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They've had the current masthead for so long...over 35 years, it's like if the New York Times or WSJ decided to change its masthead. There's something unmistakably New York and urgent about the legacy masthead. Their call, not mine.

She talks about what happened in the building here

More clips here https://abc7chicago.com/tag/wls75/

Interesting experiment. Creative way to adapt the set and a broadcast that takes more time interviewing while also covering lighter things so it isn't a snoozer like 'Up Close.' Those are some of the things I found interesting about KUSI that got me watching local news more often again. Not used to having Sam during a political interview - does he have to be 'along for the ride' the whole show? I guess he is the pro talent and most seasoned of the bunch, but then why not make him the lead interviewer if that's the role? Like go all the way instead of an awkward middle. The music isn't singing to me, not distinctive enough for a daily Eyewitness News show, maybe they'll play around and find something else.

Yeah and the text up there is raw text, not a graphic that needs the creative team so no real excuse. Maybe someone is doing only doing exactly what they were told and nothing more. The social/web lead (was a McKinnon, maybe still is) appears to be continuing as if little to nothing has changed, based on the social feed text.

Watching the evening news today… They changed the anchor positions on the set…now seated in the middle as originally designed on the circa 1998 set with the original big “9” logo in blue. Tosses to sports now have a 3 shot. My guess is this is the pre temporary set look while they redesign the rest of the space; the set already has plenty of blue for the traditional temp look. The pre show tease no longer has live previews by the field reporters like Dan Plante. Just the anchors reading the teases. A lot less chit chat into breaks and between stories. Bit of a somber feel if you ask me and not just for the appropriate 9/11 segments. Story selection and guests are similar to before (still showing the alternative local political voices) although they’re inserting more brief general voiceover stories like public health messages.

Here's a writeup on it https://www.The Other Site.com/2023/09/07/kpix-primetime-edition-virtual-production/?utm_campaign=NCS - Newsletter 20230907&utm_medium=email&utm_source=The Other Site The head of the stations group says they're going to consider more virtual set elements vs 'hardscape'. in future set builds (so possibly not just weather, and part of the main presentation). The current iteration has its gimmicky elements, but the realism of the simulated hard pieces is pretty good. Has that 'Newsmat' style where it's designed to look non virtual with the skyline background, window framing, etc, but leveraging virtual to bring in the info graphics and topical elements. As for the weather segment...at some point they'll probably figure out people still want the full screen graphics at times - it's harder to read radar maps, etc when they're condensed into a part of a set display. I'd like to see some sound effects work their way in - would be a nod to KPIX weather graphics innovation in the 80s when they had the 'sizzle' sound for the highs and the animated blimp.

It was one of the McKinnon grandchildren (edit: might still be based on today's twitter posts) My guess is the son of the elder McKinnon (GM) and his son (head of social) were the “alt right” political manipulators in the building. That said many newsrooms have the opposing alt left? equivalent individuals making editorial judgement they just don’t own the station outright and are less clumsy about executing their particular bias.

Yeah it was probably the one used back in the day for People are Talking, with audience risers and all. Wasn't sure if it got repurposed along the way but apparently not.

Interesting, so much for that. The Times article from earlier in the year said Steve ''has no intenion of retiring" I guess that wasn't necessarily a word from Nexstar. Although the only official word I've seen from Nexstar is the KSWB GM will oversee both, he's been in San Diego his whole adult life. https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2023/05/11/kusi-tv-to-stay-separate-news-station-from-fox5-san-diego-staffers-are-told/ And now I see Rafer on his social saying he's sad to see Steve go

Set is definitively going, the article referenced upthread says they told staff a new KUSI set is coming but the twist being Fox 5 moves into unoccupied space in the KUSI building. Which sounds like dual sets though seems tight quarters for that so we will see. Was expecting the Fox 5 location or a brand new facility would be the arrangement so that was a surprise to me and an interesting bone for the KUSI crew being on “home turf.” CW is a near given yes though wouldn’t change the news footprint much. They only do 4-7 and 10-1130 in the PM hours as it is.

With Steve Cohen not retiring my guess is a good deal of the KUSI story and personality style will remain intact while he’s there. Political slant who knows — probably the more outlandish guests and extended Trump coverage I get the sense Mike Jr was asking for could come out of the rotation but the healthy skepticism and coverage of more local events / issues and longer interviews probably remain. That’s a good thing to me but hard to get over the fact it won’t be locally owned anymore. When guys like Hank and Paul retire will be hard to fill their style for better or worse. Unfortunately the pending merger spooked Hunter and Francella out the door. And looks like Matt Prichard was released just before forcing him to Boston and ultimately bigger fish. Rafer decent but Lindsay a face palm at times in the recent hire front. San Diego is a unique market and having media historically (SD Tribune included) that didn’t follow lock step with LA and SF views was part of it. Interesting the KUSI building will be retained - “home turf.” If KCBS/KCAL is the analogy KUSI feels more like the KCAL. Fact is 5 has been trying to be a toned down KUSI with the red white blue, “So San Diego,” fireworks coverage, happy talk. But it feels forced / contrived while KUSI has that beach bar vibe. I wonder what the actual news ratings are. Only the total station numbers come out in the press and sure KUSI without prime time network / sports is last there. But when I met a KUSI anchor last year he said they were regularly #1 in the late night and did well in the mornings. Rafer posted in the spring a night he anchored they were number one all evening. My guess is 5 struggles some day parts as well.

Looks cool will it just be on the sub channel former KBHK/KBCW now KPIX+ or the main station too?

Glad to see the promo dept basement box find. Is it me or did Gari have kind of a dry spell of new hit news packages in the late 80s? After Great News Package and until they went full on cheap synth for Advantage / WFSB, updates to One and Only, etc that created a sound for 10-20 years I have a hard time pinpointing new Gari packages that really took off in that shoulder period. The packages kind of lost their hook and energy - "We'll Take You There" is the kind of thing I'm talking about, "Making a Difference" (listen to the early orchestral cuts). Just doesn't feel distinctively Gari like the full sounding early 80s stuff and then the for better or worse synth horn treatment of the 90s stuff that's unmistakably their sound. And BTW, kind of Wild that KQWC took until the early 90s to start using Hello and did it with vintage 70s cuts that lasted well into the 2000s.

Yes somewhat related...when Dennis Swanson took over WLS and turned it around in 83/84 one of his initiatives was daily reports of on-air production mistakes. When Gannett turned around WTCN/KARE around the same time, they added a position in-house to oversee the aesthetic / readability of daily on-air news graphics (more specific and tactical than a creative director). Details add up. Turn on a WPVI 11pm newscast these days and it feels more polished than the network nightly news.

Not quite over 50 years. I think you'd like this old article from 1974...KPRC was top dog then, KHOU was a few years earlier with Ron Stone and was unabashedly cheap https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/houston-tv-ratings-war/

They should ditch the desk from the wide shot. Looks like something from 90s CAD home decorating software. Some weird audio garbling of his voice at the end.

KNTV 1990 preshow

Just watched the end of last night's 10pm - they're still using the Stimulus close

Well I'll give them this - the open is very distinctive and has depth to it that takes full advantage of the big screen. That angled depth look carries over to the topical graphics. Not a fan of the generic wordmark - the prior one had more sophistication and was more unique. Overal - the prior package was great and better, this could have been worse, and points for effort on the open. For the music... I expected to hear KTRK anchor names after those first few notes, and interesting they went back to the 1992-2013 notes for the signature, after 10 years of going back to the 1983-1992 signature. Again I think the prior version was more sophisticated. Although like that they went pretty much unadulterated with the signature notes vs the original 1992-2013 version. Im going to guess the market research said people associate the teletype sound and the NS2K plus signature with WLS growing up so they mashed them together.

KGO 1988 Channel 7 News Tonight preshow - the legendary Pete Wilson with Anna Chavez and the Welch ABC O&O graphics https://youtu.be/j4yEirUfsGo?t=1600

Ha yes we went to see Dave perform at Nick and Gs - a consummate gentleman. And yes the instagram comments on the announcement post say it all about the loyalty of the existing viewer base however big or small that is. They get it’s different.

It's probably more well known and recognized, but it's a polarizing brand from the political slant. People who watch KUSI news tend to be fiercely loyal to it, not interested in the other stations. They like Dan Plante's rants, Brandon Stone's quirks, they miss Dave Scott's wandering on air. And the other way around, there's a sizable contingent that would refuse to watch anything KUSI related. But Steve Cohen did an interview last year that said some large percentage of households tune into a KUSI newscast any given week or month. From what I heard recently KUSI is very strong at 10 and 11pm, - jockeying for #1, not sure about morning, and guessing evening is muddling along. Would be nice if they could find a way to keep a KUSI identity, but without Steve Cohen as the news director (doubt he's staying around) who will prosecute the hyper-local coverage and angles, and let even longshot local political candidates come on to be heard. The sale price might indicate advertisers stayed away but maybe that's just a function of having no real prime time or sports $$ presence. Living in the market, KSWB is 'just another station' - perfectly fine product that works any number of places, and exists because of lead-ins from sports and network, but at least for me not appointment viewing since the same product is on 3 other stations. I probably won't watch much local news if KUSI drifts to a more traditional coverage format, and goes for less colorful, quirky personalities. But that might not matter to Nexstar or profit margins.

Well they know how to run a strong CW station with lots of news (WGN, KTLA) in markets where there's a strong Fox station. Though not where there's common ownership. I guess Indianapolis would be an example where they have two stations, and two separate news brands and staff, though common facility. Maybe they're happy with how that turned out.

KSWB seemed to operate like a KUSI style without the political leaning, but will miss the hyper local issues coverage from KUSI with local ownership. And will miss the folksy, non corporate personalities. Won't miss the extended coverage of random Trump 'campaign' speeches.