WXIA: "The New Standard and Tradition"

[TServo2049 82]

Hello,

 

A friend in Atlanta, recorded (on audiotape) this WXIA news close from 1981, in which the slogan is “The New Standard and Tradition.” It dates back to when WXIA and WSB swapped affiliations, WSB going to ABC and WXIA going to NBC. He says he doesn’t know much else about it, since he only happened to get the close while he was waiting to record Johnny Carson’s opening monologue on the Tonight Show.

 

I have no idea about the specifics of this theme, either. I’ve always wondered whether WXIA really used Hello News back to 1980, though; I have seen literally no footage of WXIA news between 1980 (the “In Tune with Atlanta” open and close) and 1985 (when they were indeed using Hello News).

 

Do any of you know anything about this theme or this period of WXIA’s existence (at least news-theme-wise, etc.).

[10Viewer 338]

Definitely not "Hello News". Sometimes, though, a station may have used a different closing theme for their newscasts. Sounds like it was meant to promote the change to NBC.

[TServo2049 82]

"newsthemes" says he actually has an intro with this theme, so it looks to be a full-blown theme.

 

I'm betting a million to one it's Peters Productions...

[KnoxvilleTVFan 286]

"newsthemes" says he actually has an intro with this theme, so it looks to be a full-blown theme.

 

I'm betting a million to one it's Peters Productions...

 

I have heard the intro with the announcer saying "WXIA, an equal opportunity employer" or something of that nature.

 

I wish I could hear it again.

[radiorick1460 1]

The news closing on this tape wouldn't happen to be a "la la laa..." vocal would it?

I have been trying to find this 11 Alive Newsroom close.

 

RadioRick1460

[radiorick1460 1]

I have the "equal opportunity employer" opening. Its close may be the one I've been looking for (with the la-la-laa vocal). I have not come across the opening on the web in a while.

[TServo2049 82]

I know it's almost been two years since the last post in this thread, but I literally haven't been here in years. I finally dug up the audio file of this closing. I initially uploaded on 4Shared, but since that site now requires you have an account, I moved it to SoundCloud:

 

 

As radiorick remembered, this close has the "la la la" vocals.

 

From what I can gather, 11 Alive's slogan at the time was "Atlanta's Proud New Tradition," but this close says "The New Standard and Tradition."

 

Anybody here seen the corresponding open? As I said 5 years ago, I'm not even sure we know when WXIA adopted "Hello"...

[10Viewer 338]

Wow, that sounds like a full blown theme. Do you remember if the opens also featured this theme?

 

I would definitely submit this to the NMSA. I think there is enough evidence here to warrant a new theme entry for WXIA.

[TServo2049 82]

I'm from San Francisco, so I have no idea. I've never seen a WXIA open from 1981-82.

 

In fact, I've seen very little stuff from the early Hello News era either, before the star logo when they were still using the v.1 music. (I think a promo and intro showed up in that "Hello" demo reel, which was featured in a couple NewsActive3 compilations.)

[KnoxvilleTVFan 286]

It has been almost a month since a new reply, but I did find something rare. It is excerpts from a WXIA newscast dated June 21st, 1981 and it includes the opening to WXIA's newscast from that day. If I am not mistaken, it may be related to "The New Standard and Tradition" theme.

 

http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/peabody/id:1981_81032_nwt_1

[10Viewer 338]

I hope someone can capture that WXIA open and add it to the NMSA. A superb open and theme.

[10Viewer 338]

I would bet money that WXIA debuted "Hello News" in 1982. There is an open on the NMSA that features Bryan Norcross and the "Hello News" open. Norcross was with WXIA only a short time. He left WXIA in 1983.

 

It appears "The New Standard and Tradition" was used from 1980-82.

[TServo2049 82]

Yeah, that's the opening theme to go with the closing theme I already have. (And another station using the "red and blue stripes" animations - I'm guessing those came from the Frank Magid people, as part of that red/white/blue identity?)

[10Viewer 338]

Yeah, WCHS used that same animation.

[radiorick1460 1]

Dear TServo2049,

 

Thank you so much for posting the 11 Alive WXIA-TV closing

with the "la-la-laa" vocal. I am really enjoying it. It is my most sought

TV news theme I didn't already have. I have added it to my colllection.

I remember hearing it during at least one vacation at my grandparents

while they were watching the now retired to special reports only former

Atlanta TV anchor John Pruitt.

 

Again thank you so much. I can't thank you enough.

 

Sincerely,

Radiorick1460

[radiorick1460 1]

I really appreciated TServo2049's posting of the WXIA-TV Atlanta, Georgia "New Standard And Tradition" closing from part of the 11 Alive Newsroom era. This link is to a reply posting of what TServo2049 may be looking for. it appears from a partial medley match (though played faster) to be the opening that goes with it. http://yourlisten.com/RadioRick1460/wxia-tv-open-1980-81

[TServo2049 82]

Yeah, that's it. There was also an open that surfaced on something posted online in the University of Georgia Peabody Awards Collection. But your clip has the full Gannett tag at the front, on the Peabody clip the tape started partway though it.

 

I am guessing this debuted with the affiliation change on September 1, 1980, and ran to December 31, 1981. (radioman1968's clip of WXIA coverage of the January 12, 1982 Atlanta "Snow Jam" has the Hello News intro, indicating that they probably debuted that package on January 1.)

 

The only thing that's not clear is when the "star" logo and the updated "electronic" Hello News were introduced. The earliest clip I can find is from June 1983. Did those debut on January 1 of '83?

[10Viewer 338]

I wonder if this will get updated on the NMSA?

[Info Junkie 1286]

I know it's been almost three years since the last post, but I was browsing on YouTube "WXIA 1983" until I stumbled upon this.

Notice that 11 Alive is using the TVBD/John Christopher Burns font for the close, but the end ID is clearly taken from during the early days of the "Star" logo. I'm guessing they started using Television by Design in '83?

[TServo2049 82]

That is interesting, it could be a coincidence. Korinna was a popular chyron font at the time, after all.

 

I always assumed TVbD came in with the Cranston-Csuri CGI Death Star and news intro animation in 1984 (was it 1984?)

[Samantha 2898]

I doubt it.

 

1983 was *the first year* of TVbD's existence — the founders left TBS at that time. WXIA isn't on their chronological client list at all, so it's hard to say. Their 84 demo has no WXIA on it, but 85 does. We'd have to see the open to know.

[Info Junkie 1286]

Here's a small portion of their open on TVBD's '85 demo: (at 1:12)

[MEDIA=vimeo]10305622[/MEDIA]

 

A different version of this appears on a NewsActive3 compilation. There's less photos and the background is different, plus it's the full open: (37:55)

[ChesapeakeTV 312]

I'm 100% certain that WXIA look was introduced in 1984. Notice this weather graphic in a clip from coverage of that year's Easter Sunday tornado outbreak...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=6MLWntTzfbk;m=12;s=42

 

TVbD's demos from any given year generally included their work up to then. Notice how the '84 demo (aside from their 1982 TBS reel they included) is all their earliest 1983 projects, for instance, while the '85 demo includes things like that WXIA "Decision '84" open and the look matching WDIV 1984's first appearance.

[Info Junkie 1286]

[MEDIA=dailymotion]xcn66e[/MEDIA]

 

Ok now I think I have proof they debuted TVbD in 1983-84 - they have a promo with the "Be There" graphics at the beginning, followed by a news brief with a design that could only be TVbD work.

[ChesapeakeTV 312]

Yes, that's a shining example of TVbD work - note how it goes with the weather graphics in the clip I posted a while back. Going by the description on that Dailymotion video, that puts it at very late 1983 for a debut. Good find!