New KTRK set

[HoustonNews 0]

Not sure if anyone has posted regarding this or not (upon search, I didn't find anything), but KTRK has gotten a new set.

 

Pic and/or video to come.

 

EDIT: Found video on YouTube by HoustonTVNews

[Que 73]

Looks a lot similar in design to KNBC. I hope this set design isn't the next fad for stations.

[Ntropolis 599]

I'm not impressed. It's just typical FX work. A lot better what they had... and it's better than KPRC.

[rtmclaug 70]

I think this set is a great improvement over what they used to have. I've enjoyed what KTRK has been doing and while I do miss the old set, this one is a welcome change that was desperately needed. Finally, a news set for them that actually looks HD. Good for them. Out of all the news stations in Houston, this one takes the cake and eats it, too.

[WXmanTim 88]

Very nice work for ABC-13. It fits their style without being to far over the top.

 

Last fall when I interviewed to intern at the station, Tim Heller said they were getting a new set in 2008 (He said January 2008, then). It was built in the larger studio 1, which had housed the Debra Duncan show (the DD audience risers and backgrounds were still in place, but it was being used for Texans pre-season programs) and also, I believe, the set that pre-dated the one just quit using.

[DMA 135]

I like it, shows what they can do with a small-ish space.

[WXmanTim 88]

I like it, shows what they can do with a small-ish space.

 

Yeah, studio 1 is a fairly small-ish studio, but bigger than studio 2 (where the old set was). Longer, really, rather than wider. I imagine it is set-up along the outside (longer) wall, judging from the length of the layout in the video.

 

KTRK has a time lapse of the studio being constructed, here

 

Based on my visit to the station last fall, I made a couple helpful diagrams to show where I believe the set was constructed in relation to the studio space:

 

 

[Oliverolang 41]

Absolutely beautiful set, I love it very much. The projected skyline backdrop brings back memories of their chroma keyed skyline set the used from the 1980's-1992.

[bhratbrat 437]

From what I have seen driving around and stuff..KTRK really doesn't look that big on the outside..probably the smallest station building in Houston. KNWS and KHCW are bigger by a hair.

[WXmanTim 88]

You're right, its not a huge building, even counting the space constructed in 1999 and 2000 so that Debra Duncan would have a dedicated studio. There are two wings, though, that go out from the lobby and surround an outdoor area, complete with a swimming pool (which they occasionally show, and have had for a good number of years - it appears in the beginning of this

pre-Christmas clip).

 

The newsroom and studio spaces are down the left hallway, from the lobby, going towards the mini-dome area. Business offices, I imagine, are down the other hallway (though I did not go down that way during my visit). The station's cafeteria/break room is just on the other side of the lobby, looking out over the outdoor area.

 

When I was there (during Eyewitness News at 4:00), I was quite shocked at the size of the studio they were using. The set, including the Eyewitness WeatherCenter, was tucked into one corner, just inside the doorway to the right, with the interview set in the opposite corner. Everything was very much right on top of each other with the four robotic cameras just inside the door and the camera and teleprompter operator to the left.

 

Studio control was located down the hall, closest to the newsroom. The control room had recently been upgraded to a multi-channel projection display. However, the metal racks - which held the old display monitors - were still in place, albeit empty. Sound mixing and graphics were in a small control room located between the studio and studio control.

[rtmclaug 70]

I can't wait for the pictures of this to come in. The studio looks really good from the video of it that I've seen.

[Mercedes 10]

I actually live in Houston and view ABC 13 every single day. When you view ABC 13 on a HD television, It's the most tremendous HD experience you'll ever get. Their graphics and the new set make watching the news way way more fun than it already is.

[Blue Dogs 0]

KTRK 13's virtual news set was unveiled in the fall of 1982 if I remember and I'm sure they had 3 different version of the downtown skyline virtual set: the first was from 1982 to 1983, the 2nd from 1983 to1985 and the one we've all remembered was unveiled in the spring of 1986 and stayed like that until September of 1992 I believe.

[WXmanTim 88]

Since this long-dead thread was brought up, I thought I would mention some changes made to the set since it's 2008 debut. In late 2012, they replaced the RP screen behind "home base" with a 3X3 bank of monitors that are much brighter.

 

They have also removed the frosted glass "scrim" from in front of the bank of mini monitors on either side (behind sports and weather). Not sure when exactly this change took place, as I've only noticed it fairly recently. It's not a good change, imo, because the graphics in the monitors (which consist or their topical/franchise opens on a constant loop) are rather distracting in cross shots.

 

Not 100% about this, but I believe the large screen you see between the left bank of mini monitors and the edge of the interview set was replaced in 2011 with their "smart board." It could, however, be in a different location with that large screen remaining as is.

 

IMO, the set has aged pretty well and still looks sharp on TV. Considering that their previous set had an 8-year run before it was replaced, I doubt we'll be seeing a new one for a few more years.