While I think it’s true that news sets don’t win news ratings, it’s also true that local TV news is in the presentation business. And with many stations airing seven hours or more of local news a day, much of it emanating from inside the station’s studio, the overall appeal of the news set — […]
While I think it’s true that news sets don’t win news ratings, it’s also true that local TV news is in the presentation business. And with many stations airing seven hours or more of local news a day, much of it emanating from inside the station’s studio, the overall appeal of the news set — the position of the talent, the desk, the lighting, the color scheme, the background, the camera angles and the technology — must figure in prominently in the viewing experience, even if it’s subtle and subconscious.
But can a TV station’s news set add to the story-telling process?
“Now, more than ever, set technology adds content,” says Jeff Brogan, VP-GM of WCPO, the ABC affiliate in Cincinnati.
“With touch screens and large TV monitors, we can tell the story in a better way,” Brogan adds. “And how you tell stories wins ratings.”
WCPO unveiled its new set on Monday, April 21. Conceived and designed by Park Place Studios in Pittsburgh, the set features more than 20 different shooting positions from WCPO’s five fixed robotic cameras.
“When the news is breaking and unscripted,” Brogan says, “our anchors’ interaction with each other, the touch screens, their ability to bring in various sources like maps, websites, live reports from the field, makes for a dynamic presentation. Viewers feel as if they’re discovering the news just as we are.”
Don’t forget to send me your May sweeps spots. Here’s what I need — a YouTube or Vimeo link to any examples you want to share, along with a short explanation about it, if you want. I’ll post the examples each day in the afternoon.
For competitive reasons, it might be best to submit only those promos that are already on your air. Make sure you get the permission of station management.
E-mail and phone number are at the top of the column.
I’ll share one of mine everyday as well. Look for more examples today.
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