WLVI-56 - The Ten O'Clock News Opening - 1996

[chyrongeek]

In the open, the State Street Bank is featured @ 0:31, and was part of their set from the late 90s to the sale in '06. I was in Boston earlier this year to see so much change into the city since I was there last. The State Street Financial Building I think is a new build, but I am not sure. It didn't look like the one I used to see when I went to the city, and seen on 56.

[hkfreak]

It's now just west of South Station, at the big intersection of Congress and 93. It is very tall, and has a traffic cam at the top, overlooking 93 Southbound. More blue and modern.

[chyrongeek]

like I thought, its a new building. I do live in the area, but it's totally changed when I went into Southie for the first time in years, thanks to the multi billion Big Dig flop project!

[chyrongeek]

...Oh, so thats the cam that shows the SE Expressway? I've wondered why that cam shot looked so high. I knew Metro/Shadow has moved some cameras around of the city, cause it looked somewhat different on some.

[buccieri]

when did they debut the WB56 logo we all knew, was it a few months after this?

[chyrongeek]

Coulda been. The Tribune O&Os were transitioning their stations from indies into WB stations, and not all stations made the switch right after the WB network appeared on their stations. It had to be no earlier than 1997, because that's when WLVI was known as WB 56 across the board. I'm glad with Sunbeam for only one thing, returning at least the "CW 56" brand instead of "Boston's WB/CW" - too confusing to distinguish local station/network.

[VaultMasterDBT]

The WB56 logo was used everywhere on the station except for newscasts, from May 1995 through sometime in 1996. For some reason, the station's 1992 logo was retained on the news for a while; the beginning graphic, with the separate WB and 56 logos, was an ID dating back to January 1995, when the network launched.

[RollChan1985]

When did that WLVI 56 logo started and ended?.I remember them using that logo around the late 80s through 1997 I guess.

[joeyc85]

Its 10 o'clock and do you know where your children are?

[hkfreak]

The tagline was used through the 2000s, and the last sponsor before WLVI stopped news was Jordan's Furniture.

[hkfreak]

Actually, if they had HD technology in 1996, it would definitely fit these graphics, the safety zones would've been pretty well maintained! LOL, so weird.

[chyrongeek]

I think MSTS1 erroneously upconverted the 4:3 into a 16:9 - not sure if your theory would still be true if it went onto HD, but you may be right.

[hkfreak]

Eh, well, too late.

[chyrongeek]

Well, he could easily post it back to it's original format, which could look a lot better - looks distorted.

[chyrongeek]

And because Fox 25 might be one of the only better O&Os is because Fox has left them alone to create a very unique format. i.e. locally developed format; interactive, commentators like VB in the mornings, a very unique morning show that 56 couldn't do years before that others can't compete. (If Fox forced 25 into a "Good Day" format, it probably would go down the ratings tubes.) If they toyed with 25's format, they wouldn't be in the place to compete with the Big 3 stations, never mind 56 or 38

[hkfreak]

Top 3 markets have Tribune beating Fox in for local news...(check?) I think Fox 29 in Philly totally dominates, primetime, considering that it has no real competition (myPHL17 News???). Fox 4 is pretty dominant, as it has retained some its glory from its CBS days and is competitive as the other 3 stations, if not, more. San Fran's owned by Tribune...ah. I think we've been spoiled. We got to keep our comfy large "newsroom" set and fast paced style. And to think NECN produced its first newscast.

[chyrongeek]

It wasn't totally Sunbeam's fault. It was Tribune's fault for the most part, for getting too big, poor executive decisions, and poor management. In fact, WLVI wasn't even put up for sale, like Jack Hynes hoped for. It was an agreed upon for the two do make a deal. And WLVI was stuck in the middle to just try to put out a good newscast, where their ratings eroded to go over to Fox 25, which has basically become one of (if only) Fox's better O&Os out of their entire group.

[hkfreak]

Yeah, I haven't been watching anything primetime since recently, but from what I can tell, I think it just neglected WLVI. Plain and simple. And 7News@10 really isn't pulling in anything with its bait (45,000 from last book). I need to see the Feb Books 2 weeks from now. Whew.

[chyrongeek]

Well if WHDH is going through hell in the ratings, it must be that bad because they axed Randy Price over the weekend. I guess the days of tabloid and extreme sensual stories, and the decline of NBC's ratings and not recovering from the Must See TV days, caused a ratings backlash for WHDH. (Even Randy said on Howie Carr's show today, he did not like some of the stories aired.) Well 7 has had a curse since the Chuck Scarborough days back many moons ago.

[hkfreak]

Nah, I think WBZ is starting to win them and 'CVB over with their "Curiosity" campaign. In these times of YouTube and what viewers can capture and send to TV stations, plus the internet in general, viewer feedback would've come a VERY long time ago. If only it was more focused on...a word about 'BZ, their previous ND, Jeff Kiernan, had left for 'BBM in Chicago, and their new ND, though keeping to "Curiousity" is starting to put a little more pizzazz on their stories, but not story choice.

[TBird100636]

I miss the old Channel 56. Stupid Sunbeam buying em', firing everybody and putting on 7News!!!

[mediadude08]

Totally agree.

[hkfreak]

Beautiful open (I'm guessing inspired off the WGN open)! This was probably the most old-school news op ever, and I sure watched it. I think it was around the new century that WFXT started to gain. And December 18, 2006...ugh.

Jim Cutler probably delivers his tamest V/O ever.