KCAL, the independent arm of the CBS-owned duopoly in Los Angeles, aired its 10 a.m. newscast on August 11, 2025, entirely from its extended reality studio. Morning anchor Chris Holmstrom announced this groundbreaking event on social media, highlighting it as the first newscast in the market produced using a virtual set.
The station is leveraging an existing studio debuted in June 2025. “It’s bold. It’s fresh. It’s never been done here before,” Holmstrom stated. CBS-owned stations nationwide are installing large virtual studio facilities, typically including a chroma key volume and specialized camera and tracking systems.
In Los Angeles, the same news department produces news for both KCBS and KCAL, branding on-air as “KCAL News” since early 2023. The CBS News Los Angeles name is also used. Before the 10 a.m. newscast transition, the studio primarily handled weather and sports segments, a common practice among sister stations.
CBS News 24/7 utilizes a virtual studio, shared with New York’s WCBS, for its “CBS News 24/7 Primetime” whip-around newscast and makes appearances on “CBS Evening News.” “Evening News” originates from an LED volume in Studio 47 at the network’s New York headquarters, employing virtual set extensions.
CBS News has a long history with chroma key technology, notably with “60 Minutes,” although on a smaller scale. “CBS News Sunday Morning” also uses a key wall for anchor intros, combining 3D renderings and real set photographs. KTVT in Dallas–Ft. Worth, Texas, largely produces its news from a green screen space but retains a smaller physical set.
It remains uncertain whether KCAL News will expand virtual studio use to other newscasts or adopt it as its primary format. CBS News and Stations are rapidly building a network of AR and VR studios across the country, surpassing other station groups in scale.