ABC 7 Eyewitness News thread

[24994J 5888]

45 minutes ago, MeAndTheGraphics said:

I noticed that KABC has a temporary set today. Could they be getting a new one soon?

 

They are. The set is being dismantled, this week, and they're targeting March for the new one's debut.

[FiveNews 481]

Let's hope the new set is a little more WABC and a less WPVI.

[nathannah 2792]

20 minutes ago, FiveNews said:

Let's hope the new set is a little more WABC and a less WPVI.

I hope it's a smaller copy of the GMA Iger set, with the video walls and floor at the very least now that they have several months of live experience.

[CraigViewer 107]

Although the monitors on the set appeared outdated in recent years, the set largely stood the test of time.  Aesthetically, it was superior to many of the other ABC O&O's sets.  Looking forward to seeing the final product of the new in the coming months.

Edited December 17, 2025 by CraigViewer

[GraphicsMan 345]

19 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

They are. The set is being dismantled, this week, and they're targeting March for the new one's debut.

This current set was really good the best in the O&O group I’m honestly gonna miss it.

19 hours ago, FiveNews said:

Let's hope the new set is a little more WABC and a less WPVI.

WPVI probably the worst in the group right now. I definitely don’t like it.

[24994J 5888]

Even then, WPVI's isn't bad. They devoted way too much space for weather, and the opposite side stand-up is also large, to the point where the main desk area seemed like an afterthought.

[MorningNews 1711]

1 hour ago, GraphicsMan said:

This current set was really good the best in the O&O group I’m honestly gonna miss it.

WPVI probably the worst in the group right now. I definitely don’t like it.

In terms of sets I think KTRK's is pretty awful. It's going on about 10 years old now too.

[sfomspphl 545]

1 hour ago, MorningNews said:

In terms of sets I think KTRK's is pretty awful. It's going on about 10 years old now too.

 

I saw a recent clip and thought the KTRK screen was upgraded - any idea when that happened? They use a nice shot for the backdrop reminiscent of the chroma set from the Ward/Fryer days. 

 

Surprised KABC is getting a full new build - the prior set was distinctive but I suppose it’s been 10 years. 

 

Meanwhile KGO is set for a while with its light refresh which was the right move in my book for that market.

 

 

[Vlad 406]

KABC's set has indeed stood the test of time. For all that time even to this day KABC has had the best on-air appearance. WABC finally has dethroned them in terms of overall looks and appearance finally living up to the name. KABC has arguably had the nicest set in the entire group. So it will be interesting to see how the new studio fares when its complete. As for now, WABC's new set which debut earlier this year is at this point the nicest studio in the O&O group. Maybe the new studio will be similar to it to align with the new O&O Vision Zero graphics package?

[bogusabc7breakingnews 69]

Technical gremlins have taken over their 11pm news tonight on Christmas Eve. The first 4 minutes were wrong cameras, wrong graphics, rough transitions. In the middle of one story four minutes in, they took a five minute commercial break, only to come back with a couple more issues. I wonder what’s going on in Glendale tonight?

On 12/17/2025 at 3:18 PM, sfomspphl said:

Surprised KABC is getting a full new build - the prior set was distinctive but I suppose it’s been 10 years. 

Has it really been 10 years? The set looked great last time I saw it on air.  

[ns8401 995]

9 hours ago, bogusabc7breakingnews said:

Technical gremlins have taken over their 11pm news tonight on Christmas Eve. The first 4 minutes were wrong cameras, wrong graphics, rough transitions. In the middle of one story four minutes in, they took a five minute commercial break, only to come back with a couple more issues. I wonder what’s going on in Glendale tonight?

Has it really been 10 years? The set looked great last time I saw it on air.  

Hitting the eggnog early and often.

[rkolsen 1699]

There have been some interesting ads airing on KABC, if you look you’ll notice a subtle difference. 

[NYAZSporty 196]

20 minutes ago, rkolsen said:

There have been some interesting ads airing on KABC, if you look you’ll notice a subtle difference. 

I know looking at the Broadcast Plaza Discord around Christmas, this was brought up that the KABC Circle 7 logo was changing to be similar to the one in other O&O markets like NYC (WABC) & Chicago (WLS).

[rkolsen 1699]

43 minutes ago, NYAZSporty said:

I know looking at the Broadcast Plaza Discord around Christmas, this was brought up that the KABC Circle 7 logo was changing to be similar to the one in other O&O markets like NYC (WABC) & Chicago (WLS).

Yeah, they wanted everything the same to make it easier for a likely graphics hub. 

[Encore 323 79]

2 hours ago, rkolsen said:

There have been some interesting ads airing on KABC, if you look you’ll notice a subtle difference. 

With this logo and set overhaul happening in March and the talent placement fully sorted out, I feel like they *might* expand their talent opens beyond 4:30pm, 5:30pm, and 11:15pm, and put them back at the top of the hour like they used to do in the 2000s, and do it the same way WABC has done their talent opens since they launched the Defiant ABC O&O graphics. They both are using the Dispatch theme, so it wouldn’t be difficult to customize the talent open version of the theme to KABC’s liking but we shall see when that time comes.

Edited January 6 by Encore 323

[CraigViewer 107]

3 hours ago, Encore 323 said:

With this logo and set overhaul happening in March and the talent placement fully sorted out, I feel like they *might* expand their talent opens beyond 4:30pm, 5:30pm, and 11:15pm, and put them back at the top of the hour like they used to do in the 2000s, and do it the same way WABC has done their talent opens since they launched the Defiant ABC O&O graphics. They both are using the Dispatch theme, so it wouldn’t be difficult to customize the talent open version of the theme to KABC’s liking but we shall see when that time comes.

Perhaps we will see new mic flags around that time, as well.  To me, the WABC-style mic flags (which I know KABC had a similar version years ago) has always been more stylized and flashy than ABC7's current mic flags in Los Angeles.

[GraphicsMan 345]

Interesting developments I was hoping it was the other way around WABC would adopt KABC variation of the Circle 7 logo. I like KABC logo I’ll miss it.

[24994J 5888]

There's been an internal East vs. West "fight" going on since they decided to standardize graphics. The earliest demos of the package, spearheaded to a degree by the Chicago brain trust, used the WABC layout, and this was before the 2021 network logo change and short-lived co-branding rules. That said, there was a point around that time, pre-2023 launch, when the KABC/KGO layout would have spread to all four 7s, but they ultimately decided to keep the Ws and Ks separate.

 

...until now. The word I've received is that the new KABC set will be without any ABC meatballs, anyway, only solo Circle 7s, but that that logo change will happen by the time the set debuts.

Edited January 6 by 24994J

[SFTV 567]

Sometimes there are some oddities that pop up from the graphics hub on KGO from time to time…for example the Australia Shooting Titlecard shows “EYEWITNESS NEWS” not ABC7 NEWS but the ABC7 Bay Area app on the bottom is correct. 

[Vlad 406]

Yeah, I think they are just trying to streamline everything now. Especially since in this day and age, of streaming you can watch pretty much any newscast you want anywhere so they probably want to keep the brand and identity consistent especially with both KABC/WABC being the flagship stations in the US.

[NYAZSporty 196]

4 hours ago, SFTV said:

Sometimes there are some oddities that pop up from the graphics hub on KGO from time to time…for example the Australia Shooting Titlecard shows “EYEWITNESS NEWS” not ABC7 NEWS but the ABC7 Bay Area app on the bottom is correct. 

KGO 100% would've used the "Eyewitness News" branding if it weren't for CBS O&O KPIX using that in the past. 

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

4 hours ago, NYAZSporty said:

KGO 100% would've used the "Eyewitness News" branding if it weren't for CBS O&O KPIX using that in the past. 

 

That still makes no sense to me.

 

Look at WPB for example. WPEC used Eyewitness News until 1998, at which by then, WPBF picked it up and used it until like 2000 or 2001, I believe.

 

Its either that KGO doesn't want to use it or that KPIX still have local rights to the trademark or something like that.

[GraphicsMan 345]

19 hours ago, 24994J said:

..until now. The word I've received is that the new KABC set will be without any ABC meatballs, anyway, only solo Circle 7s, but that that logo change will happen by the time the set debuts.

I'm confused... wdym without any ABC meatballs and solo circle 7s.

Now I have a feeling the new KABC set will mirror WABCs

[24994J 5888]

5 minutes ago, GraphicsMan said:

I'm confused... wdym without any ABC meatballs and solo circle 7s.

Now I have a feeling the new KABC set will mirror WABCs

 

Only 7s, no ABCs.

[GraphicsMan 345]

1 hour ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

That still makes no sense to me.

 

Look at WPB for example. WPEC used Eyewitness News until 1998, at which by then, WPBF picked it up and used it until like 2000 or 2001, I believe.

 

Its either that KGO doesn't want to use it or that KPIX still have local rights to the trademark or something like that.

 

That's because those stations don't have stored leaches and identities that's why.

1 minute ago, 24994J said:

 

Only 7s, no ABCs.

Sounds like were headed back to before 1997.