The Newsroom

North American Affilliates/Network Set Design

American,Canadian Network & Affilate Set Designs (February 2014)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
MO
Mouseboy33
CBS owned and operated stations have been moving from away the dark wood sets to sets that feature little to no wood and are brighter and lighter. Most are very blue. As this colour does allow the anchors to "pop" off the screen better than flesh-tone back grounds and, surprise, wood! Duh.
WIth the exception of WBBM & KCBS (which both need updates desparately) there is a running theme on the newer-ish CBS O&O affiliate sets. Of course they dont all match but they are slowly moving away from the over-use of wood and maybe toward the over-use of blue?! But its a good sign in any event. The small stations and affiliate groups typically look toward the large market stations for design cues and whats hot in presentation design..with varying degrees of success.

WCBS 2 NEW YORK
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2011/10/WCBS_NewStudio-2.jpg

WBZ 4 - BOSTON
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2011/12/wbz-new-set1.jpg
updated with screen array
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/wbz.jpg

WBBM 2 CHICAGO
Terrible on every level. Streetfront studio that is not used very well. Expensive and a mess in my opinion
At Launch
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/gallery/setstudio-wbbm-tv/2877446399_c9d3a64520.jpg
Currently
http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121122194835/logopedia/images/7/79/WBBM-TV%27s_CBS_2_News_This_Morning_Video_Close_From_Monday_Morning,_June_4,_2012.jpg

KCNC 4 DENVER
http://www.broadcastdesign.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2013-KCNC_2.jpg
soft area
http://www.broadcastdesign.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2013-KCNC_4.jpg

KTVT 11 DALLAS -FORT WORTH
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2013/10/ktvt_set_1.jpg

WFOR 4 MIAMI
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2013/01/wfor_pic.jpg

WCCO 4 MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL
this is hideous and fairly new! dont know they got away with that one.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2012/09/wcco4.jpg

KYW 3 PHILADELPHIA
http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/newsletter/12-12/synmposium.jpg
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/cbs3.jpg

KPIX 5 SAN FRANCISCO - BAY AREA
http://m1.behance.net/rendition/modules/51410751/disp/e8d14cfcb26723309386c5783b805229.jpg

KOVR 13 STOCKTON.
very small station
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/hvuYkRc-nes/0.jpg
Last edited by Mouseboy33 on 19 March 2014 3:40pm - 6 times in total
JO
Jon
I think sometimes a mega thread is appropriate.
BR
Brekkie
Thanks for these - not much to comment on but they are apreciated.
JO
Jon
Thanks for these - not much to comment on but they are apreciated.

Yes, I also find international presentation quite interesting too.


Not sure we need separate threads for all the different network's affiliates though, it's the sort of thing where if you're interested in one you'll be interested in them all generally speaking and if you're not interested you'll get annoyed with the threads clogging up the forum.
SK
Sky786
Not adding much, but IMO Denver has the nicest set by far.
NY
NYTV
WBZ is channel 4 in Boston.
MO
Mouseboy33
NBC Affiliate Sets
Over the past few years NBC has slowly been refreshing the sets of their owned and operated stations. While they dont all match there does seem to be recurring themes. The major theme is the virtual window behind the anchor desk. WNBC created this by positioning several LCD displays with aluminum bars between them to create the "window" effect. They then broadcast a live beauty skyline shot behind the anchors. The over-all materials being used seem to be silver metals, blues, and some wood tones. Some older sets such WRC-DC was not renovated, but instead the "NBC VIRTUAL window" added on the previous Clickspring Set. WMAQ-Chicago had a brand new set shortly after WNBC's premiere, but as you will see it was a horrible attempt. So a few short months later the "NBC Virtual Window" was added and more wood tones. (boring)
So far WCAU Philly/ KNTV Bay Area/ KNSD San Diego havent received new sets or updates. KNBC just relocated from Burbank to Universal Studios with the rest of NBC.

WNBC 4 - NEW YORK
http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_large/hash/3a/45/3a4515285b147a2317ba518c068d19df.jpg?itok=baJD4Elc
entire set mock-up
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Screen-Shot-2012-03-19-at-9.41.11-AM.png

KNBC 4 LOS ANGELES
http://www.broadcastdesign.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2013_KNBC_03WEB.jpg

WMAQ 5 CHICAGO
version 1
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/wmaq.jpg

version 2 a few months later
http://www.nbcumv.com/images/author-created/previews/NBCStations/NBC5ChicagoWMAQ_P.JPG

KXAS 5 DALLAS
http://www.tvnewscheck.com/playout/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/NBC-5-Anchor-Desk.jpg

WRC 4 DC
before
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/files/2013/06/wrc-set.jpg
after
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Screen-Shot-2013-08-13-at-12.33.31-PM-copy.png

WTVJ 6 MIAMI
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/wtvj7.png

WCAU 6 PHILADELPHIA
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/gallery/setstudio-wcau-tv/10_news9.jpg


KNTV 11 BAY AREA (SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-SAN JOSE)
http://mije.org/sites/default/files/resize/imagecache/full_column/u678/NBC_Americans-526x375.jpg

KNSD - 7 SAN DIEGO
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e80/sdnewshd/fcc0fa69-512b-4c2a-a75d-f1be853808eb_zps0be05bfd.jpg

WXIA -11 Alive- Atlanta (NOT NBC O&O
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/wxia1.png
http://www.newscaststudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/wxia1.jpg
MO
Mouseboy33
Jon posted:
Thanks for these - not much to comment on but they are apreciated.

Yes, I also find international presentation quite interesting too.


Not sure we need separate threads for all the different network's affiliates though, it's the sort of thing where if you're interested in one you'll be interested in them all generally speaking and if you're not interested you'll get annoyed with the threads clogging up the forum.

Hope this helps.
CH
Charles
One minor correction, but KOVR is in Sacramento, not Stockton. It's a really unpleasant city, but it is the capital of California and has a metro population over 2 million, which doesn't include Stockton or Modesto— two smaller cities that KOVR also covers.

But while we're at it, it's really interesting to see how about 4 or 5 major firms build all the sets for all the affiliates— Clickspring, Jack Morton/PDG, Devlin, BDI, and FX Group— and you can see a lot of similarities between them. Clickspring is by far the best, and for a while, NBC was using them almost exclusively, though the recent KXAS and KNBC sets were done by PDG and BDI, respectively. CBS has mostly stuck with PDG, though some stations (such as KPIX) have used FX only to copy the PDG sets, presumably at a cheaper price.

It's also interesting how while almost all networks/affiliate groups have standardized to only one on-air graphics package and brand identity, each station will still get its own unique set. They'll certainly borrow design elements from each other, but the only group where multiple affiliates received the exact same set was Fox. I didn't think it was a bad design, either, even though most of them are quite old now:

http://www.tampahdtv.com/images/wtvt_studio.jpg

And ABC is really a hodgepodge in terms of design. There's no true ABC look, and even most of the newer sets that their affiliates have gone to in recent years have been pretty disappointing in comparison to what NBC and CBS are doing.

But yeah, I think WNBC is probably my favorite set of all the local stations in the country. It's not overly involved like what most of them are, and I think NBC's manner of combining wood panels and lightboxes looks very professional. Plus, you just can't beat that skyline:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5319/7093715675_0bf951ee00_c.jpg
Last edited by Charles on 27 February 2014 10:55am
MO
Mouseboy33
Ive always disliked everything done by FOX affiliates mandated look. The sets, the graphics, the music. Everything. In my opinion it looks like an old person trying to be young and failing miserably. Too much of everything. If fox wanted to "look" young they can take design cues from the new Fusion, VICE news or FUSE tv looks. clean simple minimal.
NY
NYTV
Ive always disliked everything done by FOX affiliates mandated look. The sets, the graphics, the music. Everything. In my opinion it looks like an old person trying to be young and failing miserably. Too much of everything. If fox wanted to "look" young they can take design cues from the new Fusion, VICE news or FUSE tv looks. clean simple minimal.

I agree in terms of Fox's package, it is very disappointing compared to the first Fox News inspired graphics of 2006.
ABC stations have no uniformed look given that ABC O&O stations having strong identities in various markets ( WABC New York and "Eyewitness News" with Circle 7-influenced graphics and WPVI Philadelphia with "Action News" and "Move Closer to Your World" theme song) and ABC really doesn't want to mess with what works.
WNBC's set is awesome especially using a live camera for the skyline, although when bad weather hits it becomes a problem.
NY
NYTV
One minor correction, but KOVR is in Sacramento, not Stockton. It's a really unpleasant city, but it is the capital of California and has a metro population over 2 million, which doesn't include Stockton or Modesto— two smaller cities that KOVR also covers.

But while we're at it, it's really interesting to see how about 4 or 5 major firms build all the sets for all the affiliates— Clickspring, Jack Morton/PDG, Devlin, BDI, and FX Group— and you can see a lot of similarities between them. Clickspring is by far the best, and for a while, NBC was using them almost exclusively, though the recent KXAS and KNBC sets were done by PDG and BDI, respectively. CBS has mostly stuck with PDG, though some stations (such as KPIX) have used FX only to copy the PDG sets, presumably at a cheaper price.

It's also interesting how while almost all networks/affiliate groups have standardized to only one on-air graphics package and brand identity, each station will still get its own unique set. They'll certainly borrow design elements from each other, but the only group where multiple affiliates received the exact same set was Fox. I didn't think it was a bad design, either, even though most of them are quite old now:

http://www.tampahdtv.com/images/wtvt_studio.jpg

And ABC is really a hodgepodge in terms of design. There's no true ABC look, and even most of the newer sets that their affiliates have gone to in recent years have been pretty disappointing in comparison to what NBC and CBS are doing.

But yeah, I think WNBC is probably my favorite set of all the local stations in the country. It's not overly involved like what most of them are, and I think NBC's manner of combining wood panels and lightboxes looks very professional. Plus, you just can't beat that skyline:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5319/7093715675_0bf951ee00_c.jpg

A bit of a note here, Fox has started to change the sets in markets, with KTTV Los Angeles, KSAZ Detroit and KMSP Minneapolis being the first to get new sets. Other markets may get new sets in the future but nothing has been announced.

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