CBS Atlanta, operating from the WUPA station in Atlanta, Georgia, will debut two new newscasts from a state-of-the-art extended reality set on September 15, 2025. WUPA, previously an independent station, assumed the CBS affiliation on August 16, 2025, following Gray Media’s WANF’s departure from the CBS network. The station recently completed construction on a green screen studio, enabling the production of local news and weather from a virtual and augmented reality environment. This setup mirrors similar installations at numerous other CBS stations across the country.
Many of these stations utilize the virtual set primarily for weather reports, while some employ it as their main set for news and sports broadcasts. Jobina Fortson-Evans has been hired as the solo anchor for the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. “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, vice president and news director of CBS Atlanta. “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 previously hosted “ATL Live” on WANF.
WUPA has been incorporating local weather updates into “CBS Mornings” since August 18, 2025. To accommodate the new virtual set, CBS expanded a studio at the WUPA building, installing specialized camera tracking technology and software. CBS Atlanta highlights that its fully virtual set is a first for a local station in the Atlanta market. CBS News and Stations have invested significantly in virtual and augmented reality sets in recent years, with similar green screen studios and extended reality technology deployed across its owned stations. These typically feature a round space design with virtual skylines, wood-toned slats, and oversized CBS logos. While many maintain a physical set, KTVT in Dallas–Ft. Worth primarily uses its virtual setup since 2025. The sets also incorporate augmented reality elements that anchors and forecasters can interact with. CBS has also experimented with alternative virtual set designs, such as an arena-like setting for sports coverage.