NBC partially updates special report graphics

In addition to debuting an updated look for “NBC Nightly News,” NBC News also unveiled an update to its special report look on June 20, 2023.

‘Nightly’ doubles down on ‘N’s, unique blend of 3D, flat design in new look

The graphics were used when the network broke into programming around 9:42 a.m. Eastern time on the news that President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is prepping to plead guilty to tax charges.

NBC has not updated its special report slate, but this report did debut a new bug that included the NBC News logotype in a red box with a white vertical rule on the right side. Below that is a gradient line with a “live” bug below along with the current time, in a design that is very similar to MSNBC’s default look.

The new look notably continues to use Effra and also includes a small piece of world map background to the far left that is largely focused on the northeast of the U.S. and parts of Canada.

The old special report lower third insert graphics.

The layout also moved the “NBC News Special Report” branding, which was previously relegated to a white box on top of the banner box, and is now in a white bar under the red bar.

When a lower third is shown, it lines up with the red bug box, creating a single, unified rectangle with white borders on both sides and the wider branding banner along the bottom of the screen.

The new look continues to use a similar entrance animation featuring oversized “breaking news” text.

While “Nightly” updated its take on the NBC News logo in its bug to use the bespoke NBC Tinker font, the special report open, lower third and bug box all still use the Futura-version of the logo.

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Although the new bug box is similar to MSNBC’s, it’s not in the exact position as that version but it is roughly the same height overall when you consider MSNBC’s top tier.

It’s not clear if NBC is attempting to redesign its special report graphics to more seamlessly integrate with MSNBC’s look so that it could somehow use the same feed at the same time, though it’s hard not to see the similarities. It’s also possible the design is a stop-gap being used until other updates can be made.

During the June 20 special report, NBC’s graphics system was showing the incorrect time in most markets during the report with the bug saying it was the same in both the Eastern and Central time zones, when in reality those two are an hour apart.

The time should have read “8:42 AM CT.” It went on to list the time as 8:42 a.m. mountain time and 7:42 a.m. Pacific time, which was also all off by an hour (it should have been 7:42 a.m. Mountain and 6:42 a.m. Pacific).