KTBC goes O&O

[djlynch 56]

I'd noticed that KTBC had been in a different part of the set than usual the last week, and they've now relaunched with the O&O music and graphics package.

 

Rather than get a new set, they've refreshed the old one. (Actually, I'm not sure that the basic Fox set would fit there. I've gotten the impression that their studio's pretty small.) From the photos at FX Group's site, a plasma monitor has replaced the duratrans in front of the desk, there's now a huge plasma that's replaced the entire monitor bank behind the desk, the Fox O&O logo bar has been added around the top of the desk and they've redone the duratranses with the Austin skyline on either side.

 

I get the feeling that this is not the first set change in Austin this spring. KVUE's been on something that has the look of a temporary set (tight camera angles, bad lighting) for the last week or two.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

I'm watching their newscast live right now on "Austin 1" at livenewscameras.com..

 

 

I believe they have a very small studio. However, the Blyth Design FOX O&O "set in a can" can be built in a much smaller scale to fit the studio if they wanted to. I just believe a completely new set wasn't in their budget so a refresh was good enough for them. I think it works fine for them.

 

 

WFLD FOX Chicago did something very similar.. WFLD is still using their set originally built by FX Group back around 1997/98 but they got a refresh in 2006 designed by Blyth with Chicago Scenic Group doing the actual construction work..

 

You can get some FOX O&O live studio shots at http://media.myfoxchicago.com/fox/webcam1.html. You can see WFLD's current set along with the sets of a number of other FOX O&O's. Austin is listed there; however, they don't have a studio shot.

[Jess 1115]

WTXF is using two sets - the streetside FX Group set (Good Day and 11am) and a Blyth set (5pm, 10pm).

 

One thing I find interesting about these Blyth "sets in a can" is that there's a surprising amount of variation if you look closely. WNYW's set is quite large, with lots of reflective silver, neon lights, etc. At TXF, not only is the set much smaller, but the layout is reversed - big plasma to the right, standup area to the left.

 

They kinda ruined the streetside set when they went O&O. They added a distracting plasma monitor in the middle "bridge suspension" on the main desk that seems to serve no purpose except to display the Fox 29 logo. The glass sheets with the eight million Fox 29 logos were also replaced with plainer looking ones that just have Arial text reading "Fox 29".