Pro AV Catalog

Sinclair’s Flagship Station, WJLA in Washington, DC, Airs with a New and Modern Look

March 26, 2024 - The recent revamp of Studio A in Sinclair Broadcast Group’s flagship WJLA serving viewers in the Washington, DC metro is the latest in a series of close collaborations between one of the largest television operators in the U.S. and the lighting experts at Brightline. In a relationship that’s spanned several decades, the two companies have renovated hundreds of stations in markets across the country.

Getting TV stations on air is always a race against the clock that requires equal parts technical prowess and grace under pressure. Working repeatedly under such conditions has forged a turn-key approach between Sinclair and Brightline that results in a timely and seamless implementation of project after project. No one knows more about getting stations on air than the head of production at a large broadcast group. Mark Nadeau, Director of TV Production, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and Eric Castagne, Assistant Director of TV Production, have proven to be inspirational colleagues.

“Everything we learn from previous stations carries into the next,” explains Sam Cercone, Managing Partner, Brightline.. “It’s a very fluid way of working, with each station redesign further fine-tuning approach. I’ve learned and enjoyed so much working with my colleagues at Sinclair. The latest evidence is our work at WJLA, of which we’re extremely proud.”

The redesign at WJLA’s news studio was sweeping. Consisting of a full Brightline fixture package, the set is the new home for “7News,” “Good Morning Washington,” and “Fed Government Today.” In addition to the new 100% Brightline lighting system, the LED monitors weave in and around key areas of the set. The news desk has a digital screen displaying the 7News logo, while two pillars on each side of the desk serve as video walls with a curved panel behind the anchors. Along with XYZ axis pedestals and robotic cameras, the technology at WJLA is unparalleled.

Its creation coming directly through the U.S. Constitution, Washington D.C., a district of less than 10 miles square, is the “Seat of the Government of the United States”

and a worldwide center with diverse cultural influences.  Informing the entire community along with the over 20 million annual visitors, domestic and international, is a gargantuan task that WJLA has met with dynamic creativity. The internal team at Sinclair handled everything from concept through installation, including the scenic design, resulting in a control and efficient consistency that contributed to the project’s brilliant success.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1921, Sinclair now owns almost 300 stations, and employs about 8,000 people. Brightline has lit over 100 SBG studios in the last decade, including The Tennis Channel and Bally Sports. With the significant energy savings that Sinclair has realized through its commitment to sustainability, the future indeed looks brighter.