Wichita station debuts new home, graphics as part of 70th anniversary celebration

The ABC affiliate in Wichita, Kansas, has debuted a new set and graphics to help mark its 70th anniversary.

Set Design

KAKE

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KAKE, which is owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group, created a new home that combines flexible venues and video wall technology complemented by a bold graphics package that skillfully combines elements such as lens flares and shadows with flatter elements.

The set, designed by FX Design Group, features multiple video walls that can be used to showcase cityscape views, topical or branded graphics or a row of weather graphics.

Using a combination of Philips and NEC video panels, the new studio’s venues allow it feature more traditional anchor desk shots alongside standups, including ones where the talent moves on-camera.

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The weather center specifically features a dog-legged video array that stretches wider than the long presentation desk.

This allows the station to display multiple weather graphics in a row as the forecaster walks from one to another to create a ordered approach to weather storytelling. Weather can also be done from an additional multipurpose video wall also used for sports and standups or in front of a traditional green screen.

Digital Video Group worked with FX to integrate the video walls and other displays with Ross Novastar handling video scaling. 

The updated studio features a mix of Ikan and Chauvet lighting controlled by Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC).

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KAKE also updated its on-air look with a new graphics package that features a triangular, arrow motif in its blue, white and yellow color palette.

The overall feel of the new graphics are flat, but depth has been mixed in using subtle shadowing among the various colored elements. The highly 3D news graphics look also makes an appearance in the form of light bursts.

Lower thirds still get the triangular arrow accents on the left, but it’s a much flatter and cleaner look, which serves the station well in terms of readability. 

• Set Design: FX Design Group
• Tech Integration: Digital Video Group
• Video Scaling: Ross (Novastar)
• Display Tech: Philips, NEC
• Lighting Design: FX Design Group
• Lighting Instruments: Ikan, Chauvet
• Lighting Control: ETC