ABC 7 Eyewitness News thread

[Encore 323 79]

This has also been discussed in the ABC O&O station and graphics thread but KABC just switched to the WABC/WLS version of the ABC 7 logo at 5pm and here is a video from Studio 31 to confirm that.

 

https://youtu.be/XDF_M8-JctY?si=ZX4Z0QC0Sd0KM53h

[Daybreak 297]

Here’s the new logo on Facebook! 

[NYAZSporty 196]

On 1/23/2026 at 7:12 AM, norcalTVfan said:

KGO will not pick up “Eyewitness News.” For decades, KPIX (in both Westinghouse and CBS days) aired its newscasts under the “Eyewitness News” brand. 

You were saying?!?! KGO does pick up "Eyewitness News" as of yesterday. 

 

[TheRolyPoly 3509]

3 hours ago, NYAZSporty said:

You were saying?!?! KGO does pick up "Eyewitness News" as of yesterday. 

 

 

This also makes having the city/region name in their graphics all the more important.

 

ABC 7 Eyewitness News Los Angeles, Chicago, and now the Bay Area. WABC doesn't follow the same route, thankfully, but you can probably see it as the same there, too, depending on how you view it.

[ns8401 995]

16 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

This also makes having the city/region name in their graphics all the more important.

 

ABC 7 Eyewitness News Los Angeles, Chicago, and now the Bay Area. WABC doesn't follow the same route, thankfully, but you can probably see it as the same there, too, depending on how you view it.

That’s one of those matter of time oversight things. 

[Nynewsguy7 23]

30 minutes ago, ns8401 said:

That’s one of those matter of time oversight things. 

The WABC package most certainly does have “New York” in the title card. 
 

additionally - while we are on the topic of uniformity - what was supposed to happen was the east coast ABC 7 logo, with the KABC typeface.
 

The WABC graphics for both on air and studio were designed for this - and the change was pushed back in NY indefinitely - but expect it to come in time. However - some of the studio graphics were already loaded and have never been changed - notably in the standup area. 

[newscopter7 240]

Dispatch might be a little “too New York,” but it’s an improvement over KABC’s last package. 
 

All KABC, KGO, WLS, and KTRK need now is the WABC Eyewitness News font.

[norcalTVfan 58]

22 hours ago, NYAZSporty said:

You were saying?!?! KGO does pick up "Eyewitness News" as of yesterday. 

 

Shocked. I would’ve bet my mortgage on this not happening. 

[24994J 5888]

14 hours ago, newscopter7 said:

Dispatch might be a little “too New York,” but it’s an improvement over KABC’s last package. 
 

All KABC, KGO, WLS, and KTRK need now is the WABC Eyewitness News font.

 

Dispatch is great for New York, I'd even accept it in Chicago, but tonally, it's absolutely a downgrade in LA. And While WABC's font works for them, they're more likely to fall in line with the 3 others than for New York's to roll out to the rest, which was the plan at the package's launch.

Edited February 4 by 24994J

[abc7 Man 71]

On 2/3/2026 at 2:46 AM, TheRolyPoly said:

 

This also makes having the city/region name in their graphics all the more important.

 

ABC 7 Eyewitness News Los Angeles, Chicago, and now the Bay Area. WABC doesn't follow the same route, thankfully, but you can probably see it as the same there, too, depending on how you view it.

WABC also has its own font that they’ve been using for decades for “Eyewitness News”

EDIT: I now see this referenced is subsequent posts.

Edited February 4 by abc7 Man

[GraphicsMan 345]

17 hours ago, newscopter7 said:

Dispatch might be a little “too New York,” but it’s an improvement over KABC’s last package. 
 

All KABC, KGO, WLS, and KTRK need now is the WABC Eyewitness News font.

That isn’t happening…

[Vlad 406]

Yeah to this day i'm still stunned that KABC decided to switch to WABC's Dispatch / Series 4 theme. I really liked the themes they had before ("Awaken" AM and "Valor" PM). Just was more fitting for them. 

 

Every time I watch their newscasts it just feels kinda the wrong tone for LA and it feels too familiar. Which is I guess what their intention was the entire time, to make the stations feel familiar amongst each other at a time where there is less attention span and everyone is watching the broadcasts on their mobile devices when brand identity matters less. All the ABC 7 O&Os now bear a similar resemblance now so the resources are quickly efficiently shared.

Edited February 4 by Vlad

[abc7 Man 71]

On 1/6/2026 at 2:38 AM, 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.

So… the weather center that debuted originally at WABC with their new/current set had their standard ABC7 logo. Then within a couple of months of the set debut, they replaced the weather desk and instead included a large circle 7 without the ABC part of the logo. Not sure why they felt the need to change something that was recently installed and then put in a large circle 7 logo instead.

I wonder if this is related to what KABC will be doing with just having a circle 7 logo?

[sfomspphl 545]

3 hours ago, Vlad said:

Yeah to this day i'm still stunned that KABC decided to switch to WABC's Dispatch / Series 4 theme. I really liked the themes they had before ("Awaken" AM and "Valor" PM). Just was more fitting for them. 

 

Every time I watch their newscasts it just feels kinda the wrong tone for LA and it feels too familiar. Which is I guess what their intention was the entire time, to make the stations feel familiar amongst each other at a time where there is less attention span and everyone is watching the broadcasts on their mobile devices when brand identity matters less. All the ABC 7 O&Os now bear a similar resemblance now so the resources are quickly efficiently shared.

 

A little of back to the future...Cool Hand Luke which has the urgency of Dispatch was the signature of KABC for the 70s and much of the 80s into 95. 

 

Also these O&Os go through phases of coordinated consistency. Pretty much all Cool Hand Luke in the 70s, some strays in the early 80s, then back to the Gari updated version plus Tar Sequence opens for some for the mid to late 80s. Graphics went through a somewhat consistent phase in the mid to late 80s with helvetica and red stripes. The 70s KABC set had a renaissance in the mid 80s at KGO, WABC, WLS simultaneously. KGO more of a wild child with graphics. 

 

I wonder how NY explained the changes to the local staff in LA and SF. Especially the EWN name to the SF staffers. Wasn't that long ago they had generic newscast names for Chicago and SF and it seemed the whole group might go the 'ABC 7 News' route. Maybe it helped to distinguish local from national news as well which these days the national newscasts carry the weight of perceived bias by some audience segments and local may be more trusted.

 

Or maybe they're prepping for a sale and downplaying the network identify a bit.

 

Also could have been some consumer research done on the branding and also on Dispatch as recognizable with the teletype or a sense of call to the TV when it's on. 

Edited February 5 by sfomspphl

[GraphicsMan 345]

1 hour ago, sfomspphl said:

 

A little of back to the future...Cool Hand Luke which has the urgency of Dispatch was the signature of KABC for the 70s and much of the 80s into 95. 

 

Also these O&Os go through phases of coordinated consistency. Pretty much all Cool Hand Luke in the 70s, some strays in the early 80s, then back to the Gari updated version plus Tar Sequence opens for some for the mid to late 80s. Graphics went through a somewhat consistent phase in the mid to late 80s with helvetica and red stripes. The 70s KABC set had a renaissance in the mid 80s at KGO, WABC, WLS simultaneously. KGO more of a wild child with graphics. 

 

I wonder how NY explained the changes to the local staff in LA and SF. Especially the EWN name to the SF staffers. Wasn't that long ago they had generic newscast names for Chicago and SF and it seemed the whole group might go the 'ABC 7 News' route. Maybe it helped to distinguish local from national news as well which these days the national newscasts carry the weight of perceived bias by some audience segments and local may be more trusted.

 

Or maybe they're prepping for a sale and downplaying the network identify a bit.

 

Also could have been some consumer research done on the branding and also on Dispatch as recognizable with the teletype or a sense of call to the TV when it's on. 

 

Maybe KABC goes back to being called "Channel 7 Eyewitness News". Doubt it though, just as I doubt WABC will rebrand to "ABC7 Eyewitness News". As it was from 1999-2004.

[Weeters 2173]

3 hours ago, abc7 Man said:

So… the weather center that debuted originally at WABC with their new/current set had their standard ABC7 logo. Then within a couple of months of the set debut, they replaced the weather desk and instead included a large circle 7 without the ABC part of the logo. Not sure why they felt the need to change something that was recently installed and then put in a large circle 7 logo instead.

 

For what it's worth, I was told the weather talent did not like the original desk, and that's why it was changed (notice the uplighting all over the new desk). The standalone circle 7 motif is all over that set, so I wouldn't read too much into that part of the design here.

[TheRolyPoly 3509]

6 hours ago, abc7 Man said:

So… the weather center that debuted originally at WABC with their new/current set had their standard ABC7 logo. Then within a couple of months of the set debut, they replaced the weather desk and instead included a large circle 7 without the ABC part of the logo. Not sure why they felt the need to change something that was recently installed and then put in a large circle 7 logo instead.

I wonder if this is related to what KABC will be doing with just having a circle 7 logo?

 

Judging by that, the second desk is much better. Like the curve up front, love the Circle 7 on the side. A nice touch.

[TVNewsLover 861]

12 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

 

Maybe KABC goes back to being called "Channel 7 Eyewitness News". Doubt it though, just as I doubt WABC will rebrand to "ABC7 Eyewitness News". As it was from 1999-2004.

I never thought KABC and KGO would adopt WABC’s logo. I never thought KGO would adopt the EYEWITNESS NEWS name after it being associated with KPIX for decades, and KGO using the ABC 7 NEWS name for decades. The only logical explanation that I can think of is to standardize as much as possible across the owned and operated stations. That being said, I would no longer be surprised if WABC changed from “Channel 7” to “ABC 7”. However, I wouldn’t expect any changes at WPVI. 

[Vlad 406]

We all oughta agree that WPVI; WABC and KABC's sister station is more the wild child  , especially now in these circumstances haha.

 

They are most resistant to changing their identity especially their music, because of how strict their viewers are. The 6ABC identity has embodied themselves in Philadelphia culture. Philly locals literally love WPVI's identity to the point where the music itself has become the defacto anthem for the region. They tried to deviate from their iconic Move Closer to Your World Theme with a more orchestral modern format in 1996, which was extensively discussed here, and we all knew they had a lot of issues and backlash from the public so they quickly went back to their original theme within less than 24 hours so I don't see them really changing much when it comes to their on air branding and theme.

 

So there are unique times where the public gets involved and expresses their concerns greatly but this is not the case all the time. WPVI's theme, format, and presentation, arguably is the best in the business and has worked for them. Thats what I wish we could see more of for the rest of the O&O stations. An established brand and identity that really captures the region that they are serving in addition to retaining the overall O&O look which WPVI exemplifies. The Eyewitness News Dispatch (Series 4) theme to me is very New York and it should be exclusive to New York in the same way that Move Closer To Your World is Philly and should be exclusive to them, but I digress now haha.

 

Now, regarding WABC adopting "ABC 7" instead of "Channel 7". I guess they can do that, makes sense since they are known as "ABC 7 NY" for their digital platforms, so its only fitting for them to switch to "ABC 7" Eyewitness News, but its been widely discussed and understood that New Yorkers refer to the station as Channel 7 rather than ABC 7. In the same way WPVI says "Channel 6" instead of "Six-ABC". But time will tell, im really interested in seeing what KGO does.

Edited February 5 by Vlad

[newscopter7 240]

On 2/4/2026 at 3:05 PM, GraphicsMan said:

That isn’t happening…

I get its a long-shot but KABC is playing dispatch and KGO has adopted KPIX’s former brand. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. 

Edited February 5 by newscopter7

[MorningNews 1711]

I feel like they’d be foolish to “force” any changes on WPVI, that station is an unrivaled powerhouse. Don’t they consistently pull in more viewership than the other stations combined?

 

Don’t shoot me for this but I actually like the WABC-ification of KABC and KGO. The music fits KABC way better than I would’ve expected. ABC should mandate KTRK and WTVD to use the theme as well. 
 

The mandated graphics has been a net positive especially for WABC.

[24994J 5888]

I feel like this discussion is getting a little too off-topic for stuff that goes beyond just KABC.
 

 

[GraphicsMan 345]

3 hours ago, MorningNews said:

ABC should mandate KTRK and WTVD to use the theme as well. 

WTVD used dispatch before from 2001-2006. It would be a return they got it along with a short lived logo in Oct. 2001.

[TheRolyPoly 3509]

4 hours ago, MorningNews said:

ABC should mandate KTRK and WTVD to use the theme as well.

 

Except they can't... because they use the 2024 version by 4 Elements Music, not the one from Gari.

[Encore 323 79]

We are now in the month of March and I have a feeling that KABC’s new set will launch on Sunday, March 15th, which is the same day that the Oscars will air across the ABC network and we all know that they tend to make big changes and announcements around Oscars season, so let’s see what will happen.