Set Design

WRTV now has what no other station in Indianapolis has: a permanent street-level studio.

The ABC-affiliate announced today plans to open a permanent, glass-enclosed studio in downtown Indianapolis.

The space, located on Monument Circle in the center of the city, is in the Emmis Communications building, the home of local news/talk radio station WIBC.  Last November, WRTV and WIBC launched a news-gathering partnership.

“We are very pleased to take our partnership with WIBC to the next level,” WRTV vice president and general manager Larry Blackerby said, announcing the plans for the studio. Read more

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WHP, the CBS-affiliate in Harrisburg, PA, has made the switch to high definition and unveiled a brand-new set.

The new space, designed by Devlin Design Group, features an expansive video wall consisting of six 50-inch monitors that can either display one image or a series of images.

“Viewer feedback has been wonderful,” WHP vice president and general manager Holly Steuart said of the station’s new HD look. Read more

WNBC is “soft-launching” its new studio this week.

After months of planning and construction, the WNBC news team finally began working out of the new studio last Saturday.  The space, which includes an 82-inch interactive touchscreen and an integrated weather center, is located just down the hall from NBC’s “Nightly News” set at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Read more

Two stations in the Mobile-Pensacola market debuted new high-definition studios this week.

Fox-affiliate WALA produced the station’s first HD broadcast for Saturday’s 9 p.m. news, anchored by Renee Dials and weathercaster Matt Barrentine. WALA’s newscasts have originated from a temporary set since last month.

NBC-affiliate WPMI also debuted its new set, designed by Devlin Design Group, over the weekend. The redesign included a compete overhaul of the weather system, as well as the addition of several monitors behind the anchor desk.

Video of both new HD studios is after the jump. Read more

WLUK, the LIN Media-owned Fox-affiliate in Green Bay, debuted a new, HD-optimized set this week (video above).

“For over a year now we have been planning and building out for presenting news and weather in high definition,” WLUK president and general manager Jay Zollar explained, as the station unveiled its new set. “Our goal has been to have a visually appealing newscast but also to construct a studio that provides for lots of flexibility and supports our commitment to providing the best local content, balanced news and severe weather coverage.”

Salt Lake City Fox-affiliate KSTU is set to debut a brand-new, HD-optimized studio on Monday.

“The project has been 18 months in the making,” KSTU president and general manager Tim Ermish told The Salt Lake Tribune this week.  “When Local TV LLC acquired the station in 2008, they were kind of surprised at what they bought.  They couldn’t believe the cramped space we were working out of.”

In addition to unveiling its new studio, KSTU is also premiering a new 4:30 a.m. newscast on Monday. Read more

KATC, the ABC-affiliate in Layfayette, LA, began broadcasting in high definition this week from a brand-new set.

The concept for the set design was a collaboration between KATC and AR&D, according to the station. The 5 p.m. newscast on Monday, which included the debut of a new graphics package, was the first from the redesigned space.

“Our goal was to provide the people of Acadiana with a newscast that can stack up against those seen in markets  10 times our size — one the entire community can be proud of,” news director Letitia Walker said in a statement.

WBRE-WYOU in Scranton debuted a new, high-definition set and two new newscasts this week.

Nexstar announced in February that it would be investing significantly in its Scranton duopoly ahead of the switch. The station was outfitted with new HD cameras, a redesigned studio, enhanced forecasting and weather presentation tools, and upgrades for master control.

The debut of the new set corresponds with the launch of noon and 7 p.m. newscasts on WYOU this week. [Via Newscast Studio]

Mobile Fox-affiliate WALA will start producing newscasts from a new studio in high definition this Spring.

WALA’s newscasts have been broadcast from a temporary set (pictured) for the past several weeks while the new set is under construction, according to the station’s Facebook page.

“We’re building a brand new set at the moment,” WALA reporter Andrew Perez wrote. “We are temporarily using another set in the very back of our studio … should only be a few more weeks before we unveil the brand new set and Fox10 News in HD.”

WALA will be the third station in the market, after WEAR and WKRG, to produce HD newscasts. WPMI also has plans to upgrade to HD this Spring.

[h/t Newscast Studio]

WMAQ debuted a brand-new set, as well as new graphics, this week.

“Brian Williams may have Rock Center but, hey, we have a whole new studio here at NBC Tower,” anchor Allison Rosati told viewers in a behind-the-scenes video posted on WMAQ’s Facebook page.  “We’re having fun getting to know our new home–almost like a new car, trying to figure out all the new gadgets.” Read more