24994J 5269 Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 In regards to the Chicago studio arms race of last decade... WMAQ jumped into the trend in 2003-ish, clearly trying to replicate the success of Today. The had ample plaza space, were a stone's throw from a 30 Rock lookalike, and even had a ticker on the facade. Unfortunately, they were nearly 200 feet off the Mag Mile, away from the pedestrians and looky-loos that would've made it popular, and they tried their damnedest to shoo away just about anyone that stopped to take a peek during a newscast. They tried to mimic the destination atmosphere, but never gave a good reason to visit. It also doesn't help that the space was the size of a shoe box, and rent was through the roof. The fact that it survived a decade through a recession still amazes me. WLS flipped the script when they debuted theirs in 2006. They are right on the main thoroughfare, across from a tourist attraction, occupying space in a building they've owned for generations (the company owns it, right?). They literally turned the concept 180 degrees by making the set the stage, giving fans and viewers the opportunity to "watch the magic", and not get in the way of it. Unlike their peacocked competitors, it is used during all parts of the day, and it's visible from several blocks away. The only hiccup was it's secondary use as an alternate path for State Street traffic. #NeverForget WBBM went in a similar direction as ABC, staking out prime real estate across from a major destination, right downstairs from their newsroom and offices. It was used all day long, had a big video screen on the side of the building to make it noticeable, and it looked really sharp. Unfortunately, some key execution failures and a revolving door of leadership that lacked vision and commitment muddied its potential, with it being re-purposed and tweaked only after a little more than a year, and virtually ignored and neglected ever since. There's a reason why only one of them is going to still be around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeters 1804 Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 I'm willing to bet people probably grabbed up a bunch of stuff before the big move and likely don't want to part ways with it (even temporarily). Seems hard to believe they would just toss out pictures, etc...and NO ONE went dumpster diving. A bunch of stuff ended up getting sold online (including a set of the "CBS" signage from the front canopy, which would have been perfect on the set) and I can only imagine how much other "good stuff" (old microphones, cameras, etc) ended up getting nabbed by people working there who surely convinced the bosses "it's just a bunch'a worthless crap!" I remember they were going to auction off a lot of stuff too, but I seem to remember the auction got canceled shortly before it was set to take place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1675 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 WBBM went in a similar direction as ABC, staking out prime real estate across from a major destination, right downstairs from their newsroom and offices. It was used all day long, had a big video screen on the side of the building to make it noticeable, and it looked really sharp. Unfortunately, some key execution failures and a revolving door of leadership that lacked vision and commitment muddied its potential, with it being re-purposed and tweaked only after a little more than a year, and virtually ignored and neglected ever since. Does the outdoor monitor still work or was fixed. I remember an NPR article that used a picture of the inauguration and their monitor wall with dead panels and windows covered up. It's not a good look but I'm sure the WBBM staff are glad there was no WBBM signage visible in the image (aside from the CBS coverage of the inauguration). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Does the outdoor monitor still work or was fixed. I remember an NPR article that used a picture of the inauguration and their monitor wall with dead panels and windows covered up. It's not a good look but I'm sure the WBBM staff are glad there was no WBBM signage visible in the image (aside from the CBS coverage of the inauguration). [ATTACH=full]4265[/ATTACH] Don't know if it's been fixed. Doubt it. There were supposed to be banners and branding on either side of the screen, but that never happened. If the banners ever went up and the screens blocking the Windows didn't look like plastic rap or garbage bags, the image of the busted screen wouldn't have looked as bad. The video sculpture outside WLS had the same problems many times, but they eventually fixed it, and they never let the rest of the facade look as bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1675 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Their newsroom desk looks like it got the social media fronting. [MEDIA=instagram]BT0UAIuAtIp[/MEDIA] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Does the outdoor monitor still work or was fixed. I remember an NPR article that used a picture of the inauguration and their monitor wall with dead panels and windows covered up. It's not a good look but I'm sure the WBBM staff are glad there was no WBBM signage visible in the image (aside from the CBS coverage of the inauguration). It has been a never-ending battle to keep this working. I don't think they understood how much the weather (among other things) would take a toll on it. Last I checked (last week), it was off, but that doesn't mean it's broken. They have always been very inconsistent when it come to keeping it on and what they show. I'm sure they will be glad to rid themselves of it soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrschimpf 2050 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 Does the outdoor monitor still work or was fixed. I remember an NPR article that used a picture of the inauguration and their monitor wall with dead panels and windows covered up. It's not a good look but I'm sure the WBBM staff are glad there was no WBBM signage visible in the image (aside from the CBS coverage of the inauguration). I remember when I was there in late September watching the 6pm and it was a dreary, rainy night. The contrast between 7's studio even with the shades up for their 6pm and WBBM was startling; everything was better-lit and altogether better. My local baseball field and local ad signs can keep an LCD easily going 24/7 (the latter since 2006); at this point if I was CBS I'd have gotten a warranty placement long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journalist 893 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 I thought CTV Vancouver's set situated on the second floor of their building looked really nice and solved many of the problems of a ground floor studio, but I think they also abandoned that studio after only a few years, probably for equally valid reasons. They are still in the same second floor studio. They recently renovated their set a few years back by closing off the windows and adding projection panels. The 'Olympic Legacy' aesthetic that preceded it was wearing off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Russell 25 Posted July 23, 2017 Share Posted July 23, 2017 It was in full quality today in the evening in the morning it wasnt on and i think they keep the shades open for the weekend morning show when they do that cooking segment or whatever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexTVandRadio 412 Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Looks nice! Now we wait for WJZ in 2031. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaking News 802 Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Looks nice! Now we wait for WJZ in 2031. More like 2046 with WJZ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country News 435 Posted July 26, 2017 Share Posted July 26, 2017 Now we wait for WJZ in 2031. When all news is done holographically, WJZ will have made a holographic version of their graphics and set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryanthenewsgeek 31 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I'm not sure where to post this if I should make a new thread or not? Anyway, when/will WBBM use their new areas I know as well that WCCO has a ground street studio when will they be renovating their set? Yes, it's nice but... Also, does anyone have a list or know what CBS Stations are getting new sets soon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainNews 285 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I'm not sure where to post this if I should make a new thread or not? Anyway, when/will WBBM use their new areas I know as well that WCCO has a ground street studio when will they be renovating their set? Yes, it's nice but... Also, does anyone have a list or know what CBS Stations are getting new sets soon? WCBS is the only station as I know that’s currently in the process of finishing or building their set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainNews 285 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Looks nice! Now we wait for WJZ in 2031. More like this year I guess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bixpchiphead 105 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I'm not sure where to post this if I should make a new thread or not? Anyway, when/will WBBM use their new areas I know as well that WCCO has a ground street studio when will they be renovating their set? Yes, it's nice but... Also, does anyone have a list or know what CBS Stations are getting new sets soon? 'CCO actually has Two street level 'studios' one being just off the newsroom (On the Nicolet Mall side), and the other the Main studio on the opposite end of the building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago News Boy 33 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Maybe WBBM is waiting to have a management competition on what Executive can rip sh*t apart first, tear the set apart, cover 90% of it, then put the worlds smallest desk into the new studio.... you know, just for fun! Then, they'll move upstairs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Rubber 609 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Maybe WBBM is waiting to have a management competition on what Executive can rip sh*t apart first, tear the set apart, cover 90% of it, then put the worlds smallest desk into the new studio.... you know, just for fun! Then, they'll move upstairs... It's ironic that the last two sets both fell victim to a GM change immediately after each new set debuted, which resulted in the new GM tearing the original design apart. In retrospect, what happened in 2008/2009 was kind of poetic justice for Ahern after what he did to the 2002 set. It's even funnier because his 2008 set felt akin to the 2002 set that he tore apart: similar color scheme and featured many different presentation areas. Basically, he tore down the previous GM's grandiose 2002 set in 2003, built a new grandiose set in 2008, immediately got fired, and had the new GM tear apart his grandiose set in 2009. idk if the average viewer cares, but it's this kind of instability that really turned me off with WBBM. The timing of their changes to both set and staff never allowed them to build up a brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 This set comes from corporate. No way in hell they allow them to tear it down or alter it until they deem it necessary to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1675 Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 This set comes from corporate. No way in hell they allow them to tear it down or alter it until they deem it necessary to replace. Too much money spent as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago's Very Own 104 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 In regards to the Chicago studio arms race of last decade... WMAQ jumped into the trend in 2003-ish, clearly trying to replicate the success of Today. The had ample plaza space, were a stone's throw from a 30 Rock lookalike, and even had a ticker on the facade. Unfortunately, they were nearly 200 feet off the Mag Mile, away from the pedestrians and looky-loos that would've made it popular, and they tried their damnedest to shoo away just about anyone that stopped to take a peek during a newscast. They tried to mimic the destination atmosphere, but never gave a good reason to visit. It also doesn't help that the space was the size of a shoe box, and rent was through the roof. The fact that it survived a decade through a recession still amazes me. WLS flipped the script when they debuted theirs in 2006. They are right on the main thoroughfare, across from a tourist attraction, occupying space in a building they've owned for generations (the company owns it, right?). They literally turned the concept 180 degrees by making the set the stage, giving fans and viewers the opportunity to "watch the magic", and not get in the way of it. Unlike their peacocked competitors, it is used during all parts of the day, and it's visible from several blocks away. The only hiccup was it's secondary use as an alternate path for State Street traffic. #NeverForget WBBM went in a similar direction as ABC, staking out prime real estate across from a major destination, right downstairs from their newsroom and offices. It was used all day long, had a big video screen on the side of the building to make it noticeable, and it looked really sharp. Unfortunately, some key execution failures and a revolving door of leadership that lacked vision and commitment muddied its potential, with it being re-purposed and tweaked only after a little more than a year, and virtually ignored and neglected ever since. There's a reason why only one of them is going to still be around. Best post in the thread, especially regarding streetside studios in Chicago. WMAQ's was a big thing when it first opened and they even did an episode of the Today Show from it, but I guess the fact that it was as far as it was from any good pedestrian traffic made it pointless in the long run, and hardly anybody would show up. It's a shame that WBBM dropped the ball on theirs, too. Given the location of it, I figured it'd be a popular spot like WLS' when they first started using it, but hardly anyone ever goes to it and on the broadcast you wouldn't even be able to tell the studio has windows, they never took advantage of it or gave people a reason to show up. The most I've ever seen when walking by are people casually looking in before they keep walking and maybe the occasional comment of "Look, they do the news in there," but that's it. And for the record, it's really a shame that WGN Radio is getting rid of theirs too, instead of just keeping it and upgrading it or moving to a place with another street-side studio, but I guess that's what happens when Tribune sells their own historic building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted August 4, 2017 Share Posted August 4, 2017 This set comes from corporate. No way in hell they allow them to tear it down or alter it until they deem it necessary to replace. WBBM could have used some of that 'corporate oversight' years ago regarding their news sets. Had someone higher up said, 'Don't trash this set, etc..' they probably wouldn't have had to suffer with the current one for so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago News Boy 33 Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 WBBM could have used some of that 'corporate oversight' years ago regarding their news sets. Had someone higher up said, 'Don't trash this set, etc..' they probably wouldn't have had to suffer with the current one for so long. Preach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryanthenewsgeek 31 Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Well then if it comes from CORPORAT WHY DOESN'T FINE OR FIRE THE GM OF WJZ?! This set comes from corporate. No way in hell they allow them to tear it down or alter it until they deem it necessary to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Well then if it comes from CORPORAT WHY DOESN'T FINE OR FIRE THE GM OF WJZ?! Why would they? If he's doing a good job then they'll keep him around. You do realize that there are other priorities for GM's aside from graphics, sets, and music... And I'm going on the assumption that you probably haven't checked out the other threads in this forum that talk about WJZ's GM retiring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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