Nearly every TV station in America includes their network affiliation as part of their overall brand. The CBS Eye if you’re a CBS affiliate, the peacock if you’re NBC, so on and so forth. It’s usually represented in some way in the station logo, which is displayed everywhere, from news vans to T-shirts, from on-air to […]
Nearly every TV station in America includes their network affiliation as part of their overall brand.
The CBS Eye if you’re a CBS affiliate, the peacock if you’re NBC, so on and so forth.
It’s usually represented in some way in the station logo, which is displayed everywhere, from news vans to T-shirts, from on-air to on the building.
So when your station changes its network affiliation, everywhere your station logo is or has been or will be, must change.
That makes the station creative services director — the custodian of the station’s logo and look — a very busy person.
Add to that load a totally new station brand and identity, two new newscasts and a new morning news anchor, all while in a February ratings period, and you might want to send Kristen Byrum and her staff a sympathy card, a get-well note and your condolences, along with a case of wine.
“So a lot of changes, all at once,” said Byrum, “everything has changed.”
Byrum is the creative services director for WNCN, the new CBS affiliate in Raleigh, N.C., owned by Media General that was an NBC affiliate for 25 years.
All those changes had to happen at midnight on Monday, Feb. 29.
When your station logo changes, think of all the resulting changes that have to be made around the station. “New news app, new weather app, new Web graphics,” said Byrum, “new jackets, new hats, new business cards, new awning on the building, new on-air graphics.”
The list goes on and on.
To help market all this, WNCN used outside media that included radio, cable, newspaper and Pandora.
All in addition to its own air.
“We created a more informational spot, letting our viewers know where to go, who we are, what will be on our station, about who we are going to become, where to find their favorite programs, also informing viewers about the new noon and 5pm newscasts and we have new morning anchor to introduce,” Byrum said.
She said the station had a phone bank set up to help confused viewers, and used their email database, Facebook and Twitter accounts to send messages about all the changes.
“We will even drive to their houses to fix their signal if our troubleshooting doesn’t work.”
WNCN is now known as CBS North Carolina.
And so far, so good, actually very good for WNCN, is how the local paper characterized the changes.
Changing to a CBS affiliate resulted in a 56% increase in total household viewership, the station said earlier this week. WNCN had six of the top 10 network shows in the market.
On the first day of the change, WNCN’s new 5 p.m. newscast was up almost 50% compared to the same time, same week a year ago.
Judge Judy at 7 p.m. was up almost 50% in the same comparison.
“We are thrilled with the initial results from our affiliation change to CBS,” said WNCN GM Doug Hamilton.
Hamilton’s thrilled. Byrum? She’s napping.
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