Today, leading towards the monumental and divisive US election period between returning Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, and the Democratic candidate, the current Vice President Kamala Harris, CBS Stations are leveraging virtual production technology to visualise crucial voter information during newscasts.
CBS’s augmented reality and virtual utilisation do not use headsets. Instead, it provides real-time 3D information that reacts live to a camera’s movements and is displayed live on broadcast. During today’s electoral coverage, CBS will deploy the technology across five owned stations in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver.
Jennifer Mitchell, President of Stations and Digital for CBS News and Stations, said that “using this technology for the presidential election coverage also paves a way for us to set a new standard in journalism.”
CBS will leverage XR broadcast services from Zero Density’s Reality solution, which integrates Unreal Engine rendering, Chyron Prime graphics platforms, and Myreze virtual sets to enable the visualisations.
Mitchell also added:
As we embark on this historic election, we are committed to bringing our audience closer to the story than ever before. Using our groundbreaking AR/VR technology, we’re not just reporting on the election—we’re immersing viewers in the experience, giving them unprecedented access to the events, data, and insights that shape our democracy.
The RT3D visualisations will showcase real-time election results from virtual broadcasting environments. For example, the RT3D visualisations will highlight information such as national and local race data, interactive maps, and visualizations of results covering municipal races and presidential election returns.
The current US election period is particularly divided, with polls showing the close race between the two presidential runner-ups with related regional data highlighting important swing states that could determine the election.
Kelly Frank, President and General Manager of CBS Philadelphia, echoed the importance of translating crucial voter information at this time.
Frank explained:
In a battleground state like Pennsylvania, and in an incredibly important region like Philadelphia, we believe presenting the story in this dynamic, interactive format empowers our viewers to engage with and understand the election in ways previously unimaginable.
CBS Deploys XR Broadcasts Nationwide
Today’s deployment of XR-enhanced broadcasts marks the first synchronized deployment of virtual election coverage across multiple CBS-owned stations. However, CBS is already fully engaged with XR-enhanced broadcasts.
CBS Chicago has recently launched an AR/VR-powered virtual production studio during its afternoon weather newscast. Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon is leading this innovation, utilizing the XR studio to deliver weather forecasts with real-time 3D visualizations that present essential information.
Ramon provided weather reports from a spacious 1,100-square-foot virtual production stage that stands 16 feet tall, focusing on everyday weather conditions, storm paths, micro-climates, and other vital details to assist viewers in planning their day.
CBS Chicago was the first station in the Chicago area to implement XR technology for weather forecasting. This initiative is part of a broader effort to adopt AR/VR broadcasts across CBS news studios nationwide, which includes locations such as Philadelphia, Denver, New York, and the Bay Area.
Jennifer Mitchell, the President of CBS Stations, is leading this nationwide AR/VR broadcast initiative. It began at CBS’s San Francisco station, where the production team developed the code and framework supporting the XR virtual production available across the country.