WTIC TV FOX CT Launches News at 4pm

[WCX-TV 17]

So I guess Tribune decided to launch a 4 O'Clock news cast instead of a 5 or 6. Fox CT launched today it today.

[who?cares 254]

WXIN (FOX 59 Indianapolis) has had a 4pm newscast for a while, but they are getting ready to add a 5pm newscast, so I'd say if this works out WTIC will evenutally add a 5pm news.

[90stvland 1]

I didn't get a chance to watch Monday's broadcast but was able to watch today's.

It seems as though FOX CT is trying out some new techniques. The newscast started with Rachael Lutzker at the assignment desk, and the assignment desk editor told Rachael the top stories. Then Rachael walked over from the assignment desk to the weather center for a brief weather tease.

 

Nearly all of the stories were delivered with anchors either standing next to one of the monitors, or sitting down in the newsroom with Courant staff members delivering the stories. It was interesting to see some of the behind the scenes workers on-air talking about the stories they were working on and what the newsroom looked like during a newscast.

 

The second half of the newscast started off with a live shot from a reporter, and that was the only live shot that I remember seeing. Most of the stories were already pre-taped.

 

However, there were a few elements that bugged me. The lower-thirds were nothing more than simple blue banners that looked like they were created in 10 minutes on Final Cut Pro. Some of the feature stories had nothing more than a simple FCP default text as the LT. For a station that has invested so much into a full HD newscast, I think they could ditch the simple banners. I also wished that they had never switched to Indie-band news. They could have done so much more with the FOX O&O theme.

 

Are other Tribune stations trying these techniques out?

 

Part 1 is available here to view

[who?cares 254]

I kind of like it.