Stephen Arnold Music Creates Sonic Identity For Nexstar’s NewsNation Nightly Lineup
Sonic branding agency delivers music packages for revamped evening lineup, including new shows “The Donlon Report” and “Banfield.”
Stephen Arnold Music is supporting the rebrand of Nexstar Media Group’s cable network WGN America as NewsNation with sonic branding and custom music inspired by the network’s commitment to delivering “fact-based news” to viewers hungry for unbiased media.
Working in tandem with Jonathan Killian, the network’s Vice President, Creative Marketing and Brand Communications, the studio created custom music packages for NewsNation’s expanded lineup, which includes NewsNation Early Edition with Nichole Berlie, NewsNation Prime with Marni Hughes, Rob Nelson and Albert Ramon, The Donlon Report, and the one-hour interview show Banfield.
The music for NewsNation Early Edition with Nichole Berlie, airing daily at 6-7pm ET, and NewsNation Prime with Marni Hughes, Rob Nelson and Albert Ramon, airing 8-10 p.m. ET, builds on the distinctive theme music Stephen Arnold Music created for the network’s original primetime news broadcast, which launched last fall. The stirring themes evoke the network’s midwestern roots and centrist values.
For The Donlon Report and Banfield, the studio created original themes that support the unique content, format, and distinctive host personality of each show. “The theme for The Donlon Report has depth and weight to fit the common sense views and insight of veteran anchor Joe Donlon,” says Stephen Arnold Music VP/Creative Director Chad Cook. “It’s a rich, engaging sound that works with a wide range of subjects from politics to pop culture, while complementing the network’s overall brand.”
The theme for Banfield, meanwhile, taps into that show’s lively talk format and eclectic mix of guests, as well as the vibrant personality of its host, acclaimed journalist Ashleigh Banfield. “It’s contemporary, energetic and has a late-night feel,” notes Cook. “It draws you in right away with a strong melodic signature and spirited groove.”
Cook adds that Killian had a clear vision for how to present each show, and how to use music to enhance their brands. “Jonathan wanted the music to be versatile, to have broad, mainstream appeal, and accurately mirror show content,” Cook says. “We explored various styles, pacing and instrumentation before arriving at musical signatures that work seamlessly with the visuals and communicate the essence of each show.”
You might also like...
HDR & WCG For Broadcast: Part 3 - Achieving Simultaneous HDR-SDR Workflows
Welcome to Part 3 of ‘HDR & WCG For Broadcast’ - a major 10 article exploration of the science and practical applications of all aspects of High Dynamic Range and Wide Color Gamut for broadcast production. Part 3 discusses the creative challenges of HDR…
IP Security For Broadcasters: Part 4 - MACsec Explained
IPsec and VPN provide much improved security over untrusted networks such as the internet. However, security may need to improve within a local area network, and to achieve this we have MACsec in our arsenal of security solutions.
IP Security For Broadcasters: Part 3 - IPsec Explained
One of the great advantages of the internet is that it relies on open standards that promote routing of IP packets between multiple networks. But this provides many challenges when considering security. The good news is that we have solutions…
The Resolution Revolution
We can now capture video in much higher resolutions than we can transmit, distribute and display. But should we?
Microphones: Part 3 - Human Auditory System
To get the best out of a microphone it is important to understand how it differs from the human ear.