ABC 7 Eyewitness News thread

[MD TV 255]

New hire from their sister station in Fresno:

 

 

[MD TV 255]

So Leslie Sykes has been missing for a while. With that in mind, I have found it interesting that Leslie Lopez has been the third anchor for mornings over the past couple of days. This whole time during Sykes’ absence they haven’t had a third anchor for the whole newscast.

[MD TV 255]

On 1/25/2023 at 7:53 PM, MD TV said:

New hire from their sister station in Fresno:

 

 

As of today she's with the station full time. That includes doing weather on weekend nights:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4bPalEPndv/

[24994J 5575]

And Alex Cheney is apparently gone? I couldn't tell you when, but when I saw her post, I checked to see that his bio was gone off the website.

[MD TV 255]

New graphics are live:

 

https://abc7.com/14853556/

[GraphicsMan 114]

Finally there the last this new look is done rolling out. It looks good on them but I will miss the last package though.

[GraphicsMan 114]

Apparently KABC is a carbon copy of WABC as they are now using their custom 1999 cut of Gari’s Eyewitness News.

[TheNewsTV 253]

Does Leslie Sykes only anchor the 6am hour in the morning?

[MD TV 255]

20 minutes ago, TheNewsTV said:

Does Leslie Sykes only anchor the 6am hour in the morning?

Yeah, ever since her long hiatus a few months ago she only does the 6am hour a few days a week (plus the 7am online-only hour on those days).

[24994J 5575]

Since John & Rachel were on at 4, but not on now, is the 7am co-anchor assignment a rotation, pairing Leslie & literally anybody? Also, Brianna is doing weather, not Leslie. Is that another 7am switchover, or is it either of them on any given day?

[MD TV 255]

1 hour ago, 24994J said:

Since John & Rachel were on at 4, but not on now, is the 7am co-anchor assignment a rotation, pairing Leslie & literally anybody? Also, Brianna is doing weather, not Leslie. Is that another 7am switchover, or is it either of them on any given day?

Brianna starts her shift doing traffic at 5 and yeah, she does weather for the 7am hour (and also at 11). Anchoring at 7 is Leslie and/or one of the weekend morning talent (Marc/Tony/Irene).

[JTT 111]

Why is Leslie Sykes getting a reduced role now?  Is there something wrong with her, healthwise?

[Encore 323 23]

They just showed the closing credits for the 11am news and they were using the 2012 theme briefly but halfway through the credits they changed it to the WABC theme that they are using now. I thought they were going to let the old one finish out like before but I guess that's not how this works.

[J.W. Rodriguez 15]

This is the cut they oughta be using instead. Go to 0:30.

 

 

[GraphicsMan 114]

3 hours ago, Encore 323 said:

They just showed the closing credits for the 11am news and they were using the 2012 theme briefly but halfway through the credits they changed it to the WABC theme that they are using now. I thought they were going to let the old one finish out like before but I guess that's not how this works.

It’s an end of an era for them. 

[abc7 Man 47]

On 5/24/2024 at 3:04 PM, Encore 323 said:

They just showed the closing credits for the 11am news and they were using the 2012 theme briefly but halfway through the credits they changed it to the WABC theme that they are using now. I thought they were going to let the old one finish out like before but I guess that's not how this works.

And here it is. 2 different music packages used during one (extended) close:

 

 

[GraphicsMan 114]

It’s still surreal that they’ve adopted this theme.

[bogusabc7breakingnews 60]

18 hours ago, abc7 Man said:

And here it is. 2 different music packages used during one (extended) close:

 

 

Maybe it was intentional, in the way a radio station transitions from one format to another. 

[ns8401 941]

The second theme is arguably a lot catchier so it should be an upgrade. 

[Vlad 325]

On 5/27/2024 at 2:51 AM, ns8401 said:

The second theme is arguably a lot catchier so it should be an upgrade. 

Its honestly too slow and just antiquated in my opinion and the theme just doesn't fit with LA. I honestly wish they even got rid of it here in NY.. It is a catchy  theme but it's been in use for 20+ years. Still shocked they switched to the WABC theme. So wild to me to hear the WABC bumper when watching the show haha.

Edited May 28, 2024 by Vlad

[ns8401 941]

10 hours ago, Vlad said:

Its honestly too slow and just antiquated in my opinion and the theme just doesn't fit with LA. I honestly wish they even got rid of it here in NY.. It is a catchy grewt theme but it's been in use for 20+ years. Still shocked they switched to the WABC theme. So wild to me to hear the WABC bumper when watching the show haha.

I grew up with that theme when WXYZ used it so it’s my all time favorite. Never mind the Action News using Eyewitness News music bit. It was when Bill Carey turned WXYZ into a pretty decent WABC imitation. 
 

I will say KABC’s presentation is a little breezy for the pace of the theme. 

Edited May 28, 2024 by ns8401

[MediaZone4K 2172]

On 5/27/2024 at 10:14 AM, Vlad said:

Its honestly too slow and just antiquated in my opinion and the theme just doesn't fit with LA. I honestly wish they even got rid of it here in NY.. It is a catchy  theme but it's been in use for 20+ years. Still shocked they switched to the WABC theme. So wild to me to hear the WABC bumper when watching the show haha.

The WABC theme is still powerful and catchy... the bumper theme is still pretty good. The *only thing I'd want to see replace it is the return of Cool Hand Luke....the orchestral bumper theme for that was the best.

Edited May 29, 2024 by MediaZone4K

[Vlad 325]

On 5/28/2024 at 6:24 PM, MediaZone4K said:

The WABC theme is still powerful and catchy... the bumper theme is still pretty good. The oy thing I'd want to see replace it it the return of Cool Hand Luke....the orchestral bumper theme for that was the best.

 

I guess WABC's theme and is ideally popular since they are the most watched station in the nation. So I get that. A lot of stations used it and now arguably the second most watched station in the nation is now on it haha. I just feel like the theme is too slow and heavy and doesn't capture the spirit of the Southland, in my opinion. It's not a bad theme but it's just so bizarre to hear it played there, I don't think I'll ever get over the music theme change haha. It just sounds way too serious, "rough and heavy," you know what I mean? It's Southern California, not New York. New York is hard, rough, tough, heavy and dark, gritty and fast. They should've kept the existing music as it was and not changed it at all. It doesn't make sense to me why they did that.

 

Southern California's culture is chill (except for the traffic , which is slow too, haha) bright and beautiful. Their previous theme emphasized that the WABC theme is, well for WABC and New York which is well fast, serious, and to the point. The theme harmonizes that culture here on the East Coast. The precedent has been set. I hope they lose it sooner than later, haha.

 

It's just out of place and I understand its just a news theme and but the new theme is the identity of the station and that theme makes me think WABC and New York, not LA. Personally.. 

 

Not to go offtopic, though, but I've always wondered, where does a station store the music anyway? Is it software that digitally controls all of the music or is everything just automated? Like does a person simply press a button that says "bumper" and we hear it? Or is each cut assigned a button, etc? I wish there was a behind-the-scenes of sorts that shows us how this stuff works haha.

 

I feel like it shouldn't be hard for them to implement more cuts sounds and variations, etc.. I still very dearly miss the New Generation KABC music theme.. , especially the morning theme that was so nice and fitting for them. I guess I'm admittedly a huge fanboy of these themes . 

Edited June 4, 2024 by Vlad

[MediaZone4K 2172]

1 hour ago, Vlad said:

 

I guess WABC is really catchy since a lot of stations used it and now arguably the second most watched station in the nation is now on it haha. I just feel like the theme is too slow and heavy and doesn't capture the spirit of the Southland, in my opinion. It's not a bad theme but its just still odd to hear it played there, I don't think i'll ever get over that change haha. It sounds too rough and heavy, you know what I mean? Its LA, not New York haha. New York is hard, heavy and dark, gritty, LA is smooth, chill and bright. Their previous theme really captured that, this one, just does not fit for me, I hope they loose it sooner than later, haha. Personally.. 

 

Not to go offtopic, though, but I've always wondered, where does a station store the music anyway? Is it software that digitally controls all of the music or is everything just automated? Like does a person simply press a button that says "bumper" and we hear it? Or is each cut assigned a button, etc? I wish there was a behind the scenes of sorts that shows us how this stuff works haha.

 

I feel like it shouldn't be hard for them to implement more cuts and sounds and variations, etc.. I still very dearly miss the New Generation KABC themes.. , especially the morning theme that was so nice and fitting for them. I guess i'm admittedly a huge fanboy of these themes . 

Yeah I feel you on that. LA's theme worked for LA.

[Encore 323 23]

I'm very surprised that they let the 2012 closing theme play out in full at the end 11am show today especially after what we saw last Friday. This theme, the breaking news theme, the weather theme, and sports are the only ones that KABC continues to use from it's recent past. At least it's not a 100% carbon copy of the flagship and big sister, WABC.

Edited May 31, 2024 by Encore 323