WTVJ NBC Miami 6PM Open 1989

John Hambrick, Susan Lichtman, Cliff Morrison, Tony Segreto. This was from WTVJ's short-lived art deco period. It was a classy look and very "Miami." The set, graphics and presentation were the opposite of WSVN's from the same era.
Courtesy: Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archive

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• WTVJ
• NBC
• Miami
• WNBC
• KNBC
• WCIX
• WFOR
• WSVN
• WPLG
• WCAU
• WMAQ
• KNSD

[NewmanNewsman]

Not any more. WCIX and WTVJ switched broadcast towers and channel assignments in 1995.

[KarasuInugami]

This is from Sunday, February 26, 1989.

[NewmanNewsman]

It's definitely not from a Sunday. The 4 anchors on the set were all weekday anchors. Also, the lead story (which is not shown on this clip) was shot at a school.

[wolfsonarchive]

our guess is maybe Feb 7, 1989?

[NewmanNewsman]

I have a little more of this show on tape. The lead story reporter was Steve Abrams.

[TVTfan]

No. that theme is the greatest of all time.

It was pleasantly slutty.

[louie77]

lol opening theme sounds tropical...almost like something the Miami SOund Machine or Gloria Estefan would put on their albums.

[0814ma]

I would guess that this aired on or around Tuesday, September 5, 1989.

The graphic over Hambrick's shoulder is of then-President Bush, and the caption is "Drug Message".

On Tuesday, September 5, 1989, Bush delivered his first major address on drugs.

I have seen several News 4 openings from late 1988 and early 1989, and the anchors were not mentioned in any of them.

By Tuesday, October 17, 1989, this theme had been replaced.

[newscaster13]

Hambrick soon moved over to WCIX Channel 6 across town, and he switched female co-anchors from Susan Lichtman to Barbara Sloan.

[jestbiteme]

One might call it "smoot" even.

[grahambrunk]

agreed!

[JLizard]

Cliff Morrison with weather? I thought he was a rock and roll star.

[Reed488]

Dear God, the graphics and colors scream late-1980s Art Deco. Also, I feel that the theme is way way too lax for a newscast.

[yellowdiva21]

isn't WTVJ channel 6 in miami?

[ReverendTaft]

The guy that created that look is now head of Hothaus Creative in Texas.

[wolfsonarchive]

yeah, I checked, Feb 7, 1989 seems right.

[WVECSpirit]

Interesting that we saw John Hambrick. Judging from some of the later videos from this market, it would look like Hambrick wasn't at this station for long after the switch to NBC.

[luckyc120]

its amazing how graphics were then for 1990 in miami!!!! we have cbs 4 qc and kwqc tv 6 and our graphics just now look like that

[jdsynchs]

This is an awesome open, also on my favorites list -- morning open from WTVJ at this time was also amazing.

[puck220]

Awesome - keep it coming!

[btm85bubs]

This is one of my all-time favorite openings. Thanks for posting.