lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 WFLD is the first of the FOX O&O's to shift to the new central operations hub in Las Vegas. Read in Rosenthal: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2011/05/wfld-to-cut-10-technicians-in-fox-in-shift-to-central-distribution-hub-1.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 So I guess the money being saved by these cuts will go toward the new state-of-the-art Good Day Chicago set being built this summer. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2011/05/wfld-new-news-set-expected-to-debut-this-summer.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 So I guess the money being saved by these cuts will go toward the new state-of-the-art Good Day Chicago set being built this summer. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2011/05/wfld-new-news-set-expected-to-debut-this-summer.html Feder blogged about it too: http://feder.blogs.chicago.timeout.com/2011/05/12/new-set-technical-layoffs-figure-in-fox-chicagos-summer-makeover I'm thinking the bosses above the station are the real stupid ones for letting WFLD management actually go through with this.. The new set is going to be pointless. It's a waste of money and will NOT lead to increased ratings. It's just another leftover Woolman idea. Just like him originally blaming the original red couches on the set for the poor ratings on GDC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Honestly, I don't think anyone (@ the corporate level all the way down) cares what happens at/to WFLD. I wonder where they're building this new set if the current one is being left intact? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFTV 484 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 i didnt know there was a central hub, i thought WTVT was where they get everything. so is the Vegas hub coming from the Non O&O station at KVVU in Vegas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeters 1806 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 i didnt know there was a central hub, i thought WTVT was where they get everything. so is the Vegas hub coming from the Non O&O station at KVVU in Vegas? WTVT is the graphics hub, Vegas is the Master Control hub. What is it with Chicago and their obsession over changing sets to up ratings? This new one sounds like they're just throwing overused design elements at the set hoping something comes out of it. Also, "bright colors" and "lots of monitors"... Didn't WBBM try that and then tear half of it out? :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Honestly, I don't think anyone (@ the corporate level all the way down) cares what happens at/to WFLD. I wonder where they're building this new set if the current one is being left intact? It's going to be in the newsroom. It's going to get completely torn apart and remodeled for to make room for the new set.. Say goodbye to the oversized assignment desk. I guess why not since there isn't much left to the newsroom anymore. But if they are going to use any part of the newsroom as the backdrop itself, it's just going to make the station look like an even smaller market station.. I know stations in the 20s-30s DMAs that have much more jumping newsrooms than WFLD all the way up in DMA #3. But I believe the actual weather center in the studio itself is going to get a little work to make it more camera friendly. With its current setup, there isn't too much you can show with it. It is huge (takes up a third of the studio) and it's the actual station's weather office. It's not like the little area in the studio for the meteorologists to sit/stand and look pretty like most of the other stations in town.. Since Fowler's office is pretty much going to be in their new set, maybe we'll eventually get to see her being escorted out with her banker's boxes live on Good Day Chicago.. Yes, WBBM tried it 2 times. The first time actually involving Fowler back in 2002, but I don't think the 2 times at WBBM was so much about upping ratings. It was more of what management personally liked. WFLD management doesn't have actual ideas. All they know is hire, fire, and figure out who to blame for their problems. Meh.. Disregard what I just said about the 2 WBBM times. That's stripping down the sets I was talking about. Not adding colors and monitors. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Adding "bright colors" and "lots of monitors" wouldn't require a ton of work. Neither would creating areas for people to stand at. A new weather position sounds the most intriguing. My guess is that they end up with something like FNC's "Happening Now" or "America's Newsroom." I wonder if the 'Big Clock' in the newsroom will survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 I wonder if the 'Big Clock' in the newsroom will survive. I sure hope it does.. That clock has been a staple item to that newsroom since 1993? 95? Sometime around that time.. Maybe a certain someone (I'll keep nameless for now) will order that clock to get "thrown out" just so it'll end up sticking out of the trunk of her car to take home for herself. That wouldn't surprise me.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essentials 0 Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Look for the set to be like Philadelphia set. Plexiglass small anchor desk with a monitor behind them Two monitors on the side to front things from or do an interview It will be very small Interesting comment from FOX, they are more worried about taking away viewers from GMA and Today Show. Network shows clobber the show from 7 to 10 right now. The only time GDC was competitive at that time was when Barz Jeffcoat anchored. The show was getting 2's. I agree , the move will give it a small market feel. Newsrooms today are all about 3D animations, street set studios, and no stationary standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Look for the set to be like Philadelphia set. Plexiglass small anchor desk with a monitor behind them Two monitors on the side to front things from or do an interview It will be very small Interesting comment from FOX, they are more worried about taking away viewers from GMA and Today Show. Network shows clobber the show from 7 to 10 right now. The only time GDC was competitive at that time was when Barz Jeffcoat anchored. The show was getting 2's. I agree , the move will give it a small market feel. Newsrooms today are all about 3D animations, street set studios, and no stationary standing. I would expect them to go all out on the set. A total newsroom revamp has been on their agenda for some time, but nothing serious has ever happened until now. Hopefully they gut the assignment desk and the two conference rooms (on both sides of it) to have more space to work with. If they go cheap and half-a## this whole thing (which could very well happen), then it would be a wasted effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 15, 2011 Author Share Posted May 15, 2011 I would expect them to go all out on the set. A total newsroom revamp has been on their agenda for some time, but nothing serious has ever happened until now. Hopefully they gut the assignment desk and the two conference rooms (on both sides of it) to have more space to work with. If they go cheap and half-a## this whole thing (which could very well happen), then it would be a wasted effort. I can really see them going cheap and half-@$$ed with this.. Because all the ideas I'm hearing can all easily be made with various set pieces and monitors they already have in storage. They may as well pull out that temporary desk/set they built for the newsroom back when they were renovating the main studio. Or maybe even that tall plexi desk they have from their old set. Just pull up a couple stools and call it a day. Bright and colorful newsroom? That can easily be done with all those buckets of neon green chroma-key paint they already have, or heck, they can do what they've been doing for so many years in that newsroom, just shining colored spotlights on the white walls to change their colors. Damn, I probably just gave them ideas.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 The newsroom is being torn apart right now for the new set. They're actually showing the progress of it right now on Good Day Chicago. Everyone in the newsroom and their computers have pretty much been compacted into into Fowler's office. They just showed a dozen producers crammed in that small office doing their work. So Fowler has been evicted from her office to God knows where.. Maybe the handicap stall in the women's restroom. They say the newsroom should be completely gutted by 5PM today. But it's REALLY looking empty now.. I'm actually surprised how fast they got all the computers moved and everything packed up into bankers boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Except for one work station (in a corner), some copiers and the big clock, everything else has been removed/torn down. Kori said they should keep the newsroom open [empty]. Mark was quick to remind him that he shouldn't say/wish that because there are 'plenty of Simpsons episodes' that could air [in place of GDC]. Pretty funny exchange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 Except for one work station (in a corner), some copiers and the big clock, everything else has been removed/torn down. Kori said they should keep the newsroom open [empty]. Mark was quick to remind him that he shouldn't say/wish that because there are 'plenty of Simpson episodes' that could air [in place of GDC]. Pretty funny exchange. I saw that too this morning.. I guess that new expensive "producers pod" piece of furniture previous management purchased before leaving turned out to be a waste of money.. I'm guessing it along with the assignment desk and other cubicles/quads all went into the dumpster. I wonder if any of it will really get reused.. I'm really curious to see how this will end up looking. I kind of wish they would post newsroom progress pics on the GDC Facebook page. Plenty of Simpsons episodes for sure.. However, at 5PM and 6PM, they don't air them all anymore. The past few months, they've only been airing reruns from within the past 3 years/seasons. You can see the same episodes at least 2 times within a 2 or 3 week period. It's almost like they're purposely trying drive away viewers at those times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I guess that new expensive "producers pod" piece of furniture previous management purchased before leaving turned out to be a waste of money.. I'm guessing it along with the assignment desk and other cubicles/quads all went into the dumpster. I wonder if any of it will really get reused.. I'm really curious to see how this will end up looking. I kind of wish they would post newsroom progress pics on the GDC Facebook page. They need new furniture from some place like Steelcase or Herman Miller. I always felt the ones they were using took up too much space. I'm guessing that Kori will keep doing stand-ups in the newsroom until someone says stop. Nevertheless, I agree that progress pics/videos would be cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 They need new furniture from some place like Steelcase or Herman Miller. I always felt the ones they were using took up too much space. I'm guessing that Kori will keep doing stand-ups in the newsroom until someone says stop. Nevertheless, I agree that progress pics/videos would be cool. I found these interesting WFLD Newsroom concepts: http://www.kevinalter.com/portfolio_broadcast_02.html However, I believe those were commissioned by previous management so I don't know if any of those concepts will come into play with their new newsroom studio/set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radioguy 1 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I found these interesting WFLD Newsroom concepts: http://www.kevinalte...oadcast_02.html However, I believe those were commissioned by previous management so I don't know if any of those concepts will come into play with their new newsroom studio/set. They have so many "ghost" people in them. Just ironic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbs2worksforyou 35 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I don't really like these designs...they are too "busy"...too much going on with all the horizontal rules combined with panoramic skyline backdrops...just my two cents. The designs also look very dark...for a morning set (or for any set) I would hope they would choose brighter colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I could see them using some of these designs (the workstations in particular), but the concept as a whole wouldn't work because of the lack of available space. Unless they knock down some more walls and move some people (reporters) upstairs, it's going to be really tight in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazynetjunkie 34 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 I could see them using some of these designs (the workstations in particular), but the concept as a whole wouldn't work because of the lack of available space. Unless they knock down some more walls and move some people (reporters) upstairs, it's going to be really tight in there. I now see where the idea/design of the "producer pod" previous management got came from.. But did they even keep that thing or did they trash it? Really, compared to the other stations in town, WFLD has extremely small/tight spaces. Even their main studio set is really a compact version of the Blyth FOX O&O set in a can that the other FOX stations got.. I too just don't see those whole concepts working at WFLD either unless they completely gut the joint which I highly doubt they'll do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase 818 Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 New set update- It would appear that work on the new set has been moving very slow. The original timetable called for everything to be done by the end of the month (which isn't going to happen). Plus, there are rumors that the GM has asked some of the staff to help paint the newsroom (according to newsblues.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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