North American Affilliates/Network Set Design

Well they should do something. Everything is all over the place. every program has a different look. There isnt an unifying feel to the news division. CBS has done a great job at reviving their proud news division. Nice and serious. Just needs to be cleaned up a bit. I wonder their digital news channel is going to look like. I do like the CBS This Morning set. Probably the set on air.
ABC News has completely jumped in the garbage can and tipped itself into the gutter. Its painful to watch. GMA to WN...all of it a mess. NBC has alway been my favourite, but you can tell the story selection has changed and the tone is shifting which I dont really like. ABC has gone the populist route NBC is trying to sit nicely in the middle and I think they are suffering because of it. Are they in the CNN spot? Could be dangerous place to be, now that news is super polarized.

You do have a point that all of CBS's news programming looks different, and that is by design. Personally, I do not think it should not be messed with in terms of CBS This Morning, 60 Minutes, Face The Nation and Sunday Morning but the Evening News should get an uplift to complement CBS This Morning. Plus CBS is doing a great job rebuilding their once-sullied reputation following the Dan Rather/false document scandal that nearly broke the division, Katie Couric's run at the Evening News and CBS finally having an alternative to the network morning shows.
I am also a fan of CBS This Morning, due to its news-driven programme, lack of celebrity focus and other fluff segments (cooking shows, concerts outside) and the "Eye Opener" is a perfect wrap-up of the day's news. CTM will have some time before it eventually takes the No.2 spot in the ratings but the talent shuffles at NBC and the over-hyped social media experience that is ABC, CTM and the Evening News will continue to be the bright spots for the revitalised CBS News.

They were there - that's not a real monitor array and hasn't been since 2012 (it was the election in '12 that introduced them!)

Huh, you're right— I never noticed it, probably because it looks like those two screens only displayed a recreation of the 3x3 monitor walls that they replaced. I suppose I should correct myself by saying that only a few weeks ago did they start displaying something other than a fake video loop on them.

http://newsbusters.org/sites/default/files/2012-05-23-CBS-EN-Pelley_20120524120211.jpg

Speaking of piecemeal updates. It looks like the "CBS NEWS" header that has the blue and orangey-red color, was changed the other day. Its now completely blue to match the blue color behind the "Cronkite-map" It has a faint globe motif along the edges. They used the same typeface. Looks better.

These tweaks were meant to take place in June 2011, apparently!

Who said that?

How long have they had a newsroom pan for?

That is newer as well. They dont always use it.

I know it's a bit off-topic, but I'm asking here because it's related to American TV news anyway. I usually prefer modern European news themes (like BBC, ITV, RTL Netherlands, VRT, DR etc) over American ones (that doesn't mean I hate American themes, though; I like The Mission and CBS Enforcer series also). But will those European themes work in American local TV news?

I could imagine a 'high-techy' version of the current BBC News theme on a cheesy affiliate. Our themes are quite long, whilst American ones are quite short. Also, many of theirs are created with graphics in mind, so a cymbal crash might be with a whoosh is on screen etc.

On local news it probably couldnt anymore.
In the past they used simpler themes in the 50s-60's
http://www.southernmedia-nmsa.com/#3,1,848
So many are becoming louder and brasher. I feel they think the disco thumps and simple beeps and boops you hear on european themes wont "stand" out in extremely competitive markets. But sometime it depends on the market. For a while now the thought is there has to be a strong signature that people will remember. Hence you had the brass signature that developed and has stuck around to this day. It drills itself into your brain.
A good example of the strong signature is KCAL 9 Los Angeles. Listen to how they developed this brass signature until CBS bought the station and dumped their identity and theme (animals).
http://www.southernmedia-nmsa.com/#1,1,KCAL

This probably this closet were are going to get a european theme. It was used by KMSP in Minneapolis/St Paul. Its called The Viking. But again notice the very strong signature.
http://www.southernmedia-nmsa.com/#3,1,1017

Oh forgot about KDVR Denver. its verrrrrry subtle. By American standards...Again there is a strong signature. Unusual for a Fox affiliate to be this "sedate". But its not an O&O so that might have something to do with it.
http://www.southernmedia-nmsa.com/#3,1,1619