WTOK new set

[NWA_TV_guy 156]

Gray’s WTOK in Meridian, MS is utilizing their newsroom for newscasts while a new set is installed in their studio. The set has been in use for 20-years. 
 

The debut of their new set will be in early 2023. 
 

[CircleSeven 1960]

So after exactly one year after a graphics changes & technology upgrades and whatnot, now they're going to install a new studio set? 

 

All of that should've been taken care off last year.

[ATLNewsExpert 460]

Their set honestly hasn't aged THAT badly as say some sets that have been around for shorter periods of time.

[nathannah 2493]

I assume it was overall station budget limitations that nixed a set upgrade during the tech upgrade. Plus both on-air and off-air staff learning new systems is a 'chicken with head cut-off' situation that would be a disaster to occur at the same time. It wasn't optimum but it probably worked out better this way (though uggh I still hate the WBAY logo copy they ended up with).

[tyrannical bastard 4018]

Attached is a current picture of the existing set from Meterologist Deitra McKenzie's facebook profile:

 

Basically, it looks like the original set that Benedek put in (like WTVY also used to have before they switched to the standard-issue Gil Jimenez Gray set) with some refacing. 

I remember when they went HD about a decade ago, they had the big studio-like cameras (which were actually hand-me-downs from WNDU...probably from their ND ownership days). 

As you can see, they are now the tiny PTZ ones that are commonplace with automation systems.  At least they're not hanging from the ceiling!

 

Given the cost of such upgrades, it makes sense for a station in a place like Meridian to space these out.  Viewers aren't going to notice the automation (if it works like it's supposed to!) so that can be hidden in another year.  And with Gray's graphic package rollouts, we all know how that is.

[NWA_TV_guy 156]

Progress photos as seen on Facebook:

[tyrannical bastard 4018]

I see Meridian is getting a new GRAY-Hound station

[NWA_TV_guy 156]

WTOK’s new set debuts during the evening newscasts today (01/18), as announced during their Midday newscast. 

[tyrannical bastard 4018]

Here's the story from WTOK about their new set.  It cost around $400K, with half of that invested into the technology side of things.

https://www.wtok.com/2023/01/18/wtok-news-11-debuts-new-set/

 

It's better than I expected.  Not quite as good as WLOX's new digs, but much better than the bus-station look I was expecting..

(it's there to a degree, but it's more set-like)

[Justin Hill 42]

The new logo for WTOK-TV 11's "WTOK NEWS 11" has a strong resemblance to fellow Gray-owned ABC affiliate WBAY-TV 2's "ACTION 2 NEWS" logo...

[ActionNewsAficianado 3]

Another victim of the Gray staple, a sea of hanging monitors. I always get so disoriented looking at a setup like that. Is that really more cost-effective than actual teleprompter hoods for the cameras?

[TheRolyPoly 2556]

6 hours ago, Justin Hill said:

The new logo for WTOK-TV 11's "WTOK 11 NEWS" has a strong resemblance to fellow Gray-owned ABC affiliate WBAY-TV 2's "ACTION 2 NEWS" logo...

 

They go by WTOK News 11.