WBBM adopts O&O package

[lazynetjunkie 34]

Don't forget the set they decided to start using only portions of.

 

 

Just like what happened in 2001.. A multi-million dollar "Works For You" Creative blowoff. Graphics used for exactly 1 year, an extravagant and extremely expensive set that lasted only 6 months, music and image song/campaign which were only used less than a year..

 

 

 

Anyways, on last night's 10PM newscast, they indeed had an improved graphic for the plasmas around the studio which has a CBS 2 logo on it and a skyline background behind the transparent tilted CBS eye logo. Looks much better. As for the light boxes on the set/desks, it appears the solution they tried was just turning off the lights in the graphic light boxes. You can still clearly see the graphic on the panel but since it's not illuminated, it appears the dark blue which matches the new graphics alot better. That's some good thinking.

 

 

It sounds like there's been a recent update of Enforcer.. During the sports bump/tease on the 10, there was a completely new sports cut of Enforcer I've never heard before which isn't in any of the CD's that I know of..

[lazynetjunkie 34]

Thanks. I don't really care when they're up, I'd just appreciate seeing them eventually. I just thought it was really strange that

was the only video I could ever find of the 2008 open, and I never saw the 2008 open with Enforcer.

 

 

Here's the 2008 short open with Enforcer: http://cbs2chicago.com/video/[email protected]

 

 

That long open in the link you posted only lasted a couple months.. A handful of those city "shots" in that long open made it to the new opens.

[C Block 1488]

^^^

 

Thanks for that. And why did they move away from that window backdrop?

[lazynetjunkie 34]

^^^

 

Thanks for that. And why did they move away from that window backdrop?

 

 

During the 5PM and 6PM newscasts, the evening sun shines right through those windows (especially during the summer) so the shades have to be pulled down making the use of those windows during those times pointless. During the 10PM newscast, management doesn't like people waving in the background behind the anchors heads. Current management didn't like the fake monitor backdrop so using that wall was ditched when current management came in. However, the window was still used as the backdrop of the 5-7AM and 11AM morning news until January of this year when they got rid of the large anchor desk and platform.

 

I believe the large anchor desk and platform are still in storage in the building so they could pull it out and use it again if they wanted to.

[Weeters 1811]

^^^

 

Thanks for that. And why did they move away from that window backdrop?

 

They needed to move away from the window backdrop. If anything happened outside then it was front and center during broadcasts. A few weeks ago when windows shattered on the upper floors of their building, their backdrop that evening would have been fire trucks and police tape.

 

The monitor backdrop would have been better.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

They needed to move away from the window backdrop. If anything happened outside then it was front and center during broadcasts. A few weeks ago when windows shattered on the upper floors of their building, their backdrop that evening would have been fire trucks and police tape.

 

The monitor backdrop would have been better.

 

 

Hahahaha.. Didn't think about that. But then, WLS doesn't use the windows as the backdrop and their window along with a car still made front and center during some newscasts. But now that you say it, this morning on Monsters & Money, there was a large Doritos truck outside the window for a long long time. I think they should charge Doritos for some advertising. lol..

[Weeters 1811]

Now in HD, if anyone's interested still:

 

[yt]C3v1mbUyHEA[/yt]

 

I wish I could share the original. It's so clear. We don't have any HD newscasts in this market that are on a channel without digital subchannels, so seeing something in uncompressed HD is an experience.

[mbhcity 3]

Now I wonder what if the Group W stations adopt it....WJZ, KPIX, KDKA, KYW and WBZ.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

Now I wonder what if the Group W stations adopt it....WJZ, KPIX, KDKA, KYW and WBZ.

 

 

Some, if not all, will.. The stations that have "in-house" graphics will have the best chance of keeping their current look. Some stations will probably hold off for as long as they can. However, when the higher up CBS bosses look at & approve stations' next year budgets, they're going to question the stations that are currently/still paying outside companies (Hothaus, GO, etc.) for graphics and ask the GM, "Why are you still wasting money on graphics when we now have a centralized creative/graphics department? That's money that can be added to the bottom line!"

[C Block 1488]

I don't have a good idea of how this all works, but when a station orders graphics from Hothaus, GO, etc. just for them, once they've paid for the graphics, that's all they pay, right? Or do they have to continue to pay Hothaus and GO to keep using them? Isn't it cost-neutral for stations with their own graphics to switch to the O&O package?

[Weeters 1811]

I don't have a good idea of how this all works, but when a station orders graphics from Hothaus, GO, etc. just for them, once they've paid for the graphics, that's all they pay, right? Or do they have to continue to pay Hothaus and GO to keep using them? Isn't it cost-neutral for stations with their own graphics to switch to the O&O package?

 

They might continue ordering new graphics (for franchises and special events) and could also be having graphics updated if need be.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

I don't have a good idea of how this all works, but when a station orders graphics from Hothaus, GO, etc. just for them, once they've paid for the graphics, that's all they pay, right? Or do they have to continue to pay Hothaus and GO to keep using them? Isn't it cost-neutral for stations with their own graphics to switch to the O&O package?

 

 

It depends. I've seen this vary greatly from station to station. Some stations pay all up front (for the graphics themselves only). Some stations pay month to month (usually smaller market stations and syndicated packages). Some stations do yearly contracts. Some stations pay for the graphics to be made up front but still pay a month to month usage fee for them. Many stations pay a month to month or some time (6 month, 1 year, etc.) contract fee for usage of stock photo/video library and "special graphic elements" which aren't exclusive to your graphic package but are owned by the graphic company.

 

Most graphics companies are begging for the business these days so they'll work out anyway they can to get a station's business.

[Jess 1110]

For KYW, I'd imagine it's a matter of when, not if. Their current gfx are three years old, so it's probably time for a change. Thing is, their graphics are already being used on another station, and I don't know if that plays a role in the new centralized setup.

 

Is it going to be like a complete hubbing ala Fox and NBC or sort of corporate ala Hearst?

[swillh2k2 203]

KYW stands the best chance out of the Group W stations to switch. It seems to be the only one that has kept in line with the corporate mandate. KPIX has done it somewhat but the rest have kept their heritage branding.

[bixpchiphead 105]

KYW stands the best chance out of the Group W stations to switch. It seems to be the only one that has kept in line with the corporate mandate. KPIX has done it somewhat but the rest have kept their heritage branding.

 

Not to mention WCCO.

[who?cares 253]

Not to mention WCCO.

 

Why would WCCO change to these. They have a great graphics department and everything there is pretty much done in-house.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

Why would WCCO change to these. They have a great graphics department and everything there is pretty much done in-house.

 

 

 

That's the thing.. They still have a graphics department. When budget time comes around and corporate looks over a future budget, they'll ask the GM, "Why are you still blowing away money on a graphics department? That's money that can be added to our bottom line!"

 

 

Most of the stations that have started using the new graphics still have much of their graphics/creative department.. However, the feeling I'm getting is CBS doesn't want to completely butcher each of their stations creative/graphics department like NBC did but maybe just cut down the size of the department. The CBS central creative (that's what a couple people are calling the place) will do most of the graphic work but there will still be a couple people at each station to tweek and do things to fit each individual station's needs.

 

 

 

The new O&O look is really very nice. I like them more and more everyday. It's very crisp, simple, and very flexible for the station to work with. Yes, I actually heard from someone at a particular CBS O&O that they're much more flexible and they can do much more with them than what they were able to do with an expensive graphic company made package. The problem is the videos floating around the internet (which everyone seems to be basing the new look on) of the new look don't do any justice for them. I'm liking them alot better than Hothaus stuff WBBM has used the past couple years. They don't clutter the screen and don't distract from the new itself as much as the Hothaus did. People can focus more on the story and less on graphics that move around so much.

[C Block 1488]

Yes, I'd agree with that. I like that it's somewhat simple, and a lot (not all) of stations can easily shoehorn their identities into it. The open is a perfect example of that. It's just little things like the font, the messy bug, and the way they modified the lower thirds about a month after they debuted, that bother me.

[swillh2k2 203]

Not to mention WCCO.

 

True, but they were never a Group W station though.

[eyewitness_news 5]

Of all the five (5) Group W stations, WJZ kept the "Eyewitness News" name even after the sale to CBS. KYW dropped the Eyewitness News format in 1991, became News 3 in 1994, and returned to Eyewitness News in 1997-98. KPIX was known as "KPIX 5 News" in 1994 but immediately reverted back to Eyewitness News a couple years later. WBZ and KDKA are no longer associated with the "Eyewitness News" name.

[Jess 1110]

The problem is the videos floating around the internet (which everyone seems to be basing the new look on) of the new look don't do any justice for them.

Quoting for truth. They pop so much more in HD, on an actual television station, than on the Internet. I remember liking them when I saw them to begin with, but it wasn't until I saw it in HD that it really "worked" for me.

[Weeters 1811]

Quoting for truth. They pop so much more in HD, on an actual television station, than on the Internet. I remember liking them when I saw them to begin with, but it wasn't until I saw it in HD that it really "worked" for me.

 

This. The compression on my HD video completely ruins how the actual thing looks.

[Jess 1110]

Also I imagine duopoly markets would probably retain full (or reasonably full) creative and graphics teams, mostly because they support two stations. Especially the ones with the independents where they don't have official CW graphics to fall back on: KCBS/KCAL, KTVT/KTXA, WBZ/WSBK.

[jestbiteme 13]

Some, if not all, will.. The stations that have "in-house" graphics will have the best chance of keeping their current look.

 

 

That would seem to describe KDKA, but I think that they also stand a good chance of picking up these graphics. Why? Well, they were quick to switch to the WBBM graphics as soon as Al Blinke left and CBS veteran Verrilli took over. And when they finally went HD, they simply did a refresh of the WBBM look. Sure, they came a long way towards improving over the original look, brightening things up and adding subtle animation, but as this was only a refresh, you're still looking at a 4 year old look.

 

Finally, I'm always hearing that KD gets the short shrift when it comes to budget allocation from corporate. That and the lack of an official news director to fight for the current look and I think it's going to happen. There might even be an unexpected element or two to watch out for, who knows. I wouldn't be surprised to see KD borrowing an element or two from one or more of their sister stations to cut back on creative costs even more.

 

I wonder if they'll attach the HD box to their logo like WBBM?

 

I'm with lazynetjunkie, the more I see this the more I like it. Still not sure how I feel about the darker blues (thinking about KDKA, I mean). The only thing I would change is the lowers, which just seem so much more generic than the rest of the package. There's little there, and the animation (at least what I've seen so far) is clunky. I wish they'd redo those, but other than that I'd welcome it.

 

I guess we'll see what happens!

[Jess 1110]

Looks like KYW is next... they just put on a Facebook/Twitter/Website promo that has the "HD" logo setup and new graphics. Very much looking forward to it!