The regional news channel is celebrating its silver year this 2024.
On Monday, April 15, pan-Asian news channel CNA rolled-out its revamped graphics and music across its live newscasts, the news network’s first since the minor overhaul in November 2020.
The changes began with its morning show ‘Asia First,’ which has departed from the softer theme music that has been use since its 2019 launch in favor of a much more serious and upbeat score.
Alongside that, a new set of opening billboards (OBBs) and title cards are also making their on-air debut today, with the first word(s) now capitalized, while the succeeding ones remain in lowercase.
For example, ‘Asia First’ is now seen on-air as ‘ASIA First.’
The lower-thirds have also been changed from grey and black to white.
Also back from the dead is the dynamic network bug, which enlarges to the primary CNA logo during live and recorded shows, but continues to appear as the secondary logo during commercial breaks.
Apart from the revamped presentation, a new studio set-up has also been installed, with a curvy news desk bearing CNA’s iconic triangular logo and an AR (augmented reality) screen in front of the green screen backdrop being the latest additions.
The bigger news of all is the news channel’s new flagship newscast at 6:00 pm (Singapore/Manila time).
‘East Asia Tonight,’ a 60-minute bulletin looking at the headlines shaping the region, which includes three of the world’s largest economies: China, Japan, and South Korea, and how it impacts the rest of Asia.
Anchored by Otelli Edwards, the program will make its return on Monday after a 13-year hiatus.
The program was one of then-Channel NewsAsia’s major shows on primetime, together with companion program ‘Southeast Asia Tonight’ that focuses on stories in the ASEAN region.
However, the newscast was axed in 2011 when it merged with its sister show to form ‘Primetime Asia,’ which is now known as ‘Asia Tonight’ that continues to air daily at 8:00 pm.
Aside from the mentioned programs, rolling newscast ‘Asia Now,’ top-of-the-hour bulletin ‘Headlines,’ and primetime shows ‘Singapore Tonight,’ and ‘World Tonight’ are all expected to sport their revised on-air presentations on the same day.
These latest modifications are part of CNA’s 25th anniversary celebrations, which kicked off last March.
Owned by Singaporean company Mediacorp, the channel was launched as the island city state’s first 24/7 news outlet Channel NewsAsia back in 1999, before it was eventually expanded to reach overseas audiences a year later.
As of 2024, it is reaching more than 29 countries and territories with desks in various cities across the Asian continent like Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul, among others.
In the Philippines, CNA is accessible through its YouTube live stream and several pay television providers.