A television station in Miami will become the sixth owned by Paramount Global to debut a mixed augmented reality-virtual reality studio.
The new augmented-virtual reality studio will be activated on Sunday at WFOR-TV (Channel 4), and will be used to supplement the station’s weather coverage, featured news stories and sports segments.
The technology will be introduced by sports anchor Mike Cugno during WFOR’s 7:30 p.m. newscast, and it will be used once again during the 11 p.m. newscast when WFOR Chief Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera utilizes the facility to deliver a weather report. Later in the evening, the WFOR Sports Desk will produce a dedicated segment previewing the NCAA March Madness tournament, which kicks off next week.
“We are committed to pushing the boundaries of storytelling and delivering an unparalleled viewing experience,” Kim Voet, the President and General Manager of WFOR, said in a statement. “By integrating AR/VR technology into our broadcasts, we are redefining how South Floridians engage with news, sports and weather.”
WFOR will continue to utilize the augmented-virtual reality throughout the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament by incorporating the “March Madness” graphics package. A dedicated feature called “Center Court” will offer game statistics and highlights using the power of augmented-virtual reality, and it will include a March Madness bracket that “will grow upwards” from the floor of the studio, “highlighting team advancements, key moments and player profiles in an engaging, visually striking format,” a spokesperson said.
The station is the latest in Paramount’s fleet of local broadcast outlets to debut an augmented-virtual reality set. The technology first debuted at the company’s San Francisco station, KPIX (Channel 5), and has since been adopted by stations in Philadelphia (KYW-TV, Channel 3), Denver (KCNC, Channel 4), Chicago (WBBM-TV, Channel 2) and New York City (WCBS-TV, Channel 2).
“This cutting-edge approach allows us to bring stories to life in a way that is more immersive, dynamic and visually compelling than ever before. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this evolution and can’t wait for our viewers (in Miami) to experience it firsthand,” a CBS News & Stations executive said in a statement on Thursday.
Photos and a video of the new augmented-virtual reality TV studio are below:
