1980s Set Designers/Fabricators?

[24994J 5552]

WLS and WXYZ actually used the same sets pre-1983 (though the latter had this gone by '84):

WLS had that set from like '79 to '81, with a handful of modifications.

, but it was in place during their worst years. They went through sets and desks like water for a half dozen years in the late 70's and early 80's, so neither the WXYZ set or the KABC looks lasted long.

[tyrannical bastard 3933]

The top 2 sets (WJW and KOVR) were designed by Gil Jimenez. G&G Designs was a former business name. Gil is still working and now his business is Gil Jimenez Broadcast Design. I've worked with Gil in the past on a few projects.

 

I believe Gil Jimenez did many of the standard-issue Gray sets introduced from the mid to late 2000s. Some are still in use today.

 

 

Who did the mid-80 Scripps sets? I know WEWS, WCPO and WMC had them.

[Info Junkie 1286]

Who did the mid-80 Scripps sets? I know WEWS, WCPO and WMC had them.

So did WPTV and KJRH. The latter using that set is pretty rare, but there is a 1986 news brief with Beth Rengel where a "blue background" is shown behind her, which is part of that set. I wish we could find more KJRH from that period, but that's just typical Oklahoma television for ya.

[bixpchiphead 105]

WLS and WXYZ actually used the same sets pre-1983 (though the latter had this gone by '84):

The set in the round were in two varieties, WLS (with 2 Tri Vision weather/chromakey/station logo units) and the WXYZ variety (w/ 1 TriVision unit). In addition to WLS, the dual TriVision sets also were at KTVI, and KOB-TV.

And along w/ WXYZ, the set in the round w/ single TriVision units included KPIX and WKYC.

 

I am almost willing to bet that the book that noggi posted from the Broadcast Design Association may have both the WXYZ and KPIX sets described above complete with a listing of the materials used to build it...

 

KPIX's version... And WKYC's.... and KOB's Photo's The shot with the logo is the Tri Vision, and the other is the actual set

[Info Junkie 1286]

there is a 1986 news brief with Beth Rengel where a "blue background" is shown behind her, which is part of that set.

[noggi 604]

The set in the round were in two varieties, WLS (with 2 Tri Vision weather/chromakey/station logo units) and the WXYZ variety (w/ 1 TriVision unit). In addition to WLS, the dual TriVision sets also were at KTVI, and KOB-TV.

And along w/ WXYZ, the set in the round w/ single TriVision units included KPIX and WKYC.

 

I am almost willing to bet that the book that noggi posted from the Broadcast Design Association may have both the WXYZ and KPIX sets described above complete with a listing of the materials used to build it...

 

KPIX's version... And WKYC's.... and KOB's Photo's The shot with the logo is the Tri Vision, and the other is the actual set

 

Here's a photo and background information on WXYZ's version of that set:

 

 

 

 

as well as some photos of KPIX's version of that set:

 

 

 

[Info Junkie 1286]

I'd like to know who designed the Gannett stations' sets, despite adding the "red white and blue" color to them.

[edladd 14]

That first pic reminds me a lot of the KOCO5 set when they were owned by Gannett. Oil was booming back then and Gannett built a fabulous new building for them in 1979, which of course is still in use today. It has an awesome patio overlooking a small pond/lake and even a gym.

[edladd 14]

KOCO5

[noggi 604]

I'd like to know who designed the Gannett stations' sets, despite adding the "red white and blue" color to them.

 

Not sure if this is helpful, but here's some info on KPNX's old set. Not sure if they were owned by Gannett at the time, but it sure looks similar to some of the other sets from that era within that company.

 

 

[Info Junkie 1286]

Not sure if this is helpful, but here's some info on KPNX's old set. Not sure if they were owned by Gannett at the time, but it sure looks similar to some of the other sets from that era within that company.

 

 

This does help... in fact, KARK in Little Rock had that same set, albeit having a "4" carved on the main news desk.

[noggi 604]

This does help... in fact, KARK in Little Rock had that same set, albeit having a "4" carved on the main news desk.

 

Here's info on KARK's set:

 

 

 

 

[Info Junkie 1286]

At last, a full shot of KJRH using the Scripps-mandated set.

[TennTV1983 802]

[ATTACH=full]4471[/ATTACH] At last, a full shot of KJRH using the Scripps-mandated set.

Oh yes. I remember this type of set as WMC-TV had a similar one in the late 80s/early 90s.

 

[RCA TK47 277]

KHSL in Chico California eventually ended up with (purchased?) KOVR's old set when KOVR moved to their new studios in West Sacramento around the early 1990s.

.

[RCA TK47 277]

[ATTACH=full]4357[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]4356[/ATTACH]

 

Of course the gray/tan set with wood and blue accents was the "in thing" in the 1980s. (WJW and KOVR nearly identical sets above, obviously done by the same firm). I'm just curious if anybody knows what companies did designs/fabrication in that era and if they're still around?

 

Figured I’d add a screen grab of WLKY circa 1987 in here too.

[10Viewer 333]

[ATTACH=full]5556[/ATTACH]

 

Figured I’d add a screen grab of WLKY circa 1987 in here too.

 

Graphics Express comes to mind. Popular set designer in the '80s. Don't know much other than that.

[timanny 13]

There's a missing KOVR era here, and it's missing because it did not last long at all...

 

Jackpot.

[Metrodonmartin 42]

[ATTACH=full]5556[/ATTACH]

 

Figured I’d add a screen grab of WLKY circa 1987 in here too.

 

Yup. That’s Gil Jimenez. He was a part of Graphics Express. Later G and G Designs. Now Gil Jimenez Broadcast Design.

[ProduceGuy 31]

Here's another standout design from the 80s. Notice the lack of duratrans. The WTVQ and KOTV designs look very similar. Not sure if WBAL's set was done by the same designer. Anyone know who designed these? Any other stations that used them?

 

WTVQ 1989:

KOTV 1985:

WBAL 1988:

[sfomspphl 490]

It's a distinctive look but doesn't hold up as well as the Jimenez sets. Those bulkheads hang down too low and make the talent look compressed. The WTVQ set is the best of that lot.

[Eat News 4745]

It's a distinctive look but doesn't hold up as well as the Jimenez sets. Those bulkheads hang down too low and make the talent look compressed. The WTVQ set is the best of that lot.

 

Jimenez had a way of creating false bulkheads to hide studio lights. He used a "shoot thru" frame with a fake bulkhead attached way back in 1977 at KGTV.

 

Wish I could get an aircheck of that set...but here is a 1975 KGTV screen grab from a show close.

Pretty sure his set fetish began at KGTV.

 

 

Can anyone tell the class who that Assignment Editor was???

[Eat News 4745]

Jimenez had a way of creating false bulkheads to hide studio lights. He used a "shoot thru" frame with a fake bulkhead attached way back in 1977 at KGTV.

 

Wish I could get an aircheck of that set..?

 

Here is a shot of that fake bulkhead....everything above the anchors is on a wood frame, directly in front of a studio camera.

 

Thanks to the Jack White collection circa 1979.

 

Very clever Gil.

[ProduceGuy 31]

The WTVQ set is the best of that lot.

 

The first and only time that’s been said on this board

[ToriElectra 292]

Meanwhile, all throughout the 90s, there were tons of sets-- notably KNXV's "spaceship" set when they launched their news op-- that all seemed to come from the same people and had a lot of standard elements: girders/crossbeams, monitor banks (which typically didn't work), funky-looking backdrops and desks. I dunno who designed/built these things, but there were a lot of users (there are probably more that I can't recall at the moment):

 

KNXV

 

WGNX/WGCL

 

WOIO/WUAB

 

WKYC

 

WUSA

 

KSAT

 

I wanted to add a bunch of screen caps, but apparently you can't embed the images directly from your computer.