KSTP, the local ABC affiliate serving Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, has a new set to go with its move to HD news broadcasting. The set is also the new home for several news programs appearing on sister station KSTC, Ch. 45, which hasn't had a local-news presence since early 2003.
Last week, KSTC launched a two-hour morning show, as well as a 9 p.m. broadcast, providing the same kind of hard-news, local stories that define KSTP’s newscasts.
KSTC’s shows were supposed to debut June 14, the same day KSTP unveiled its new look, but a plumbing problem led to a mini-flood, forcing a one-month delay.
What viewers will now see at night is a half-hour format short on sports (most games won’t be over by the time the show ends) and long one-on-one interviews with reporters who might still be in the midst of nailing down a story.
Mike Smith, director of programming for Hubbard Broadcasting, which owns KSTP and KSTC, told the Star Tribune newspaper that a new, more 3-D look was necessary to adapt to the HD era. HD viewers will see a more sophisticated look, complete with textures and more levels, thanks to a white-cedar scheme throughout everything from the weather station to the interview corner.
