In the roughly three months that DuJuan McCoy’s Circle City Broadcasting has owned the ABC affiliate serving Indianapolis, the company has made a full-court press to the local press about its commitments to local news, and how it is adding to the marketplace while serving as a blueprint for further industry consolidation.
Now, CCB is readying the debut of a new modern news studio for its newest property.
This fall, WRTV-6 in Indianapolis will debut a new state-of-the-art Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) news studio.
“The new studio represents a significant investment in local journalism and will provide WRTV viewers with an enhanced and more immersive viewing experience,” said McCoy. “Augmented and Virtual Reality will transform how we present breaking news, severe weather, sports, and community coverage across television, streaming, and digital platforms. This will be unlike anything the Indianapolis market has ever seen from a local television station.”
The project brings together industry-leading partners, including set expert FX Design Group and ENCO, whose Qimera virtual production platform will power the advanced technology behind the “immersive storytelling experience.”
ENCO Director of Channel Sales Russell Whittaker commented, “We’re excited to partner with Circle City Broadcasting to introduce AR/VR technology to this important television market. We are honored that our platform was selected and look forward to enhancing the news viewing experience for audiences in Indianapolis through WRTV.”
In the coming months, WRTV viewers will get an inside look at the transformation through construction updates, design renderings, and behind-the-scenes previews across on-air broadcasts, digital platforms, and social media channels.
The AR/VR initiatives follow those seen across CBS Owned Stations, which have been involved in a market-by-market rollout that continues.
