The mangled audio is because they tried to mix the opening part of a cut from Gari Media’s ABC O&O package Eyewitness News with the tail end of a cut from News Series 2000/Stimulus. Otherwise, WLS now uses Eyewitness News outside of this.
Fun fact: the open is generated live using Vizrt technology, allowing for live time, temperature and ticker generation during it.
It is indeed, and has been popping out in some promos and visual elements since 2020-2021ish. Here are some examples:
The new O&O package designed by Vivid Zero, the motion design division of the SmithGeigner consultancy group; the contract was originally won by Stun Creative, a Hollywood-based creative agency, however, after a takeover and merger done by a strategy and data firm, the contract was turned over to Vivid Zero, thanks to the good relations with ABC by its chief director, Michael Vamosy.
Vivid Zero also did the current ABC News Special Report, ABC News Live and Good Morning America graphics, so it made sense to award the contract with an agency which has had some kind of great track record with the Alphabet. In some way, the new O&O package finally unifies the stations with ABC News’ (the network division) typography-laden design language, which is really all over the place, but the O&O implementation looks way better.
The roll-out of the mandated graphics, also delayed due to the roll-out of the redrawn ABC logo by Trollbäck+Company, will do away with many of their local graphics packages (some of which look really bad and dated on-screen, KABC and KFSN do look good however), but won’t affect the station’s individual music packages, most of which come from Warner/Chappell Music (the legal successor of Gari Music, who composed these Cool Hand Luke-inspired theme packages); WPVI, fortunately, will retain the well-known MCTYW theme viewers know and love. Like NBC O&Os (but unlike CBS O&Os, which used historically the Enforcer themes, and currently the new package by Antfood), ABC doesn’t have a formal standardized theme package (although Eyewitness News is used by most O&Os).
Some other pics (sourced from TVNewsTalk.net) and NewscastStudio’s take on the rebrand:
The ticker (used mainly during the morning news and daytime updates) was accidentaly launched during a noon update:
As the package was rolled out on the weather graphics on WLS and WTVD, it was clear it would come eventually as soon as possible.
It was eventually rolled-out in September to WLS’ master control-based TOTH ID, information ticker (used for programming changes, school closings and severe weather) and the “Previously Recorded” DOG used during rebroadcasts.