Buena Vista Broadcasting

Buena Vista Broadcasting, Inc. was a television station group division of the Walt Disney Company that operated from 1980 to 1995. The company had its corporate headquarters in Orlando, Florida and its operational headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

The company ceased operations in 1995 when Disney sold off the remaining stations. A year later, Disney purchased ABC.

History
Buena Vista Broadcasting was formed in 1980.

In 1984, shortly after acquiring Dallas independent station KTXA and relocating its operational headquarters to the Dallas area, Buena Vista Broadcasting became the first television station ownership group in the US with mandated music and graphics for its stations' newscasts. The initial "Generation X" graphics packages were mostly produced by companies in the Dallas area, while music packages were sourced primarily from firms dealing in newscast music.

Generation 1 (1984-1986)

 * Music: And You by Telesound
 * Debut date: September 1984
 * Debut stations: WFTV and KTXA
 * Graphics description: Gray and black color scheme with lime green computer font for large text.
 * Notes: This was the first known use of mandated graphics and music for a television station group.

Generation 2 (1986-1988)

 * Music: WNEV News Package by Tuesday Productions
 * Debut date: June 1986
 * Debut stations: WFTV and KTXA
 * Graphics description: black and red color scheme with a grid design for some elements.
 * The station logos had similar design to the 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures castle with lines in the number.
 * Notes:
 * This was the first mandate to use the "Flight Force" branding for weather forecasts. The chief meteorologist was known on air as the "Flight Commander".
 * The stations' newsgathering helicopters were branded as the "Sky Patrol". The (main) helicopter reporter was known on air as the "Sky Patrol Chief".
 * Many people thought the graphics package was little bit resembling something out of a Virtual Boy game.
 * Some stations used a customized version of the G2 package's opening:
 * WKBW's version of the opening featured a herd of seven CGI red buffalos stampeding across the grid.
 * KTXA's version of the opening featured live-action footage of a group of cowboys wearing outfits emblazoned with the station's logo racing through the streets of Dallas and Fort Worth, along with featuring a CGI group of cattle stampeding across the grid.
 * WHBQ's version of the opening had footage of the news team in various locations throughout Memphis, as opposed to all of them being in the newsroom or studio.
 * WOKR's version of the opening had footage of the news team in various locations throughout Rochester, as opposed to all of them being in the newsroom or studio.
 * WFTV's version of the opening featured a fly-over of Walt Disney World, beginning with EPCOT's Spaceship Earth.
 * During this time some stations used the black and red color scheme in their newscast sets:
 * WOKR used a newscast set with three desks, all black with red neon light trim, with the center desk being the main desk, and two smaller desks for weather (left) and sports (right) on either side of the main news desk.
 * Some station used a red background with a black grid design as opposed to the black background and red grid design.

Generation 3 (1988-1993)

 * Music: News Series 2000 by Gari Media (ABC affiliates), News Series 2001 by Gari Media (WNYT, WSMV, KTXA, and KOLR)
 * Debut date: August 1988
 * Debut stations: WHBQ-TV and WFTV
 * Graphics description: Dark Blue color scheme
 * Notes:
 * The graphics package is similar to the 1995-2003 Hearst "camera" graphics package in light of the G3 graphics predating the Hearst "camera" graphics by seven years.

Generation 3.5 (1990-1993)

 * Debut date: March 1990
 * Debut stations: KCAL, KOLR, and WOKR
 * Same music as the 1988 mandate
 * Only used on four stations; WOKR, KOLR, WNYT, and KCAL
 * The flashing animation in the newscast open has been slowed down to reduce the "strobe" SFX.
 * The talent shots in the opens are different than from the G3 opens.

Generation 4 (1993-1995)

 * Music: News Station by Gari Media
 * Debut date: July 1993
 * Debut stations: WFTV, WHBQ-TV and KCAL-TV
 * Graphics description: Blue color scheme with rainbow colored lower thrids.
 * Notes:
 * The blue in graphic package is a lighter shade then the one in the G3 graphic package.
 * This was the last mandate to use the "Flight Force" branding for weather forecasts.
 * The graphics are similarly designed to the 1995-2005 Buena Vista Television logo.
 * The Buena Vista Broadcasting end tag has similar animation to the 1995-2005 Buena Vista Television logo. Also the same music as 1995-2005 Buena Vista Television logo.

ABC network affiliated

 * WFTV - Orlando, Florida (1980-1995)
 * WOKR-TV - Rochester, New York (1980-1995) [sold to Ackerley Group]
 * WHBQ-TV - Memphis, Tennessee (1982-1995)
 * WIXT-TV - Syracuse, New York (1980-1995) [sold to Ackerley Group]
 * WKBW-TV - Buffalo, New York (1986-1995) [became an ABC O&O]
 * WMGC-TV - Binghamton, New York (1983-1995) [sold to Ackerley Group]
 * WUTR-TV - Utica, New York (1982-1995) [sold to Ackerley Group]

Non-ABC network affiliated

 * WNYT - Albany, New York (1986-1995) [sold to Hubbard Broadcasting]
 * KTXA - Dallas, Texas (1984-1995)
 * WSMV - Nashville, Tennessee (1981-1995)
 * KOLR - Springfield, Missouri (1988-1995)
 * KCAL-TV - Los Angeles, California (1989-1995) [sold to CBS]

Trivia

 * WKBW-TV was the only ex-Buena Vista owned station to become an ABC O&O under Disney ownership.
 * In the 1986-1993 station logos that used the number 3 a sideways "Hidden Mickey" could be seen in the number 3.
 * From 1986 to 1995 the stations used the phrase "It's 10/11 o'clock, do you know where your children are?" before the start of the late newscast. It was usually said by one of station's the on-air talent.
 * From 1983 to 1995 the stations used the Snowbird for winter weather related (school) closings.