I cover Houston media pretty closely, but the subject of TV station microphone flags (those station identifiers around the mic) even gets past my effervescent gaze. That's when you step in and give me a slap behind the head. Here is the latest example of a reader email to me last week:
What's up with the mic flags at KHOU? First ones in what, 20 years? This once great station is indistinguishable from any other station in America now.
Now, I haven't noticed whether KHOU 11 has used mic flags or not, but I did go back and notice there hasn't been a box on a reporter mic in a while. Looking back in time, I still can't figure out if this is a channel 11 mic flag or a lower third graphic just coincidentally covering the spot where one would be. Do you know?
Sure enough though, here is the new KHOU 11 mic flag below being held by reporter Andrew Horansky. KHOU confirmed to me the flags are new additions:
This got me seriously thinking about microphone flags. I was soon counting them instead of sheep at night.
KIAH CW39's NewsFix also appears to be waving a new mic flag too. Here is a photo of one. Plus, this is the first time I've seen the station use a NewsFix branded live truck. When I freelance reported at the station prior to NewsFix launching, the live trucks were blank slates. Much like my mind.
"We branded the NewsFix mic flags with the CW39 logo approximately two months ago," Theressa Virgil, Director of Marketing for KIAH-TV, told mikemcguff.com. "The vehicles have been wrapped since the beginning of the year. We’ll be wrapping more vehicles later this year."
There you have it. Notice any other changes. Slap me in the back of the head with an email.
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