on highway signs) long before Gotham and its variants became popular. I know it isn't Gotham, but it sure captures that look. I have no idea which font they used.

 

It may not look very impressive here, but they way it was used looked great on screen. I was sorry to see them abandon this logo.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FHWA_Series_fonts

 

(Thanks for the correction, by the way. I forgot it was called Gotham.)

[sanewsguy 510]

 

Well, my point was that whoever did the artwork here was way ahead of their time. That logo kind of captures the "Gotham" look (which I think was inspired by the font used on highway signs) long before Gotham and its variants became popular. I know it isn't Gotham, but it sure captures that look. I have no idea which font they used.

 

It may not look very impressive here, but they way it was used looked great on screen. I was sorry to see them abandon this logo.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FHWA_Series_fonts

 

(Thanks for the correction, by the way. I forgot it was called Gotham.)

 

The font that was inspired by the highway font is "Interstate", that's what you were thinking about. Highway Gothic is the name of the font used on highway signs.

 

Off topic but fortunately you live in Ohio which still uses Highway Gothic. Here in Texas we get this crappy font called Clearview which is so freakin' ugly. The state government should have put this to the voters before changing all the damn signs:

 

I know I b*tch about that and KSAT's handling of The Chew a lot but they're the two things that drive me crazy.

 

Carry on

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

Off topic but fortunately you live in Ohio which still uses Highway Gothic.

 

Nope, signs here are slowly being converted to Clearview too.

 

But I'm not as negative about it as you are. Clearview looks okay when whoever is setting the type has a good eye and knows how to lay it out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know what they're doing and they skew the lettering ... again looking like 4:3 broadcast on a 16:9 screen.

 

I have no opinion on highway signs one way or another--I think Highway Gothic looks good too. I do think Clearview looks especially good on street signs, though. The variants of the Highway Gothic font they used on local street signs were pretty ugly, IMO.

 

Here's a particularly attractive use of the font on a local street sign (they look great in person):

 

http://www.cityscenecolumbus.com/Tri-Village/May-2014/Signs-of-Positive-Times/?page=&mid=1486

 

Also, I do like the Clearview numbers, but if you want to ask me whether Clearview is more readable or not? Both have the same amount of readability to me.

[Samantha 2895]

 

Nope, signs here are slowly being converted to Clearview too.

 

But I'm not as negative about it as you are. Clearview looks okay when whoever is setting the type has a good eye and knows how to lay it out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know what they're doing and they skew the lettering ... again looking like 4:3 broadcast on a 16:9 screen.

 

I have no opinion on highway signs one way or another--I think Highway Gothic looks good too. I do think Clearview looks especially good on street signs, though. The variants of the Highway Gothic font they used on local street signs were pretty ugly, IMO.

 

We have Clearview out here as well in AZ. In fact one of the first Clearview signs in the state went up on a road interchange near me and I spotted it, realizing it was the start of something.

[sanewsguy 510]

 

Nope, signs here are slowly being converted to Clearview too.

 

But I'm not as negative about it as you are. Clearview looks okay when whoever is setting the type has a good eye and knows how to lay it out. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know what they're doing and they skew the lettering ... again looking like 4:3 broadcast on a 16:9 screen.

 

I have no opinion on highway signs one way or another--I think Highway Gothic looks good too. I do think Clearview looks especially good on street signs, though. The variants of the Highway Gothic font they used on local street signs were pretty ugly, IMO.

 

Here's a particularly attractive use of the font on a local street sign (they look great in person):

 

http://www.cityscenecolumbus.com/Tri-Village/May-2014/Signs-of-Positive-Times/?page=&mid=1486

 

Also, I do like the Clearview numbers, but if you want to ask me whether Clearview is more readable or not? Both have the same amount of readability to me.

 

Come to San Antonio, the city recently switched to the font. Let's just say TX-DOT is much better at using it than the local public works. The city has definitely found a way to make it look like crap.

 

 

 

 

I actually had no opinion of it until the city began using it two or three years ago. That may be why I'm not a fan of it. Like you said, the font can be applied incorrectly like TV graphics. The city appears to stretch or shrink the font to fit the space.

 

The sign in the site you linked to actually looks nice. I guess it's not that bad of a font after all. But our city is horrible with street signs, there literally seems to be six different designs the city uses and they have no apparent reason for picking which one. It's like they just design them however the hell they want and as long as it has a street name, even if it's misspelled, nobody seems to care.

 

Anyways...

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

Come to San Antonio, the city recently switched to the font. Let's just say TX-DOT is much better at using it than the local public works. The city has definitely found a way to make it look like crap.

 

 

 

That "Nationwide" looks like the non-narrow version of font on the new signs Columbus is putting up. I don't know if its some kind of Clearview option or som bastard version of Arial, but it is pretty ugly looking. I've seen some of the suburbs stretch and skew Univers and Helvetica to weird proportions. One suburb was using Helvetica which, in theory, should be a good looking font. But if you don't know how to line everything up properly it ends up looking like crap.

 

Most people probably don't care, but it takes so little effort to add a touch of beauty to our daily lives that I think people should pay more attention to things like this.

[MikeBucc 29]

As they indicated, they did have some elements to add to their set...they added some monitors in the newsroom

[sanewsguy 510]

Seems like they darkened the newsroom too. I hope the people in the newsroom are not working in the dark...

[DirtyHarry 727]

Kristen looks kind of skanky in that picture two posts above. She looked a lot better in the video.