The "New" WGN
I haven't been able to watch much of the games lately but when I have turned on WGN I've noticed a couple of disturbing trends.
First, what's with this new logo? It's ugly and pretty creepy.
Second, why are they giving air times in east/pacific times and no longer central?
Anybody have any info on this or is it all an attempt to make WGN a more successful national station? Just like TBS dumped the Braves to become national, is WGN trying to do that?
No, sir, I don't like it.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
49 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Agreed about the eyes.
Noticed that a while back. Thought maybe WGN was going to be showing The Grudge or something. Didn’t realize until this weekend that it’s just part of a marketing campaign.
Don't Like Anime Logo
I think the logo would be more appropriate for the Sci-Fi Channel or Anime on Demand.
"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray
It's their tribute to Siouxsie and the Banshees
from whom they pretty much lifted that logo.
This is also only on the WGN that is not broadcast in Chicago. There’s a local feed and a national feed. This is the national feed, now called “WGN America” instead of “WGN Superstation.”
It’s much ado about nothing, if you ask me. Unless you’re Siouxsie Sioux, then you’ve got a beef.
It's a girl! Born 1-18-08. 2246 PST. 8 lbs. 1 oz.
Thanks for naming Siouxsie, Josh.
Since I noticed that logo a couple days ago, it’s been on my mind. I knew I’d seen that before. Dang, that’s awhile back….
"Just because you've had enough/ doesn't mean you wanted too much." -Dean Young
i didnt realize there were two feeds till I went off to college
imagine my surprise when the schedule showed the bulls game on WGN and all I got was the gilmore girls…
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
The eyes
They definitely freak me out, too. Glad someone else thinks so. And their is a dull hum that plays whenever they show them.
Also, if they’re going national, why launch with a creepy brand? TBS opened themselves up much more and acted more like a network station than a cable. That blueprint is part of their appeal. WGN has a long way to go to match that level of production quality.
I've told you a million times never to exaggerate!!
I e-mailed
“WGN-America” (the official name, btw), and told them that I tought the new logo looked like it belonged to an ‘80’s punk band (josh77 beat me to it)...
Moose
Hubbs!
I Fan posted in this on Memorial Day
This is the new ‘imaging’ of what ‘used’ to be WGN Superstaion. This property , as I wrote earlier—has underperformed for years. (This, by admission from Tribco) WGN does not ‘show’ in the national cable ratings. Therefore, ad revenue rates are not very high.
The ‘new’ Tribco Broadcasting (the properties they have left, anyway ) has re-made the Superstation to “WGN AMERICA.’ A logo change is the most obvious—one which they are trying to gain attention with.
It’s out of the box different (although you might say CBS has done pretty well with ONE eye, for the past 50+ years…) and that’s exactly what new CEO Randy Michaels is looking for. Michaels, once the head of Jacor Broadcasting, and Clear Channel Communicatrions (and he is stealing executives from CC – so many that CC has slapped a restraining order on Michaels to stop raiding the company) is a former morning radio ‘shock-jock’ - and is known, even in the executive suite - to ‘not be conservative.’
WGN Superstaion, outside of sports - is damn BORING. Only “Scrubs,” “Homicide,” and “Di Vinci’s Inquest” were worth anybody’s time.(And those two crime shows were programmed AT THE WRONG TIME - male dominated shows - during the morning and afternoon? What the hell?) Elsewhere, this Tribco asset has settled on second-rate reruns, and HOW MUCH “America’s Funniest Home Videos” can one take?
And - oh yes—WGN Superstaion did air “24.” That’s about it.
Michaels will re-program this division. It will take time. You’ll note it is ‘stunting’ right now with “Retro 70s week” Some of the classic 70s sitcoms (WKRP in Cincinnati hasn’t aired in years due to copyright problems, which apparenly have been solved)
are going to be ‘stripped’ this week - M-F 8-10 EST. And, yes, if you want to be a national net - you need to use EST in promos. And, “Central” has been dropped because - well, what’s the point? Subtract an hour. It’s obvious PST doesn’t watch much of WGN - so, this coast is getting the mention.
In any event, the promos are WAY different than what anybody at the old Superstation would have come up with. They are taking a chance, and are trying not to be boring—which was WGN Superstaion’s biggest sin. TBS zoomed past WGN, and it wasn’t because of Braves baseball. It was with the right off-network shows and some original programming. They have national ratings. WGN America should be able to achieve the same goal.
That’s of course—if you don’t mind seeing the end of “Becker,” “Corner Gas,” and “Madlock.”
And, I think the logo’s terriffic. It’s different, it’s off-the-wall, it’s attention-grabbing. With what seems like 2-million channels to choose from - they have to be different. Even if YOU don’t like it – YOU are talking about it - and that’s half the battle.
How many here can describe the logo that was just canned?????
(That’s without going back to your DVR or VCR to find an old Cubs game)
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 12:36 PM CDT reply actions
Thanks for this post
This was very informative.
The problem with the logs these days is they’re getting to big they cover the action. I know what channel I’m on, I don’t need to be told constantly.
Sadly, most people
cannot remember what they are listening to or watching. If you are asked in an Arbitron or Nielson diary - you have to physically write down the station’s call letters, or ‘handle.’ I am in broadcasting - I have seen Arbitron diaries—it’s shocking. Listeners/viewers cannot discern between stations – or will get them wrong, or – it’s always something.
Whatever makes you stand out - even if you have to shout to get somebody’s attention and to get you to REMEMBER - will make a radio/TV station successful.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions
I know you think it's going to work...
... but I just think it’s freaky.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
anyone got a pic of this eyes logo?
I haz show: http://hotbeans.wordpress.com
by digitalbenjamin on Jun 2, 2008 12:45 PM CDT reply actions
AHHHHH!
thanks… and yes… now I remember those things.
I haz show: http://hotbeans.wordpress.com
by digitalbenjamin on Jun 2, 2008 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions
If you walk around
your living room during a game, the eyes follow you.
I've told you a million times never to exaggerate!!
"Cities in Dust" is still a dance club classic.
Here’s a YouTube clip.
Nanika Ga Okoru!
Oh, and remember, folks: Alfonso Soriano is NOT batting leadoff. He's batting first.
I remember dancing to this
at Medusa’s! Man am I old.
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
And, by the way
the old Superstation logo was an “S” within an oval. Not very memorable. (And what did the “S” really mean? “Superstation??” Awful.)
I’ll take a pair of female eyes (looks a bit like Courtney Cox to me) over that old, crappy logo
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 12:56 PM CDT reply actions
Just a tad more
There are 2 WGN feeds because Channel 9-WGN is a CW affiliate. They cannot spread that programming across the country. Your local CW station has that right. This started with the old WB - of which Tribco was a major investor in. That’s when the second feed had to be created, and that’s when FSN/Chicago came into being to become the team’s first cable carrier, with many games migrating off WGN so it would run WB programming - and the creation of “CubsNet” “SoxNet” to take other games.
“CubsNet” “Sox Net” are really WGN games—they are subcontracted out to tinfoil WCIU. Those would have been on the Superstaion, before the WB was created.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 1:11 PM CDT reply actions
and also, the tag line
“TV YOU CAN’T IGNORE’
That’s WGN’s problem. Not watched, outside of the Cubs/Bulls, nationally—It has been ignored. This, is one step toward making the superstaion relevant for the OTHER 21 hrs of the day the Cubs/Bulls/now Black Hawks are not on.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 1:23 PM CDT reply actions
Better programming would solve that
Rather than a creepy set of eyes.
I enjoy WGN for being a local, midwest station and because it carries my sports. Now, it seems to be carrying fewer of the Cubs game and I can’t watch them unless they’re on WGN since I’m out of state and don’t have cable (for Espn).
I don't care much
for the eyes either but I ignore them for the most part. As far as advertising shows in Eastern time zones WGN has done that for quite some time.
A note on "Corner Gas":
WTF?! If that’s not the worst show ever, I don’t know what is. I mean, they did the snakes-in-a-can joke for Pete’s sake. C’mon! Good riddance if they do away with that rubbish.
"Just because you've had enough/ doesn't mean you wanted too much." -Dean Young
I agree
fully….my roommate told me he watches that crap everynight before he goes to bed. I gave it about three minutes one time, and that was too much.
"The 12 second rule is how long it takes Carlos Lee to hear, turn around, run over, find and eat a hot dog dropped by a fan in the Crawford Boxes at Minute Maid park" - ballhawk
OT: Nice Palmeiro Avatar
I don’t think Miss State is going tear down the Palmeiro Center, unretire his number, or give back any of his money because of steroid use. BTW, I love Dudy Noble Field! Ring those cowbells!
"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray
comeback
It will be a bigger comeback story than a Rays vs Cubs world series if WGN actually becomes a factor in cable ratings, in fact if that happens its bad news for the Cubs telecasts, the whole reason that WGN stopped showing 150 games in 1998 was because of the stupid WB. ‘Change’ isn’t good when it comes to Cubs games on tv :)
As Al has stated many times before
he’s of the opinion that baseball,. for the most part will leave ‘over-the-air’ TV. In most markets, that’s the case right now. And when it comes to basic cable baseball, that’s not as plentiful, either. We have been quite fortunate that we have had Cubs baseball on a national basis for so many years. With the Braves off TBS, WGN is the lone hold-out of this type. Hopefully, it will stay. I believe the long, historic tenure of Cubs/WGN (no matter who owns the team, will hold. But the future is with paid packages such as “Extra Innings” or mlb.tv….and the new MLB-TV cable channel, on-air next year.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 4:47 PM CDT reply actions
It's not going to last
It’s probably going to take a while but the selling of the team will probably accelerate things. MLB does not want the Cubs and Sox on WGN and will most likely do whatever it can to get the games off of WGN. They gave TBS the national games with the agreement that Braves games would come off. I know all of the Bulls games that are carried on WGN aren’t on the Superstation and none of the Blackhawks games next season will be.
by jolietconvict on Jun 2, 2008 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Can we split the difference
and just take the Sox of WGN?
"And there's a...BASE HIT! Fair ball! Fontenot will score! CUBS WIN!" -Len Kasper, 5.28.08
by neverAcquiesce on Jun 2, 2008 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions
off*
"And there's a...BASE HIT! Fair ball! Fontenot will score! CUBS WIN!" -Len Kasper, 5.28.08
by neverAcquiesce on Jun 2, 2008 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions
New logo...
The new logo has got to go. I can’t imagine who in their right mind sat back & said.. “dang, that’s sweet! Let’s update our logo once we finish this batch of magic mushrooms!”
It Ain't goin' anywhere
dude…the old, boring WGN—is gone, and thankfuly so. Now, they just have to shore up the programming.
I am amazed how seriously many of you are taking this….
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 7:15 PM CDT reply actions
You seem to be taking it seriously too.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
Well, why wouldn't we?
Having our own station gives the team a more “homey” feeling. Makes the team more of the community. Especially for those of us out of town.
Is Buffy still on?
She’s not on the Chicago feed anymore.
"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." - Jacque Barzun
WGN America is NOT a Chicago station
WGN-TV Channel 9—IS. It’s part of Chicago.
WGN is licensed by the FCC to serve Chicago. WGN America is not. It just originates from Chicago. It’s really a cable ‘network’ —not a TV station.
Big difference.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 8:41 PM CDT reply actions
And, as I leave work for the ball park
We were NOT talking about WGN last week.
We are now.
That’s exactly what the operators hope to accomplish.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Jun 2, 2008 8:43 PM CDT reply actions
I wish TBS still covered the Braves
I don’t have any MLB packages for my TV, so that was really the only other baseball to watch.
"You know they're not going to lose 162 games." Harry Caray
Hate the eyes
They give me the creeps .. and make you think you’re being warned of an upcoming show about Goths in America.
Well, Next Year is here .. and Jack's century's gotta end some time .. GO CUBBIES!

by 


















