Skydance has rebranded its local television business following the company’s merger of CBS parent company Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), officials confirmed to The Desk this week.
CBS Television Stations comprises the company’s two dozen CBS-owned licensed TV stations across 17 markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Sacramento, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver and Pittsburgh, among other territories.
The business unit previously operated under the “CBS News & Stations” branding and, prior to that, as CBS Local.
In addition to the local TV stations, CBS Television Stations — which will also use the shorthand “CBS Stations” branding in company announcements — will include digital-first platforms like websites, mobile apps and free, ad-supported streaming news channels available on services like Skydance-owned Pluto TV, Paramount Plus, Local Now, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, The Roku Channel and Plex.
The new branding for the local TV business was first used in a press release touting midterm election night coverage at CBS Stations using the company’s portfolio of augmented-virtual reality studios across the country. The first AR/VR studio was installed and activated at KPIX (Channel 5) in San Francisco three years ago, and the final studio rolled out in Minneapolis last month.
“Elections can be complex, and our responsibility as journalists is not only to report the results but also to help viewers understand what those results mean for their neighborhood, county and state,” Jennifer Mitchell, the President of CBS Stations, said on Monday. “Our AR/VR Election Centers combine innovative storytelling with the deep local knowledge of our news teams, helping audiences better understand the races, issues and outcomes that matter most where they live.”
Some CBS Stations have replaced their news sets using AR/VR studios on a full-time basis, KPIX and KOVR (Channel 13) General Manager Scott Warren said during an interview at the TV of Tomorrow Show last year. Others continue to use the sets to supplement their weather forecasting and sports reporting before broadening out their applicability in local newscasts, Warren noted.
