WYTV to debut new set Monday
by: Jonathan Stroshine
Posted: Sep 11, 2015 / 04:00 PM EDT / Updated: Sep 11, 2015 / 04:00 PM EDT
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WYTV) – 33 WYTV News is ready to welcome viewers into its new home Monday, September 14, as it debuts its new set and graphic design.
The process of redoing the set, which has been months in the making, will enhance the hometown news coverage that WYTV has brought the Valley for decades.
"This set, this is a part of everyone's home décor now," WYTV Meteorologist Jim Loboy said. "This new set is going to be a part of the fixture of people's living rooms."
WYTV's Daybreak team commented on the home-like atmosphere of the set. Anchor Len Rome said the space has, "a more warm, intimate sense to it."
Daybreak Anchor Katie Dugan is looking forward to welcoming guests onto the set's living-room-esque interview area.
"It was a really exciting process to see it all come together," Dugan said. "I think we'll have a lot more opportunities to welcome our viewers in as well."
Local artists who work for 33 News created most of the studio's design and imagery. WYTV Photographer Matt Infante captured images of sunrises, sunsets, local bodies of water and more of the Valley's landscapes to be used as backdrops for the news.
"It kind of makes (viewers) feel like they're at home, on their back porch," Infante said. "With the photos…it'll make them feel that they're tied in to 33 being a part of the Valley."
A new logo and design for the station will help welcome viewers as well. Art Director Sue Forde described the station's new look as soothing and viewer-friendly.
Forde, Meteorologist Ryan Halicki and other members of the team put their heads together to come up with a design that would help enhance the stories that WYTV tells.
"We had a lot of freedom to explore and do different things," Forde said. "The whole idea was to be very community-like and warm and friendly."
Loboy praised Halicki and Forde's efforts in building all-new graphics for WYTV's Pinpoint Weather system, which will debut with the new set. Both Halicki and Loboy plan to use the graphics to tell viewers precisely what temperatures and precipitation they can expect in a given day.
The set includes all-new, state-of-the-art LED lighting to help convey the warmth of the Youngstown area's hometown news station.
"It's your news neighbor, it's your news friend," said Lenny Sommers, who consulted on WYTV's redesign. "There's an intimacy…you can connect to these people."
The set also features a stone wall background and a living-room-esque area with chairs and an LCD monitor for personal interviews. The stone in the wall was inspired by the stone foundation of Lanterman's Mill, a well-known landmark in Mill Creek Park.
The station also got a makeover of its logo and graphics, which gives WYTV a modern, clean feel. Viewers will enjoy the energy and simplicity of the new look, according to Media General's Manager of On-Air Image and Design Kathryn Mosher-Boule.
"The team in front of the camera, as well as behind the camera is really excited about this new look," Mosher-Boule said. "I think it will give them a springboard to present the type of content that the viewers are looking for."
The limited space for the set provided a challenge for the designers, who made the most of the available space.
"It was important to us to use the design to focus on the station's commitment to the community," Designer Anthony Ferguson said. "The design reflects a comfortable, familiar environment for the anchors to deliver the stories to the viewers."
Niles Library closed through this weekend
NILES, Ohio (WYTV) - Niles McKinley Memorial Library is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
The library will be closed through Sunday.