KDKA debuted its news in HD at noon today and with it a revamped set. In recent years I've made a point of writing columns about new sets at WTAE and WPXI, but KDKA's was not ready last Friday, so a blog post will have to do.
Without using wide shots at noon, it didn't look all that different (color scheme is not identical but largely similar), except for the photo backdrop behind the anchor desk. The angle of the photo makes it look like it was taken from Mt. Washington, maybe near the Duquesne Incline, which sets it apart from WTAE's straight on backdrop with the Point in the foreground.
The cityscape is flanked by monitor banks behind frosted glass with the CBS eye etched into the left monitor wall and a cityscape etched on the right.
UPDATE: The more I watch KDKA's new set on TV, the more it looks similar
to WTAE on air, particularly when they do over the shoulder shots with
the monitors in the background. Those shots look a lot like a WTAE shot. Wide shots or shots with the weather center look less like WTAE. Yes, the configuration is the same with the weather center left of the news anchor desk, but it's not like that's a set-up unique to Pittsburgh.
On-screen graphics-wise, the only thing that caught my eye at noon was "Your home for local news" in the lower-third, which plays off the station's "Your Home" image spots. That may or may not be new, but it's something I didn't recall seeing before.
More pictures below:
In its new set (above) KDKA incorporates its Web slogan ("Always On") over the left monitor bank and its image campaign slogan ("Your Home") over the right monitor bank. In this picture, the nighttime backdrop is displayed. A daytime shot from the same angle will also be used.
The weather center now has a circular, pulpit-like weather desk. (above)
This area (above) will be used for anchor and reporter stand-ups and as a backdrop for public affairs shows and performance segments on "Pittsburgh Today Live." Multiple backdrops will be used.
Posted
Jun 16 2009, 11:59 AM
by
Rob Owen