“PBS News” is now the umbrella name for news and public affairs content produced by WETA in Washington, D.C.
The brand rolls out Monday and covers the flagship weeknight TV program PBS News Hour — now with a space inserted into NewsHour — as well as PBS News Weekend and special programming and reporting on websites, social media and digital platforms.
The change coincides with the opening June 10 of a new studio for PBS News Hour in Arlington, Va. A new collection of logos will accompany the change.
“The PBS News Hour, our nightly broadcast co-anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, remains the flagship of our newsroom as we approach nearly 50 years on the air,” said Sara Just, WETA SVP and senior EP of PBS News Hour, in a news release. “Today, all of us consume news across multiple platforms. Audiences encounter our journalism on social media feeds, in news feeds, in live streaming, in primetime specials and breaking news events. Our adjustments to our branding makes it clear that you can rely on PBS News journalism for reliable, trustworthy insight into the events and stories that shape our world and our lives, wherever they encounter it.”
The show’s new studio was built with help from a recently completed $58 million capital campaign. The expansion will also support additional editorial offices for WETA’s new studio.
The new studio was designed by Eric Siegel and George Allison with lighting design by Dennis Size, according to the news release. It will be used by PBS News Hour; PBS News Weekend, anchored by John Yang; and Washington Week with The Atlantic, anchored by Jeffrey Goldberg. The studio will allow PBS News special programming to be more easily incorporated into the same space.
The graphic redesign for the rebrand was led by PBS News Creative Director for Broadcast Kojo Boateng, including the logo redesign in partnership with Lippincott and broadcast opening titles designed in partnership with Adolescent, Inc.
News Hour Productions has expanded its operations of national public affairs programs in recent years. In 2021, it announced plans to take over what is now PBS News Weekend. It also took over management of Washington Week.
Like other public media programs such as Frontline, PBS News Hour has made efforts to increase outreach on platforms like YouTube, in part to reach younger audiences. According to the release, average website users are up 44% since 2019 at nearly 7.5 million, while average monthly YouTube video views are up 27% at 33 million.