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WBZ TV name change, 1 year later

G

Garrett

Ok, it has been a year. So, how's that name change working out?

This is my own perspective on it and I want to stress that I mean no personal swipe against WBZ or staff (especially since I don't work there, and so have no idea about why they do what they do).

That said, I have a beef with the "new" logo. It just does not say "WBZ" to me. I mean, it does spell W-B-Z, but it doesn't say it. First of all, its ugly. Second, it has ZERO likeness to the WBZ logo that was used for 30 or so years. There's no broken top 4. In fact, there's NO "4" what so ever. This is a shame: WBZ TV was as much about the "4" and the puns that went with it, as it was about the call letters "WBZ." In addition, their news product seems to have little of the engery of the "Eyewitness News" period of the time. WBZ-TV's CBS management should review the ratings, and re-evaluate the name. It's a year later, and just stamping "WBZ" on a generic CBS affiliate may not be enough. I call on them to bring back the full "W-B-Z TV 4" image that was so much a part of the station during Group W's ownership.

And if you think I'm off base, consider that their sister station, WCCO TV's logo (a white 4 in a red box) bears a strking resemblence to their 90's logo of a white 4 in a red circle.

Agree?
Disagree?
 
Ok, I missed that thread.
But what are their ratings now? Could be just a fluke.
Eitherway, they are not matching the WBZ TV of the 80s, the two versions couldn't be further apart, in my opinion.
 
Ratings won't be out for the public until February sweeps is done (it begins Thursday). Most of the newscasts, particularly at 11pm, are solid. Between Keller at Large, genuinely in-depth, local enterprise stories, they're on the right path. This week they've rented a van and reporter David Robichaud is converting America to Patriots fans while on the road to Arizona.

As for the logo. I don't mind it at all. The reason for it being branded "WBZ-TV" with no indication of channel number is deliberate. Many don't see the station on channel four anymore. Between HD, out-of-market cable carriage, the eventual mobile platforms, etc. it just does not make sense.

I am surprised, however, that WBZ Radio has not adopted the logo for a more 'synergistic' operation.
 
When I was in Boston, Comcast carried Channel 4 on "04". When we switch to digital, stations will still map to their on-air designation, in this case, "4.1" If you want synergy, why not just have WBZ TV use the same logo WBZ radio uses now, which looks truer to the orignal?

I'm glad they're doing well, but as far as logos are concerned, I'm just not seeing it, sorry.
 
Yeah, I have to side with Garrett on this one. WBZ is cable channel 4 on practically every system in the market. As for out of market considerations, I've been lectured countless times that it doesn't matter. So, why not include the 4? It certainly seems left out of an otherwise bright idea.

And, many other CBS O&Os still brand using ONLY the number, preceded by CBS. So I do not buy the idea that this the some "wave of the future" because there is no evidence of such a thing catching on.
 
BRNout said:
Yeah, I have to side with Garrett on this one. WBZ is cable channel 4 on practically every system in the market. As for out of market considerations, I've been lectured countless times that it doesn't matter. So, why not include the 4? It certainly seems left out of an otherwise bright idea.

And, many other CBS O&Os still brand using ONLY the number, preceded by CBS. So I do not buy the idea that this the some "wave of the future" because there is no evidence of such a thing catching on.
Click to expand...

Exactly!
And don't forget WJZ and KPIX (which even calls itself "CBS 5") that still use the original look. So why not WBZ TV 4?
 
bostonmediaguy said:
You're forgetting HD which is all over the map on cable systems.
Click to expand...

No sir, on the contrary, I am not forgetting HD.
HD is not the same as Digital, and I don't think the majority of viewers are concerned about getting the HD channel on Cable. All of the Public Service announcements I have seen assure viewers that if they have cable, there will be no need to change TV sets.

I mean, you're talking about a subset of a subset (especially in Boston, where, for most of the city, you don't really need cable to see Channel 4). Of those people who have cable, how many of them are concerned about the HD channel?

So to be only "WBZ TV" for the 500 or 1000 or so cable viewers that want an HD picture, it does not make sense to me.

And now that I think about... In some parts of Boston, WPRI 12 comes in, which is also CBS. So not telling people the Channel number could truly confuse people, unless WBZ TV leaves a bug in the corner 24/7.
 
They haven't gotten rid of the 4 entirely, it still appears at the beginning on each newscast, they just don't include it in their bug. So perhaps they rely on the viewer's pre-existing knowledge ???
 
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