Channel 2 Action News (WSB-TV) revamps set for first time in a decade

It's not a radical redesign. The screens use a similar blue hue. The wood finish is familiar.

The station has been No. 1 in the market for decades so there is no reason to do anything to jar the viewers.

"We want to evolve Channel 2," said Misti Turnbull, news director. "We didn't want to reinvent Channel 2... We've always been very warm, very inviting. We felt like with the wood, we were able to modernize that but incorporate it into the look."

Turnbull gave me a walk through of the new set earlier this week. She noted how the video screens are now more flexible. "These walls can separate and do different things," Turnbull said. "We can do different graphic templates. The opportunities are endless. That curved layered wall in the back is seamless. It's incredible. It's beautiful. It looks even better on television. It pops!"

Justin Farmer, evening anchor since 2008, said he loves the new screens, "especially the seamless video board behind us that allows us to do some things visually we've never been able to do before. As local news evolves, it's going to allow us utilize resources in new and effective ways."

He also said the new lighting keeps the set cooler and are the more environmentally friendly LED lights. "It's much less harsh and more natural," Farmer said.

There's also a new track camera for intros and exits and transitions. It scales the length of the set. "We wanted to show the bigness of the set," Turnbull said. "We wanted a little bit of a wow factor that comes with that."

A touch screen is available as well, though the newsroom won’t begin using it until later. "It's something we'll grow into," Turnbull said.

The meteorologists have a new monitor wall and their work stations are closer to the action, which can be important during a breaking weather event.

"The improvements are more than cosmetic," meteorologist Brad Nitz said. "We have much more flexibility to present information in ways that hasn't been done before. Our viewers will notice expanded team coverage of severe weather as we move through the new presentation areas and expanded space."

Turnbull admits the change isn't going to create that much of a stir among viewers, that ultimately it's about how they tell stories. The new set is just a tool in the toolbox to help tell those stories.

"We feel like people allow us into their homes every day," she said. "So our set almost becomes part of their home. They're inviting us. We want to make sure when they show up, we're part of the family."

All four metro Atlanta TV stations have revamped their sets in the past three years.

Michael Castengera, a senior lecturer at the University of Georgia who teaches television news and a consultant for TV stations nationwide (but none in Atlanta), is not surprised WSB-TV was the last one to do so.

"They're so strong, they were in a position to wait a bit longer," Castengera said. "But there is always a point where a set can look dated compared to their competitors and potentially become a negative. Even WSB has to keep up with the Jones."

John Deushane, the general manager at 11 Alive, said there is a perpetual debate in local news circles about a set's import.

"It's always going to be about content," Deushane said by email. “However, it's sometimes important to take a look at how it's being presented."

When the NBC affiliate made its set change in 2013, management wanted to create a "multi-purpose environment" to showcase stories in different ways. That means not always having the anchors behind a desk with a cityscape behind them. Anchors sometimes now stand instead of sit.

"It's all about interactivity," said Castengera, the media consultant. "They want to give viewers more sense of involvement. Anchors move around more. Gone are the old days of a guy just sitting there."

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho

Credit: Rodney Ho