Renovations underway on KDKA-TV studio, new augmented/virtual reality technology being implemented

Renovations are underway at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh as new augmented/virtual reality technology is being implemented within the station's news studio. 

Inside KDKA-TV's existing news studio at Gateway Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, crews have begun renovations with plans to install massive walls and a fully green environment that will allow anchors, meteorologists, and reporters to interact with immersive virtual reality technology and graphics in real time. 

While the renovations are underway, the station's newscasts have moved to other temporary locations throughout the building. 

The new AR/VR studio is expected to launch later this year, introducing an exciting way to deliver weather and news, immersing audiences in the story instead of just viewing it.  

"This is more than getting just a new news set," said KDKA-TV Creative Services Director Tom Schneider. "This a completely different experience."

With the AR/VR technology, viewers will be able to more readily understand what is going on and be able to visually see how it impacts them with context and perspective making for a more immersive viewer experience. 

"It's going to make storytelling much more interesting, much more immersive, and much more impactful for the audience and they're going to want to watch this," Schneider added.

KDKA-TV will be the latest CBS station to debut an immersive AR/VR studio following launches of similar technology in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Sacramento, the Bay Area, Denver, Texas, Miami, Detroit, Baltimore, and Atlanta.