Too bad they use that "CBS 4" logo, which isn't bad by itself but doesn't fit in with the elegant "WCCO" logo and the rest of the look. Why should a station have two logos?
I don't understand that, either. It looks like they're still stuck in a transition phase. Perhaps they still think it's important to have the affiliation and channel number shown on the screen from time to time, but WBZ would beg to differ!
WARNING: Wall o' Text follows
A bit of history here. When Murdock launched the Fox Network in the states it was mandated that all News Corp owned stations and Fox affiliates identify as "FOX (Channel number)" save for WSVN Miami. "Imitation being the sincerest form of television" (thank you Fred Allen), NBC, ABC and CBS all followed suit somewhat, at least on the owned stations level.
But CBS, in their refinement of the "mandate" gave some leeway to owned stations with "heritage" call letters (ie; KDKA Pittsburgh, WJZ Baltimore, 'CCO) as long as they were among the top stations in their individual markets, if the CBS eyemark+channel number were given equal prominence (Tho to be fair, in the case of WCCO, the only time the eyemark+4 graphics are displayed are within their newscasts, to keep the folks in New York happy, otherwise thru their programming day it's the "'CCO in a box").
WBZ is a special case. From their start in 1948 until CBS got involved with them in the mid '90s, they were an NBC affiliate. When they became a CBS affiliate, then owned station, the disruption of viewing patterns and general incompetence of 'BZ management at that time, as well as competition drove viewership WAY down.
CBS corporate forced 'BZ to become "CBS4", which only made things worse.
In a last ditch effort to turn things around, CBS brought in new management to 'BZ, who recognised the good feelings Bostonians and New Englanders have for the heritage WBZ call letters, ditched the "CBS4" rubbish, and returned the WBZ designation to the station, to Very positve effect. (And please note the relative large size of the WBZ letterboxes vs. the CBS eyemark in the station's present logo).
In terms of US local news, WCCO is almost in a class by itself -- superbly modern and elegant graphics and wonderfully innovative music!
Looking at what the creative departments at 'CCO and 'BZ do, and comparing it to what I get in Denver, I do feel jealousy. Why can't Denver news (or other stations across the country) look as smart as that? Instead, we're still stuck with tired navy blue graphics on all five stations here.
There is a reason that 'CCO and 'BZ have the same "out of the box" (pun intended) creative thinking. The folks who rescued WBZ from the ham handed clutches of the "CBS mandate" (from the general manager through the news and creative departments) did the same first at WCCO.
Last edited by RenII on 12 January 2010 5:19pm - 2 times in total