The Future Look of FOX 8 News?

Regular OMW readers have been following our series on upcoming possible changes to Cleveland FOX O&O WJW "FOX 8"... mostly changes in style and form, along with an upcoming change to their website.

Courtesy of Washington DC sister station WTTG "FOX 5", here's more of a preview.

WTTG has already launched its new FOX-corporate-template site, MyFOXDC.com. One thing it offers that WJW's current site does not - a flash player for news video. When WJW launches MyFOXCleveland.com, it'll become the last local TV news operation in Northeast Ohio to launch news video online...behind all three Youngstown market TV newsrooms and even small market WMFD/68 out of Mansfield.

WTTG's site also provides us with a look at the visual style and branding that will likely filter down to Cleveland sometime in the next few weeks or months. The imaging is FOX's attempt at grabbing the national FOX News Channel branding, and spreading it to the company's local outlets.

It won't be that long before we see "FOX 8 News - The Most Powerful Name in Local News" here, along with that other FNC trademark - the "searchlight" logo with the rotating elements.

In this screen shot from video off the WTTG website, we see the top and bottom of the logos rotate, a move which allows the "NEWS" logo to turn into a display of time and temperature.

The change may - or may not - come with a new set at South Marginal Road. WTTG and another FOX O&O - Boston's WFXT/25 - did a set makeover to develop the new look. The new look seems to be "loud, red, white and blue with lots of graphics"...a far cry from FOX 8's muted current set in Cleveland.

We have no word that a new set will be constructed at WJW, or what the timetable the nationally-mandated changeover will take here, but we would be surprised if it did not happen by the end of the year. We're also not sure about the timing on the new website, though we know WJW has been advertising for web producers...