WABC New Graphics

[wabceyewitness 767]

 

If those issues hamper viewership and quality, I don't think WABC will be the state of New York's #1 news for much longer.

 

 

As much as people on this forum hate these new graphics, let's be realistic. Except for the 2008 package and it's update in 2011, WABC has always had underwhelming graphics and probably the worst in the city. Even the 2008/2011 packages, which were very nice compared to other packages, were still clunky and cheesy. Bottom line - maybe this package will be tweaked some given the feedback the station in getting, but the overall look will be around for at least 3-4 years and it won't have an impact one way or the other on ratings.

[24994J 5276]

As much as people on this forum hate these new graphics, let's be realistic. Except for the 2008 package and it's update in 2011, WABC has always had underwhelming graphics and probably the worst in the city. Even the 2008/2011 packages, which were very nice compared to other packages, were still clunky and cheesy. Bottom line - maybe this package will be tweaked some given the feedback the station in getting, but the overall look will be around for at least 3-4 years and it won't have an impact one way or the other on ratings.

Exactly. The only main complaints I've seen on their Facebook page are that the viewers' cable companies/TV settings aren't letterboxing the newscasts.

[mardek1995 200]

As much as people on this forum hate these new graphics, let's be realistic. Except for the 2008 package and it's update in 2011, WABC has always had underwhelming graphics and probably the worst in the city. Even the 2008/2011 packages, which were very nice compared to other packages, were still clunky and cheesy. Bottom line - maybe this package will be tweaked some given the feedback the station in getting, but the overall look will be around for at least 3-4 years and it won't have an impact one way or the other on ratings.

 

Exactly. The only main complaints I've seen on their Facebook page are that the viewers' cable companies/TV settings aren't letterboxing the newscasts.

You two made good points. I mean, the other NYC stations' graphics look better by comparison (especially NBC 4's, CBS 2's, and PIX11's) hell, I might as well add that WABC's sisters (KGO in particular) have better graphics than WABC itself, and sort of always had.

[PanchamBro 19]

Weekend 6pm Open. They fixed "News York's", but Charlie Van Dyke doesn't say "at 6"...really feel like WABC rushed these graphics.

 

Speaking of: Charlie Van Dyke really should quit doing voice-overs. I mean, he is a good voice-over (especially since my local station WAVY-TV has him...well, at least until Nexstar ruins it), but he's 68 and his voice is already deteriorating. Jefferson Kaye was 73 when he retired from WPVI in 2011. Couldn't another v/o like Scott Chapin or Bill Ratner take over?

 

Bottom line - maybe this package will be tweaked some given the feedback the station in getting, but the overall look will be around for at least 3-4 years and it won't have an impact one way or the other on ratings.

 

Tell that to WTKR, when they made a new graphic back in 1994 that gave them low ratings. It only lasted for about a year, until WTKR changed their graphics again, with a new newscast title: Newschannel 3 (heard that they're ditching the name in favor of News 3 again).

[24994J 5276]

Speaking of: Charlie Van Dyke really should quit doing voice-overs. I mean, he is a good voice-over, [...] but he's 68 and his voice is already deteriorating. Jefferson Kaye was 73 when he retired from WPVI in 2011. Couldn't another v/o like Scott Chapin or Bill Ratner take over?

While those two are in better vocal shape, Ratner's 69 and Chapin already retired once. I don't see why they'd be logical successors to Van Dyke.

[Vlad 276]

Yeah these graphics are here to stay whether we like it or not. Maybe when they refresh it in 2-3 years in 2018 or 2019 it will look somewhat like KTRK in Houston. Honestly if they had more detail like Houston's graphics that would be their best package. And I feel like they can really do that. Looks like the dated Eyewitness News Series 4 music is here to stay too since they've done all of these opens already. Such a shame. I'm still very disappointed lol, still gonna watch them but definitely not happy.

 

I wish they had the voiceover guy from the late 90s and Early 2000s. I think he still actually does the previews on the station for the stations shows. Is it Bill Ratner? Could be wrong but I like his voice better.

[ToriElectra 291]

Yeah these graphics are here to stay whether we like it or not. Maybe when they refresh it in 2-3 years in 2018 or 2019 it will look somewhat like KTRK in Houston. Honestly if they had more detail like Houston's graphics that would be their best package. And I feel like they can really do that. Looks like the dated Eyewitness News Series 4 music is here to stay too since they've done all of these opens already. Such a shame. I'm still very disappointed lol, still gonna watch them but definitely not happy.

 

I wish they had the voiceover guy from the late 90s and Early 2000s. I think he still actually does the previews on the station for the stations shows. Is it Bill Ratner? Could be wrong but I like his voice better.

You mean the deep-voiced guy who also did stuff for WUSA, Mike Lewis? I think he still does the occasional promo, but I'm not sure. David Kaye is still around- he was doing the VOs in the late 90s (while you could also hear him on Fox 5, hamming it up as Megatron in Beast Wars and Beast Machines).

[Vlad 276]

Yes, I believe it is Mike Lewis. He still does the previews for the station's shows and stuff. He did the opens from 2001-2004.

[Breaking News 802]

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wabc-renames-city-in-graphics-oops/169959

[24994J 5276]

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wabc-renames-city-in-graphics-oops/169959

Old news.

[Weeters 1811]

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wabc-renames-city-in-graphics-oops/169959

 

Oh look, another thing Michael P. Hill likely lifted from here being parroted by other blogs that credit him for "finding it".

 

:rolleyes:

[RGSJenkins 432]

They format their bug differently during the "Good Morning America" news brief.

[24994J 5276]

It's not perfect, but that would be better than what they have for all the other broadcasts. Ugh

[Action Newsroom 1150]

See? That's much better, but still...

[mardek1995 200]

They format their bug differently during the "Good Morning America" news brief.

Now I see where WABC's graphics comes from.

[ns8401 846]

Now I see where WABC's graphics comes from.

No... Those are the same graphics that only WABC uses. They just use a GMA bug for the GMA updates.

[brianpr3 173]

well now that rob powers is leavin they will ave to redo 2 opens ha ha

[Vlad 276]

well now that rob powers is leavin they will ave to redo 2 opens ha ha

 

Or maybe they might scrap the opens altogether since they don't have it for the 11:00 broadcast. And talent opens don't seem to be the norm anymore for news stations KABC doesn't do them anymore just to name a few. WLS still keeps the tradition.

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 748]

I mean I get stations wanting to have talent opens and whatnot, but isn't that covered enough with promos?? Plus, 1/2 the time, there's always 1 person missing that's in the stupid talent opens that are on vacay and whatnot... All of the stations here dumped that tradition n the mid 2000s

[wabceyewitness 767]

I mean I get stations wanting to have talent opens and whatnot, but isn't that covered enough with promos?? Plus, 1/2 the time, there's always 1 person missing that's in the stupid talent opens that are on vacay and whatnot... All of the stations here dumped that tradition n the mid 2000s

 

Depends on the market and station and how much traction talent names have with viewers. For WABC, at least, they must have research showing that a large number of viewers identify with their talent and that it benefits them to keep reinforcing it.

 

As for not having it at 5 and 11pm, perhaps the research shows that viewers want to get to the news right away... Which, as you can see by WABC's new 5 and 11pm format, they do just that. They skip even the talent introducing themselves and, in many cases, the first person you see is the lead reporter. On a recent 5pm broadcast, the anchors were not seen on screen until 5:03pm, about 6 minutes into the newscast.

[Brain 81]

They look gorgeous.

[RetroCirq 148]

Depends on the market and station and how much traction talent names have with viewers. For WABC, at least, they must have research showing that a large number of viewers identify with their talent and that it benefits them to keep reinforcing it.

 

As for not having it at 5 and 11pm, perhaps the research shows that viewers want to get to the news right away... Which, as you can see by WABC's new 5 and 11pm format, they do just that. They skip even the talent introducing themselves and, in many cases, the first person you see is the lead reporter. On a recent 5pm broadcast, the anchors were not seen on screen until 5:03pm, about 6 minutes into the newscast.

Maybe. Or maybe they haven't had the chance to shoot Diane/Sade and Bill's intro in time for the new graphics....

[wabceyewitness 767]

Maybe. Or maybe they haven't had the chance to shoot Diane/Sade and Bill's intro in time for the new graphics....

 

No, they shot them. The 5pm open was on the WABC Vimeo account before being made private. Bill is already in the 6pm open.

[ns8401 846]

I mean I get stations wanting to have talent opens and whatnot, but isn't that covered enough with promos?? Plus, 1/2 the time, there's always 1 person missing that's in the stupid talent opens that are on vacay and whatnot... All of the stations here dumped that tradition n the mid 2000s

All of the stations only had it there in the mid 2000's...

[RetroCirq 148]

No, they shot them. The 5pm open was on the WABC Vimeo account before being made private. Bill is already in the 6pm open.

I see. But I guess now with Rob leaving the station for Cleveland, I guess they can do a temp cold open and once they have a new sports anchor, it's back to the talents.