KCAL, the independent arm of the CBS-owned duopoly in Los Angeles, made television history. On August 11, 2025, they presented their 10 a.m. newscast entirely from their extended reality studio. This marked a significant milestone, as morning anchor Chris Holmstrom proudly announced on social media that it was the first newscast in the market produced using a virtual set.
The station leveraged an existing studio, which debuted in June 2025. “It’s bold. It’s fresh. It’s never been done here before,” Holmstrom stated. CBS-owned stations nationwide have been installing large virtual studio facilities, typically including a chroma key volume with specialized cameras 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 utilized. Before the 10 a.m. newscast transition, the studio primarily handled weather and sports segments, mirroring many sister stations.
CBS News 24/7 uses a virtual studio, sharing a similar setup with New York’s WCBS, for its “CBS News 24/7 Primetime” newscast. The studio also features on “CBS Evening News,” originating from an LED volume in Studio 47 at the network’s New York headquarters, incorporating virtual set extensions.
CBS News has a long history with chroma key technology, notably in “60 Minutes,” and “CBS News Sunday Morning” uses a key wall for anchor intros. KTVT in Dallas–Ft. Worth, Texas, also utilizes a green screen space for most news content, while retaining a smaller physical set.
While it remains uncertain whether KCAL News will expand virtual studio use to other newscasts or adopt it as a primary format, CBS News and Stations are rapidly expanding their network of AR and VR studios across the country.