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The Sinclair-ization thread


tyrannical bastard

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It's about time to create a thread for the ongoing effort of America's largest broadcaster to "Sinclair-ize" itself...rather than adding on to the previous WJLA thread.

 

Here's my observations thus far....feel free to add, correct, and even list-ify this information...could we do another "HD News" type thread that keeps it all here?

 

All of Sinclair's full-blown legacy stations (prior to 2011) with the exception of WLOS and WEAR have upgraded. KDNL even uses it "The Allman Report". WDKY still uses the old look even though Gray's WKYT does their news. KBSI and WPGH use the news look of whoever is producing their shows.

 

The Four Points stations are stll sort of doing their own thing, KEYE uses some of the old color scheme while KUTV has adopted some of the new weather graphics

 

The Freedom stations, with the exception of WTVC (which upgraded to the prior look and Devlin set when they went HD), are still looking the same.

 

Aside from Newport stations WPMI, WHP and WKRC (and even KMTR through their "Fisher" connection), WHAM and WOAI (through KABB) have taken the plunge as well.

 

Fisher remains untouched, and Barrington (aside from the mutated mess that WACH is putting out) remains status quo as well, even with the changes so far at WNWO.

 

Only WJLA and WBMA (as of today) have upgraded from the Allbritton front...this seems to be ongoing since other stations have recently upgraded their weather looks.

 

As for the other "stragglers" (stations from smaller companies and spinoffs/trades sucked into the fold) KDBC/KFOX unified their efforts under the new look as KDBC took on a new independence.

WTOV in Steubenville upgraded as well, while the others remain status quo....for now.

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Fisher remains untouched, and Barrington (aside from the mutated mess that WACH is putting out) remains status quo as well, even with the changes so far at WNWO.

 

Not anymore. KBOI picked up the new look today. If there was one Fisher station that needed the new look, it was KBOI. The old graphics were horrible.

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Barrington (aside from the mutated mess that WACH is putting out) remains status quo as well, even with the changes so far at WNWO.

 

I'm so glad you mentioned Barrington. Their stations are sure fixer-uppers, that need more than new graphics and music to give them a higher quality presentation.

 

I saw a clip of KGBT's news on YouTube. It's pretty bad. The lighting is dark, the picture quality is terrible. And I think they can't pass through local commercials in HD. You'll see the "flick" on the screen when they head out of news and back in, just like how the stations were here before they upgraded their master controls to HD. They need new equipment and a new set but something tells me Sinclair won't give them that because they are too big to take care of all their stations.

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Not anymore. KBOI picked up the new look today. If there was one Fisher station that needed the new look, it was KBOI. The old graphics were horrible.

 

They've taken some liberty with the look, especially with their "11 at 11".

 

33/40 is a massive improvement with the new graphics. There's still some traces of the old look here and there, but it's much better. Next step is getting rid of the cardboard and plywood set.

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They've taken some liberty with the look, especially with their "11 at 11".

 

33/40 is a massive improvement with the new graphics. There's still some traces of the old look here and there, but it's much better. Next step is getting rid of the cardboard and plywood set.

 

Yeah, I never liked that set one bit when they did HD upgrades at 33/40. It looked cheap and half-assed compared to the attempts at the other former Allbritton stations.

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I'm so glad you mentioned Barrington. Their stations are sure fixer-uppers, that need more than new graphics and music to give them a higher quality presentation.

 

I saw a clip of KGBT's news on YouTube. It's pretty bad. The lighting is dark, the picture quality is terrible. And I think they can't pass through local commercials in HD. You'll see the "flick" on the screen when they head out of news and back in, just like how the stations were here before they upgraded their master controls to HD. They need new equipment and a new set but something tells me Sinclair won't give them that because they are too big to take care of all their stations.

 

Their cluster in Missouri (KTVO, KRCG, and KHQA) are just as bad. Barrington is the one station group in which being bought out by Sinclair was a step up for those stations.

 

It'd be nice to see the new Sinclair look on those stations but since they're in some of the smallest markets in the Sinclair station group (KTVO is in market 210), these are probably the lowest priority right now.

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Forgot a legacy station.....KGAN is still with the old look (and did they ever go HD!?!?!?!?)

 

Add KRNV to the converted.....meanwhile KSNV down in Vegas is still rocking NBC Look F.

 

The Barrington conversion is going to be interesting for sure...

Same goes with WLOS as well.
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I'm thinking WJAR and even WVTM's days using their current packages are numbered...since they are (were) hubbed to MG's graphics hub in Richmond.

 

Sinclair and Hearst may have a timetable to make the switch to their own respective packages. Both stations are in markets where Media General took over the former LIN stations who made upgrades under their prior owners.

 

...and I doubt Sinclair wants to keep the WJAR package, especially since Media General has rolled it out in many other markets including Roanoke, Raleigh, and Greenville/Spartanburg.

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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153112352794935&set=vb.91093559934&type=2

 

They have a stupid turntable for talent opens that they send to each station, so yeah, it's the Sinclair graphics.

 

The thing with that is from what I've seen, most stations either screw up the talent shots, or in WOAI/KABB's case, don't bother with them at all. They seem a little tedious to achieve the desired effect. I think only WSYX and WCHS, from what I've seen, have been able to achieve the desired effect with the talent opening correctly. KOKH's, for instance, is really bad.

 

Someone in another thread mentioned WJLA. It looks like WJLA actually went with a completely different approach to their talent openings than most of the Sinclair openings. Compare

to
. I personally prefer WJLA's, I think their approach is a lot simpler than what most of the other stations are going with. I'm surprised WOAI/KABB haven't made any talent openings, even in that style. It seems easy enough for them. However WOAI and KABB have finally filled their last anchor vacancy (on weekends), so maybe they're just holding off until everyone's there before they shoot.

 

I actually think that "turntable" approach to the openings is nice. It just seems it's too difficult for a lot of the people at the local stations to the achieve the desired effect.

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We just received our turntable today, so I think we'll be shooting our opens sometime in the coming weeks. Hopefully we can actually get some decent shots so that our Sinclair-ified opens aren't creepy. I feel like most Sinclair stations are having just the toughest time getting shots of their talent that don't look horrible.

 

We also purchased our turntable outright so that we can update our opens quickly without SBG having to ship one to us.

 

"Cue creepy re-open!"

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I'm thinking WJAR and even WVTM's days using their current packages are numbered...since they are (were) hubbed to MG's graphics hub in Richmond.

 

Sinclair and Hearst may have a timetable to make the switch to their own respective packages. Both stations are in markets where Media General took over the former LIN stations who made upgrades under their prior owners.

 

...and I doubt Sinclair wants to keep the WJAR package, especially since Media General has rolled it out in many other markets including Roanoke, Raleigh, and Greenville/Spartanburg.

 

WVTM is testing the Hearst package. Which means that WJAR is about to do the same with the Sinclair package if they haven't already.

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We just received our turntable today, so I think we'll be shooting our opens sometime in the coming weeks. Hopefully we can actually get some decent shots so that our Sinclair-ified opens aren't creepy. I feel like most Sinclair stations are having just the toughest time getting shots of their talent that don't look horrible.

 

We also purchased our turntable outright so that we can update our opens quickly without SBG having to ship one to us.

 

"Cue creepy re-open!"

I don't think I've seen the turntable opens here at WBFF. Also, you are your truly super human with over eight million posts.

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Their cluster in Missouri (KTVO, KRCG, and KHQA) are just as bad. Barrington is the one station group in which being bought out by Sinclair was a step up for those stations.

 

It'd be nice to see the new Sinclair look on those stations but since they're in some of the smallest markets in the Sinclair station group (KTVO is in market 210), these are probably the lowest priority right now.

I wonder if the Barrington stations would have been in better short-term shape had Nexstar bought them. Some of those stations are in rough shape and have seen zero investment since prior owners. In a way, KXRM got lucky being swapped because I bet they go HD before any of their ex-sisters.

 

Their largest market, Flint, has no non-network HD capabilities and is still in 4:3. That says a lot about priorities.

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I'm so glad you mentioned Barrington. Their stations are sure fixer-uppers, that need more than new graphics and music to give them a higher quality presentation.

 

I saw a clip of KGBT's news on YouTube. It's pretty bad. The lighting is dark, the picture quality is terrible. And I think they can't pass through local commercials in HD. You'll see the "flick" on the screen when they head out of news and back in, just like how the stations were here before they upgraded their master controls to HD. They need new equipment and a new set but something tells me Sinclair won't give them that because they are too big to take care of all their stations.

 

Their website has a countdown on when they are going HD. Last check has the countdown running out TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT! (Saturday news perhaps?)

 

This would make the second former Barrington station to take the HD plunge, (and the first under Sinclair's watch) and if they do it in full Sinclair style, that would be amazing. But i'm not holding my breath.... see post below...

 

This is considering that this station has been running off the fumes of when Liberty merged with Raycom, and spun off the leftovers and bastard stepchildren to Barrington....

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...and Houston....we have Sinclair-ization in Harlingen taking place!

11002629_10152503171936157_348299929725138009_n.png?oh=d23cc5b732d1016dc05e8fd912e6d372&oe=557FEA8F&__gda__=1434244063_437bac5da725b8315a775f45537d0cb5

 

But being a former Barrington station, will any of us outside the Rio Grande Valley actually be able to see the debut via a live stream? These stations are so poor off, even die-hard TV people like myself are kept in the dark by the crappiness of their web efforts...

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I wonder if the Barrington stations would have been in better short-term shape had Nexstar bought them. Some of those stations are in rough shape and have seen zero investment since prior owners. In a way, KXRM got lucky being swapped because I bet they go HD before any of their ex-sisters.

 

Their largest market, Flint, has no non-network HD capabilities and is still in 4:3. That says a lot about priorities.

 

The Missouri cluster would've paired well with Nexstar. Combined with KOLR, that would cover every market except St. Louis, KC and Cape Girardeau.

 

That and KTVO would've helped compliment the new Nexstar cluster in Iowa.

 

Barrington was a joke.

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