In the Summer of 2016, NBC rolled out it’s current graphics package to all their owned and operated stations.

Designed at 30 Rock, NBC has their own graphics hub called Arthouse. Each version had a letter assigned. This replaced a 4 year old company wide package (to just their 14 something NBC O&Os) that was done by another company, called Novocom.

Each version had a letter, in succession. As of 2020, NBC only rolled out at least 3 company-wide and designed 3 unique packages. Look N is supposed to be the eighth update; but as the mid 2010s taught people; it’s OK to do version inflation. Obviously, from the outside, “Look N” may mean NBC, and maybe the last update for a while?

In 2016, the graphics hacker I am decided to make sure the Peacock group had the last laugh. Look N is just visually a mess of a package. Not to mention the traditional lower-tenth crawl space was replaced with a flipper of contact information to the stations’ social media handles, and only in the mornings (if you’re lucky) it has its headline crawl space.

So I decided Hell: if social media isn’t enough, why just throw every means of contact to the station? So going on WNBC’s website, I took the contact info off, and threw everything underneath. A better smartass self would’ve put the Subway routes to get to 30 Rock, and 1 2 and 3 trains always is a safe bet I guess…

 

 

In case you want to know how NBC got to the eighth version without G, H, I, J, K, L, M… here’s a short summary

Look A: (2005)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ge0FIYAvY

Look A was a cookie cuttered design that visually compatible. In 2005, both NBC 10 in Providence and Philadelphia were owned by NBC. You can tell with WCAU-TV the graphics animate, while WJAR there is no animation. It’s likely the former station and an Avid Deko Character Generator that could do more animations than the latter. Look C was part of a overhaul on graphics hardware by 2008. In the case of WMAQ-TV in Chicago; they were using a Chyron iNF!N!Ti as late as 2012, which would explain why that O&O had used graphics that were already 7 years old; and something changed when Look F came by (read below)

Look B: Exclusive to WNBC (2006-2008)

This package designed in 30 Rock mimicked it’s 2003 graphics design, that was done by another firm as they went to HD.

Look C: Great Recession era (2008-2012)

Introduced in late 2008, right as the American economy went south. It featured cookie cuttered a/f graphical style; ridden with golden yellow graphics, not that many variations

Look D: Exclusive to WNBC, 2008-2012

This version of graphics that looked more decent than Look C. (WNBC is NBC’s equivalent to WBZ to rebel against corporate pushed looks)

Look E: KNSD 2011

This was introduced to KNSD in early 2011, graphics were minimal and had a caption styled highlight. It was * this * close to being introduced as a new graphics package across the company, but Comcast assumed management by this point aborting a flat and super cookie-cuttered identity.

Look F: 2012 to 2016

Look F under the default cookie cuttered Arthouse design (WNBC New York)

Look F was introduced in 2012, this was by far the best NBC-designed graphics package. WNBC, KNBC and KNSD and others took the off the shelf look and feel, while WTVJ and WCAU-TV went a bit different. These two stations actually made the graphics package even better; since this version allowed flexibility

Look N followed, and there’s plenty of video. It’s blah.

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