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Chicago's "ABC7 News" Rebranding to "Eyewitness News"


IndyNewsGuy

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It may just be me, but I don't like how sports is before the weather in the talent opens. To me, it doesn't flow/sound right, but maybe that's just because it's been the other way around for years.

 

That's how they did it in the early NS2K+ days, before the branding change in '96. Frankly, since Jerry is being referred to as "Weather with Chief Meteorologist Jerry Taft", they may want that to close the open, seeing how wordy it is. Oddly enough, the morning show still goes in weather/traffic order. WABC also opens with sports before weather, but both stations air the segments the opposite way.

 

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That's how they did it in the early NS2K+ days, before the branding change in '96. Frankly, since Jerry is being referred to as "Weather with Chief Meteorologist Jerry Taft", they may want that to close the open, seeing how wordy it is. Oddly enough, the morning show still goes in weather/traffic order. WABC also opens with sports before weather, but both stations air the segments the opposite way.

 

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*Psh* @0:40 seconds. People were photo-bombing then!

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That's how they did it in the early NS2K+ days, before the branding change in '96. Frankly, since Jerry is being referred to as "Weather with Chief Meteorologist Jerry Taft", they may want that to close the open, seeing how wordy it is. Oddly enough, the morning show still goes in weather/traffic order. WABC also opens with sports before weather, but both stations air the segments the opposite way.

 

 

 

It's because you're more likely to remember the first name mentioned and the last name mentioned over the name sandwiched in the middle. So being named last places greater emphasis on you and your role and in local news, weather and who delivers the weather is a big selling point.

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That open from the early 90s, reminds me of WPVI's Action News openings. They still use that format today with their signature "Move Closer to Your World" theme. I would have rather seen an opening return to this with the "Eyewitness News" title rather than all the graphic changes and the music changes. It feels like I'm watching another station without hearing the theme music I'm used to.

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Just FYI, in case you guys don't check the WABC forum often- a morning producer for WABC confirmed tonight that they will not be getting new graphics, but they will be updating their talent opens and there is a major design upgrade coming soon for the website!

 

Yeah, WABC's GO graphics aren't old enough to need replacement yet, they've only been around two years, so it's justified that they wouldn't overhaul them just yet (the only ABC O&O that's overdue for an overhaul of their graphics is KTRK since it has been using the same package, with minor refreshments, since they went HD about six(?) years ago).

 

As far as the websites go, when exactly was the current design for the ABC O&O sites first rolled out?

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The music for this cut during the ABC 7 News at 10pm preview (first aired during Wheel of Fortune) has always been one of my favorites. I haven't seen the new preview music, but I assume this cut is gone..

 

 

 

Naw, that's been gone for more than a year. They've been using the WABC promo cue since dropping the old, and that continues even after the new graphics last week.

 

BTW, here's the 10pm talent open. I'm really warming up to the new theme. It may be different, but you can't deny its roots...

 

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And the main 5pm open...

 

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Naw, that's been gone for more than a year. They've been using the WABC promo cue since dropping the old, and that continues even after the new graphics last week.

 

BTW, here's the 10pm talent open. I'm really warming up to the new theme. It may be different, but you can't deny its roots...

 

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And the main 5pm open...

 

 

What is the version of "Eyewitness News" that WABC uses? I like their HD openings and how they have a group shot of the entire news team at the end. I have never liked the version that KGO in San Francisco uses.

 

 

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What is the version of "Eyewitness News" that WABC uses? I like their HD openings and how they have a group shot of the entire news team at the end. I have never liked the version that KGO in San Francisco uses.

 

 

 

This is what WLS uses for the 10pm promo. Again, they started using it long before the graphics change.

 

http://newsmusicnow.com/player.php?id=2/eyewitnessnews/series3topical.mp3&t=Eyewitness%20News%20-%20Topical

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Honestly, There's no denying the music doesn't have nearly as much character as the old cuts, but I suppose it could've been worse.

 

I suppose the older cuts were more "punchy" than these, and that's what made them so memorable. Unfortunately, the punchiness that all of Gari's music had from the early 90s 'till the New Generation era began have faded, and here we are with this. It's not the worst, but it's pretty vanilla.

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What was it really that caused WLS in Chicago to go back to the EWN title? This seems to be somewhat along the lines of WNBC in NYC going back to News 4 New York after 13 years as Newschannel 4.

They did some market research and were surprised at how high the awareness levels remain for the Eyewitness News moniker.
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They did some market research and were surprised at how high the awareness levels remain for the Eyewitness News moniker.

 

That's about as good a reason as any! It was big in the '70s and '80s, and I don't see why it wouldn't be equally as big today.

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That's how they did it in the early NS2K+ days, before the branding change in '96. Frankly, since Jerry is being referred to as "Weather with Chief Meteorologist Jerry Taft", they may want that to close the open, seeing how wordy it is. Oddly enough, the morning show still goes in weather/traffic order. WABC also opens with sports before weather, but both stations air the segments the opposite way.

 

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That's also how they did it at KTRK in Houston in the 80s. IIRC, it went: "You're watching Channel 13, KTRK-TV Houston. #1 in Texas...Eyewitness News...with Dave Ward and Shara Fryer, Marvin Zindler's Action 13, Bob Allen has sports, and Ed Brandon's weather. Now, Channel 13 Eyewitness News."

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I like the package and overall presentation. It has breathe new life into the station that, despite being #1, was in serious need of something fresh and exciting. Too bad the set didn't get a touch up of some kind too.

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They did some market research and were surprised at how high the awareness levels remain for the Eyewitness News moniker.

 

It's a lot like what happened in Australia earlier this year where the Ten network returned to Eyewitness News after 20 or so years.

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I need to remember to record the 6 AM close tomorrow. I think it's different now than the first weekend of it, right?

 

Yes, they use the morning EWN close, to match the open. I don't that it's 20 years old, it sounds soooooo much better than the evening close. I do like the idea mentioned earlier that WLS should try and get WABC's close with the NS2K+ signature.

 

This was from the Monday or Tuesday after launch. I'm totally shocked that they had this long of a close on a weekday...

 

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