1980s Set Designers/Fabricators?

[tyrannical bastard 3942]

The clip that @bmasters1 was referring to is below, since the WAKR set looks like some that I've seen from that time period, namely for WTWV/WTVA 9 in Tupelo, MS, with that "in the round" desk and keyable oval backdrop.  Probably a kit set?

Back then, they had the financial backing and shared ownership of their radio partners (1590 AM and 97.5 FM WAEZ, which started as WAKR-FM and is now WONE-FM)

The radio stations would be sold off several years later, and WAKC (a result of the 1590 calls going separately) would later be sold to ValueVision, then Paxson, who pulled the plug on news and their ABC affiliation.

 

They covered Akron-Canton decently, but the way it was maligned under the ratings sealed its doom, since the overall ratings sucked, but was heavily viewed in the Akron/Canton area. 

This also affected its ability to secure programming and advertising, since it was at Cleveland rates.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by tyrannical bastard

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

WEWS's set from around 1984 did go through some changes as one other user mentioned earlier. The 1st change was the logo overhead. The second was the monitors area behind the anchor desk was replace with some kind of platform with lines on it. The third change was the removal of the Eyewitness News logo and the background became a Cleveland skyline. A WEWS logo has been added to the front of the desk and a color change took effect.  Just compare them.

Edited October 1, 2020 by 5OnYourSideMan

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the set of PBS Newshour so here it is.  I have no idea who made these set for New York and Virgina.

[tyrannical bastard 3942]

On 10/1/2020 at 6:13 AM, 5OnYourSideMan said:

WEWS's set from around 1984 did go through some changes as one other user mentioned earlier. The 1st change was the logo overhead. The second was the monitors area behind the anchor desk was replace with some kind of platform with lines on it. The third change was the removal of the Eyewitness News logo and the background became a Cleveland skyline. A WEWS logo has been added to the front of the desk and a color change took effect.  Just compare them.

The first two images were from their 1986-7 relaunch with the tvBd/Good News package, and lasted into 1990.  I think the next set revamp happened when they retired "Eyewitness News".

The second two were the NewsChannel5 relaunch in 1990 which lasted into the 1995 switch to the new "tilted 5" graphics and Edd Kalehoff theme.  The set would be retired that July.

The final two were the original 1984 set that lasted into the tvBd/Good News revamp.  It looks like only the colored backdrop and overhead logo were the only major changes.

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

Here is the set to 20/20. 

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

The old CBS Evening News Set with Good Old Walter Cronkite.

[bmasters1 403]

On 10/27/2020 at 12:49 PM, 5OnYourSideMan said:

Here is the set to 20/20. 

 

Love the look of that one, especially the story panel/table of contents to the left of where Hugh Downs sat from our view (Hugh's right).

[bmasters1 403]

Bumping this up: this is the first version of what the 20/20 set design would look like that would last for the better part of the 90s (captured from WCBD 1989 newsbrief from radioman1968):

 

 

[tyrannical bastard 3942]

With the older 20/20 set, was that the first one introduced for the permanent re-tooling of the show following the disastrous original concept?  The original concept only lasted one episode, and Hugh Downs hosted the rest of the season on a scaled-down version of the original concept and set.

 

Here's the original set

 

and the setup Hugh Downs used for the remaining episodes...

[bmasters1 403]

2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

With the older 20/20 set, was that the first one introduced for the permanent re-tooling of the show following the disastrous original concept?  The original concept only lasted one episode, and Hugh Downs hosted the rest of the season on a scaled-down version of the original concept and set.

 

Here's the original set

 

and the setup Hugh Downs used for the remaining episodes...

 

Not quite-- this was the version that first would have Hugh Downs by himself, and then would have him and Barbara Walters (it would last, IINM, from 1979-89):

 

 

 

The 1989 set I posted recently (I probably didn't make it clear) was apparently the prototype for the 90s set; the version starting in the 90s had the ABC News logo on top of the backdrop to be more defined, and the 20/20 title had the figure attached to it to be slimmed down to a more rectangular shape, as opposed to a large square shape on the 1989 set:

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by bmasters1

[AtlantaTVGuy1967 1]

On 8/31/2017 at 3:56 PM, noggi said:

This topic reminds me of a great book I found in my office when I took over as Art Director at a station on the West Coast -- it was from the Broadcast Design Association, dated June 1980. It listed photos and construction information on some local news sets built around that time. I've been meaning to scan this book in to share it with you guys, I know you'd find it interesting. A lot of sets back then were actually designed and fabricated in-house.

 

Forgive the quality of these photos I snapped with my phone from the book - need to go scrounge up a scanner:

 

http://i.imgur.com/ctUeGPe.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/uh5HPur.jpg

 

Here's a list of all the sets included in the book:

 

http://i.imgur.com/p9QOxN3.jpg

Hey noggi that's a really neat book you have there from 1980 on old local TV news sets from around the country! Can you scan off and post a picture of the old news set for WAGA-TV in Atlanta, GA from that book? Would love to see it if possible and it would be wonderfully appreciated!!!   

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

Here is the set of ABC's Good Morning America from the 70's.

[10Viewer 334]

On 7/28/2021 at 9:44 PM, AtlantaTVGuy1967 said:

Hey noggi that's a really neat book you have there from 1980 on old local TV news sets from around the country! Can you scan off and post a picture of the old news set for WAGA-TV in Atlanta, GA from that book? Would love to see it if possible and it would be wonderfully appreciated!!!   

 

I'd be interested to see what WJXT and WTOL were using in 1980. 

[Dan Devlin 46]

Seeing these designs, a few of them my own,  reminds me that the 80's were a very interesting time for set design, I remember my first gig at G&G in 87'...I was the first TV News set designer to use CAD and 3D renderings when I went out on my own. Prior to that I remember drawing those 3 point perspective drawings and then airbrushing them with layers upon layers of hand cut frisket paper.  Man, we have come a long way since then...thanks for the stroll down memory lane!

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

On 3/18/2021 at 2:06 PM, bmasters1 said:

 

Not quite-- this was the version that first would have Hugh Downs by himself, and then would have him and Barbara Walters (it would last, IINM, from 1979-89):

 

 

 

The 1989 set I posted recently (I probably didn't make it clear) was apparently the prototype for the 90s set; the version starting in the 90s had the ABC News logo on top of the backdrop to be more defined, and the 20/20 title had the figure attached to it to be slimmed down to a more rectangular shape, as opposed to a large square shape on the 1989 set:

 

 

That desk looks similar to what WEWS would use in 1995.

[ABogue89 4]

I loved the "Good Morning America" set from the 1980's.

[Justin Hill 38]

I like the set WBAY-TV 2 in Green Bay, Wisconsin used in 1987 (when still with CBS) which was mostly white/gray with a blue world map background and red carpet. The world map background would survive a few makeovers in the 1990s (when they joined ABC) until it was retired with a completely new set in 2003.

Edited December 14, 2021 by Justin Hill

[5OnYourSideMan 84]

WPTV's 1980's set is another Scripps set of the time. 

[bmasters1 403]

Bumping this up: did you ever see this one from ABC College Football in '85 (Jim Lampley, Doug Flutie and Beano Cook on The Prudential Halftime Report)?

 

[HuaiRiverTonight 3]

Speaking of the 1970s Scripps mandated set, WTVF Nashville also apparently used it during the latter part of the decade.

They were then owned by The Houston Post (H&C Communications) and I am unsure that did the station introduced the Scripps-esque set along with the Hobbys' acquisition of the place, or not.