San Francisco’s KRON rebrands for 75th Anniversary, brings back 4 familiar notes

KRON, the Nexstar Media Group-owned CW affiliate in San Francisco, has launched a comprehensive audio and visual rebrand ahead of its 75th anniversary celebration in November. The refresh encompasses both a new motion graphics package and an orchestral update to the station’s sonic branding.

Design evolution

The visual rebrand, spearheaded by Nexstar’s Nashville Design Center, retains KRON’s signature circular logo while introducing contemporary design elements. The station’s iconic “4” emblem, which mirrors the architecture of the Golden Gate Bridge tower, remains central to the identity.

“KRON’s brand mark is distinctive. We knew going into the redesign it would need to be a circle-focused package,” said Vince Conti, director of Nexstar’s Nashville Design Center.

Award-winning designer Jon Berry implemented stop-motion animation techniques throughout the graphics package. The approach diverges from standard broadcast animation methods, creating a unique visual texture for the station’s news presentations.

The station expanded its traditional red, black and white color scheme to incorporate colors representative of Bay Area landmarks. New palette additions reference the gray tones of fog, blues from San Francisco Bay and the distinctive orange of the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We want people to experience the new KRON brand as a reflection of our strong past while introducing them to an exciting new refreshed identity, rich in history and connection to the Bay Area,” said Matt Damore, KRON’s marketing and creative lead. “We wanted to reimagine the palette with a local focus, keeping the iconic KRON colors, but also introducing several new colors.” 

Advertisement

Bringing back a familiar tune

Stephen Arnold Music’s refresh of KRON’s theme music reintroduces the station’s memorable four-note sonic brand while reimagining the orchestration. Rather than rely on digital synthesis, the studio produced full orchestral recordings.

“Given KRON’s 75th anniversary, it seemed like the perfect time to bring this brand back into the market,” said Whitney Arnold, president of music services at Stephen Arnold Music.

The production incorporated multiple instrument sections, with violinists, guitarists, percussionists, pianists and a brass ensemble recording at the studio. Composer Matt Price developed the theme package with variations to support different programming elements while maintaining the sonic brand’s recognition.

The four-note sonic brand originated during KRON’s 50th anniversary when composer Michael Boyd created the station’s signature sound, debuting in 1995 and in use until 2001 and again from 2006 until 2020. The new orchestration builds upon this foundation while expanding the musical palette.

“Some sonic brands are so embedded in our psyche, it’s part of who we are,” said Paul West, chief engineer at Stephen Arnold Music. “If you’re at home and preparing dinner, and you hear that logo, you know it’s time for the news.”

KRON broadcasts from its Front Street facility in San Francisco’s Northeast Waterfront district. The station reaches 2.45 million homes across 12 Northern California counties via its transmitter atop Sutro Tower, with an additional digital reach of six million viewers.

The rebranding project, which began in August 2023, required coordination between KRON’s creative team, Nexstar’s design group and Stephen Arnold Music’s production studios. The station’s news department integrated the new graphics package into its existing production workflow.

“In addition to a fresh new look and sound that pays homage to our station’s legacy, KRON’s new brand will provide our journalists with many additional tools to help us tell the important stories in our Bay Area communities,” said Joshua Palefsky, news director.

The complete brand refresh debuts as KRON prepares to mark 75 years of broadcasting on November 15, 2024. The station commenced operations in 1949 from the basement of the San Francisco Chronicle Building and now operates as part of Nexstar Media Group’s portfolio of 200 stations across 116 U.S. markets.

Advertisement