KCEN/Waco debuts new home

[Greggo 358]

KCEN, the Tegna (former London Broadcasting) station in the Waco/Temple/Killeen market, moved to its new home today. The station bought a former church and remodeled it, relocating from its middle-of-nowhere studios on the side of I-35, where a meteorologist was shot in the parking lot 2 years ago.

 

The set is a little cheesy in my opinion. I get that Fort Hood is in their DMA, but all that red, white and blue seems a bit much.

 

They've brought in folks from other Tegna stations to help with today's launch.

 

[MEDIA=twitter]810618348899889152[/MEDIA]

 

[MEDIA=twitter]810300505050255361[/MEDIA]

[TennTV1983 807]

So that's where KUSA's old news set went.

[rkolsen 1686]

The set already looks dated and the stone around the weather desk looks very odd.

 

Looks like they're using those Sony PTZ cameras for broadcast. I saw that kind of TelePrompTer being used when KHOU launched their new set and had a suspicion that those were in use until I saw these photos. Amazing that something so small can produce good images.

[NEOMatrix 1307]

That's a new set?!? Looks more like WXIA's set from a decade ago. I shudder to think what WHAS is getting under Tegna.

[Weeters 1969]

Their switcher also appears to be a hand-me-down.

 

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That looks to me like a Grass Valley Kayak, which hasn't been manufactured for a while.

 

Did they build a station out of surplus inventory???

[Journalist 894]

Did they build a station out of surplus inventory???

 

Tegna's Surplus Inventory: Everything must go! (we mean that in the most literal way.)

[ABC 7 Denver 1729]

That's a new set?!? Looks more like WXIA's set from a decade ago. I shudder to think what WHAS is getting under Tegna.

 

It's the old KUSA set. It isn't new, just a hand-me-down.

[NEOMatrix 1307]

Tegna's Surplus Inventory: Everything must go! (we mean that in the most literal way.)

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Get your Tegna gear at Tegna's Surplus Inventory before it's gone! Off the Dulles Toll Road next to Nexstar's Website Generator!

[TexasTVNews 1378]

[Journalist 894]

Yikes, it's the exact set. It really doesn't deserved this...

[rkolsen 1686]

 

Yikes, it's the exact set. It really doesn't deserved this...

 

Well we know where KCEN is on the TEGNA pecking order.

 

Interesting that the only thing they did to hide the 9 News logo was place a TV in front of it and replace the backdrop. Watch us find out that the switcher is from the old KING building. They're probably are lucky that they got new monitors in the "control room" / what looks like broom closet.

[Weeters 1969]

Watch us find out that the switcher is from the old KING building.

 

Funny story there...

 

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That's a Kayak.

[C Block 1566]

Reduce, reuse, recycle?

[rkolsen 1686]

Funny story there...

 

[MEDIA=vine]Oa3M1PgIP3u[/MEDIA]

 

That's a Kayak.

And the PTZ cameras came from the corporate HQ's before they moved to Cisco Telepresence?

 

Just to clarify this was the station that was all chroma key before the move with the terrible audio echo?

[TVCSD 3]

Yikes, it's the exact set. It really doesn't deserved this...

 

It's Tegna, should they really be expecting more?!?!

[C Block 1566]

This is really not a bad set to hand down, especially if they were using a key set before. Some small stations would kill to have a nice big market set, even if it's one that's a little long in the tooth. But still...could they have come up with a busier design for the duratrans?

[MidwestTV 1244]

The studio already looks dated, but maybe that's because we know it was used at KUSA for what was it, over a decade? I feel that they could have shelled out a few extra dollars those two smaller duratrans monitor arrays or a RPG. Actually, the entire set might look pretty good if the duratrans were monitors instead.

[Journalist 894]

It's Tegna, should they really be expecting more?!?!

Expecting more from Tegna? They aren't KSAT. So no.

[Greggo 358]

The studio already looks dated, but maybe that's because we know it was used at KUSA for what was it, over a decade? I feel that they could have shelled out a few extra dollars those two smaller duratrans monitor arrays or a RPG. Actually, the entire set might look pretty good if the duratrans were monitors instead.

 

Agreed that monitors would look better. But, KWTX, the Gray-owned CBS affiliate in Waco, has a fairly new set that relies pretty much exclusively on monitors behind the anchor desk. They might not have wanted to have such a similar look. Although, let's be honest, the more that comes out about this project -- recycled building, recycled set, recycled switcher, recycled who knows what else -- this just appears to be Tegna being its usual cheap self. A new duratrans is way cheaper than an array of monitors.

 

As for the odd-looking weather center that someone mentioned above, it's apparently not done yet, according to a tweet from one of their mets.

 

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[sfomspphl 498]

That KUSA set was my favorite of the TEGNA lot the last decade - nice to see it live on. But yes those duratrans are way too busy. No outside scenic shot in Waco? Not much of a skyline I guess, but maybe some prairie or hills?

[A3N 1002]

Well seeing that there's a recurring theme of recycling, i'm guessing that this is the place where the old recycled Tegna talent will eventually wind up at?...

[rkolsen 1686]

Funny story there...

 

[MEDIA=vine]Oa3M1PgIP3u[/MEDIA]

 

That's a Kayak.

 

Looks like it may be from the old building:

 

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[atlnews2 595]

I wonder how KCEN employees feel about having a news desk that still has the logo of the original station on the front. Reusing a set isn't a bad idea if it's done right (look at WHBQ getting WFTV's old set) but this just feel lazy and cheap. They could have at least taken the KUSA logo off the desk.

[A3N 1002]

I wonder how KCEN employees feel about having a news desk that still has the logo of the original station on the front. Reusing a set isn't a bad idea if it's done right (look at WHBQ getting WFTV's old set) but this just feel lazy and cheap. They could have at least taken the KUSA logo off the desk.

But that takes money, and it's clear that Tegna did not want to spend more than what was needed. Even then, I think WHBQ's set was mostly new pieces with a few recycled pieces from WFTV, so it might as well be a new set.