CBS News has redesigned its Studio 1515, the home of “CBS Mornings,” for its comprehensive election night coverage. The studio, which debuted for the 2020 election and became the permanent home of “Mornings” in fall 2021, has been enhanced with advanced augmented and virtual reality capabilities.
This year’s “America Decides” coverage will utilize a robust technical infrastructure powered by Vizrt, featuring 39 engines and servers that drive content and visualizations across various graphic types. The studio features a touch-operated augmented reality table that displays electoral outcome scenarios and a virtual set extension through a green screen window. The virtual ceiling extension replaces the studio’s lighting grid, incorporating data displays within a variety of boxes that complement the wood slat pattern found in other CBS studio spaces.
An interactive U.S. map projected onto the floor via augmented reality technology allows viewers to track House and Senate races in real-time. The various augmented reality graphics can be controlled by on-air talent, facilitating data analysis and highlighting key race trends throughout the night.
CBS News has also refreshed the branding and design for “America Decides,” employing darker tones in the on-air design and incorporating a neon/electric glow for a more modern aesthetic. The network’s Democracy Desk, staffed by Bill Whitaker and election law contributor David Becker, will monitor election integrity, supported by the CBS News Confirmed fact-checking unit and correspondents stationed in Washington.
CBS News has deployed correspondents across seven battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada and North Carolina. Additional reporting teams will cover candidate headquarters, including Tony Dokoupil and Caitlin Huey-Burns in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Nancy Cordes and Ed Gordon in Washington, D.C.
The network’s primetime election coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET, anchored by Norah O’Donnell from the New York City headquarters. She will be joined by Margaret Brennan, John Dickerson, Gayle King, Cecilia Vega, Robert Costa and Ed O’Keefe. CBS News has expanded its technological capabilities beyond the main broadcast center, implementing virtual studios in owned stations across five markets: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.
The updates to Studio 1515 signify a shift from CBS News’ previous reliance on LED display technology, emphasizing virtual environments for data visualization and electoral mapping. These enhancements aim to provide a more interactive and engaging experience for viewers during the 2024 election.