Paramount’s local broadcasting unit CBS News and Stations will debut a new augmented-virtual reality news set at its newest CBS station.
The AR/VR set will be unveiled on September 15 at WUPA (Channel 69), which became the Atlanta market’s CBS station after the affiliation moved from WANF (Channel 46) last month.
When it debuts the new set, WUPA will also launch a next-generation newscast that will air weekdays at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time. The newscast will be anchored by Jobina Fortson-Evans, an Atlanta native who most-recently served as the host of “ATL Live” on WANF.
“Our newsroom is built on the belief that local journalism thrives when led by people who know and care about the community,” said Shawn Hoder, the Vice President and News Director of WUPA. “Jobina’s talent, integrity and deep Atlanta roots make her the perfect choice to lead our coverage as we continue to expand our news operation.”
Fortson-Evans said she was honored to help shape the new station’s editorial voice.
“Atlanta is my home, and I’m deeply committed to telling stories that reflect the heart, complexity and resilience of our community,” she said.
Prior to moving back to Atlanta, Fortson-Evans worked as an anchor and reporter at KGO-TV (Channel 7, ABC) in San Francisco and WAVE (Channel 3) in Louisville.
A graduate of Howard University, she was awarded a White House Correspondents’ Association scholarship presented by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
“To be the first anchor in the region to deliver local news through a fully immersive AR/VR experience is both thrilling and humbling,” Fortson-Evans said. “This technology allows us to engage viewers in new ways – making the news more accessible, more visual and more impactful than ever before.”
WUPA becomes the ninth CBS-owned station to launch an AR/VR news set over the past two years, joining sister outlets in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, Miami and Texas. It is just the third CBS-owned station to commit to delivering all of its newscasts using the AR/VR set, which is used to deliver news reports, weather forecasts, traffic updates and sports bulletins.
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Read more:
- CBS to move affiliation from WANF to WUPA in August
- KPIX GM Scott Warren on CBS AR/VR studios, pursuing local sports rights
- CBS station in Los Angeles debuts virtual reality studio
- Miami CBS station to debut virtual reality studio
- Chicago CBS station to debut augmented reality news set
- CBS debuts augmented-virtual reality studio in Texas
