The News Sets of The 1990's

[sfomspphl 490]

3 hours ago, mouseboy33 said:

Ugh. I remember as a kid GMA having the worst sets. Too me they were also so....outdated. Like a grannys attic or basement. Or they felt like a old living room full of brown furniture. They were never distinctive, just old and full of old dusty stuff. I dont remember this set in particular, but i remember them always having this "feel". This set looks like a old furniture store full of closeout furniture that hasnt sold. NBC Today always felt fresh, new, urban and modern. Still not a fan of GMA. ABC News sets always felt "off" to me.  This includes the graphics. Though I was a fan of Peter Jennings.

 

Yeah once they ditched the backyard scenery with staircase motif from 75-9X GMA stopped being distinctive. Guess that was around the time they moved from the entertainment to the news division. 

 

Wasn’t a fan of the 90s Today set myself. 85-90 luxury condo and the 06-13 were my favorites there. 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2024 by sfomspphl

[MediaZone4K 2172]

3 hours ago, mouseboy33 said:

Ugh. I remember as a kid GMA having the worst sets. Too me they were also so....outdated. Like a grannys attic or basement. Or they felt like a old living room full of brown furniture. They were never distinctive, just old and full of old dusty stuff. I dont remember this set in particular, but i remember them always having this "feel". This set looks like a old furniture store full of closeout furniture that hasnt sold. NBC Today always felt fresh, new, urban and modern. Still not a fan of GMA. ABC News sets always felt "off" to me.  This includes the graphics. Though I was a fan of Peter Jennings.

I think that's what help sets Today and GMA apart and ABC vs NBC as a whole. Today/NBC was the sleek urban show/network and ABC/GMA was the more homely middle America network/show. I would take physical pieces over the proliferation of bare video walls that we have today. that's basically the modern version of the 70s chromakey set trend.

Edited February 1, 2024 by MediaZone4K

[RCA TK47 277]

KOVR in Sacramento in 1991, 1996 and 2002.

  

I'm posting this because it was a big time missed opportunity.  The station just moved into this new facility about a year prior.  A pretty spacious newsroom with adjoining studio.  This set-up could've been executed soooo much better... It just looked so haphazardly cobbled together, especially in that first pic from 1991.  For a very short time, it had horizontal blinds separating the studio and the newsroom, which made it actually look worse.  The last pic from 2002 is probably the best that particular set/newsroom looked.  It had various refreshes over the years until CBS took over the station from Sinclair in 2005 and gutted the place.

 

1991-  I'm pretty sure these '91 newscasts were shot with ancient Philips studio cameras that were brought over from the old Arden Way facility.  The picture quality was awful.  Paul Joncich and Toni Chapell look like they have jaundice.  Some RCA TK47s would've been better. 

 

1996

 

2002

Edited February 1, 2024 by RCA TK47

[bmasters1 403]

On 2/4/2022 at 5:38 AM, 5OnYourSideMan said:

ABC News set from the late 1990s. 

 

I personally enjoyed ABC News' then-new-look Washington bureau, and totally miss when they actually had separate bureaus for weeknight and weekend newscasts; now everything is done from the same New York bureau (no originality anymore).

 

[10Viewer 334]

Always liked this set, used by WTSP from 1988-1992, there was also an interview set that mirrored the look here. Also used by WPBF and WALA, maybe a few others. 

 

 

[jerseyfla 207]

On 2/7/2024 at 12:26 AM, 10Viewer said:

Always liked this set, used by WTSP from 1988-1992, there was also an interview set that mirrored the look here. Also used by WPBF and WALA, maybe a few others. 

 

 

Also looks like the WFTV and WSB sets from that era too but with different elements for the background and side windows.

[Metrodonmartin 42]

That’s a Gil Jimenez set. ( then G & G Designs) Gil did their

 sets for years. 

[10Viewer 334]

This set was used by WTSP from Sept. 1994-April 2001. Also used by KCBS, KSTW, KPTV. Mixed opinions: It offered a variety of backdrops and a projection screen behind the sports anchor. The duratrans "10" behind the anchors was eyecatching. I felt like the newsdesk took up too much space. Maybe it was the faux woodgrain? By 2000, it was looking outdated as the other stations had upgraded their news sets.

 

 

[mer764KCTV5 150]

7 minutes ago, 10Viewer said:

This set was used by WTSP from Sept. 1994-April 2001. Also used by KCBS, KSTW, KPTV. Mixed opinions: It offered a variety of backdrops and a projection screen behind the sports anchor. The duratrans "10" behind the anchors was eyecatching. I felt like the newsdesk took up too much space. Maybe it was the faux woodgrain? By 2000, it was looking outdated as the other stations had upgraded their news sets.

 

 

It doesn't look bad in the 90's. I assume it was used after it turned into a CBS affiliate.

[10Viewer 334]

20 hours ago, mer764KCTV5 said:

It doesn't look bad in the 90's. I assume it was used after it turned into a CBS affiliate.

WTSP's last four months as an ABC affiliate, then the switch to CBS 12/12/94. I think the woodgrain on the newsdesk reminded me of a school desk. LOL.