SACRAMENTO, Calif.—CBS Sacramento is debuting a new augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) technology-driven studio today, Monday, May 11, at 12:00 p.m.

The launch is part of an ongoing push to provide viewers with more immersive storytelling and next-generation journalism at the CBS Television Station group, which has been deploying AR/VR technologies developed in-house at various stations around the country.

The Sacramento station becomes the 12th newsroom in the CBS Television Stations group to adopt AR/VR technology across its local newscasts.

“CBS Sacramento has long served our community through trusted journalism and compelling storytelling,” said Scott Warren, president and general manager of CBS Sacramento and CBS Bay Area. “This new AR/VR studio gives viewers greater context and perspective, creating a more immersive way to experience the weather and local news stories that matter to them.”

Beginning with the 12:00 PM newscast on CBS Sacramento (KOVR), AR/VR technology will be integrated into all the station’s newscasts, including news, weather and sports. Select AR/VR elements will also be used during news and weather segments on GOOD DAY on KMAX, while the remainder of the program will continue to originate from a traditional studio.

The technology allows journalists to visually explain complex stories, breaking news and weather systems with greater clarity while maintaining the station’s editorial standards.

As previously reported, the Sacramento launch continues the expansion of the CBS Stations AR/VR newsroom initiative, building on innovations first introduced at CBS Bay Area under Warren’s leadership.

CBS Sacramento serves viewers across the greater Sacramento region through CBS KOVR and KMAX, delivering local news, weather, sports and community coverage across broadcast and digital platforms.

DETROIT—CBS Detroit has announced that it will debut an Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technology-driven studio, on Monday, April 20, during the 5:00 PM newscast, with AR/VR-enhanced weather forecasting.

The CBS O&O is billing the launch as a first for the region. It is part of a larger rollout of AR/VR technologies at the station group, with Detroit becoming the 11th CBS station to launch the studios.

The AR/VR experience will premiere during the weather segment, led by chief meteorologist Ahmad Bajjey, providing viewers with a more dynamic and visual way to understand forecasts and weather conditions.

“Having seen firsthand how AR/VR strengthens local journalism, it’s especially meaningful to bring this technology to Detroit,” said Jennifer A. Lyons, regional president and general manager of CBS Detroit and CBS Chicago. “It powerfully enhances storytelling – making complex information clearer, more engaging and more immersive – while allowing us to elevate how we explain, visualize and connect with the communities we serve.”

As part of a broader commitment by CBS Television Stations to invest in local journalism, CBS Detroit joins a growing group of CBS owned stations nationwide to launch AR/VR technology, which was developed in-house by the stations.

“This is a big moment for Motown,” said Kennan Oliphant, station manager and vice president of news at CBS Detroit. “Detroit has always been a place of innovation and creativity, and this investment aligns with that legacy. Being the only station in the market using AR/VR technology allows us to push forward with journalism that is modern, thoughtful and focused on the community we serve.”

As the technology continues to roll out, CBS Detroit plans to expand AR/VR use into additional newscasts, including morning programming and into immersive storytelling areas such as sports and other news coverage later this summer.

BALTIMORE—CBS Stations has announced that it will launch its 10th cutting-edge Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) technology-driven studio at CBS Baltimore (WJZ-TV), on Monday, Feb. 23 at 12:00 PM, ET.

The station group is billing the deployment of the new studio as a “first of its kind in the region” that will use AR/VR to “transform the way Baltimoreans engage with news.”

“The launch of our AR/VR studio marks the beginning of an exciting new era for CBS Baltimore and how we serve our viewers,” said Tanya Black, vice president and news director of CBS Baltimore. “This technology allows us to meet our audience where they are and bring them closer to the stories that matter most.”

The launch follows the inhouse development of innovative AR/VR technologies for CBS stations in the Bay Area and the subsequent rollout of those solutions to other CBS owned-and-operated stations that has been extensively covered by TV Tech. The AR/VR system is currently available at CBS Stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the Bay Area, Denver, Texas, Miami and Atlanta. More AR/VR studios are expected to launch nationwide throughout 2026.

“By combining trusted local journalism with innovative technology, we’re creating more immersive and engaging ways to help our community understand the stories that impact their daily lives, from severe weather to the sports teams they love,” said Kathy Hostetter, president and general manager of CBS Baltimore. “We’re proud to help move the region forward with storytelling that is as dynamic as Baltimore itself.”

The AR/VR studio allows CBS Baltimore to use AR/VR weather coverage that turns complex forecasts into immersive, hyper-local visuals, allowing viewers to see and understand the real-world impact of conditions like flooding, snowfall differences and shifting microclimates – all led by the station’s veteran weather experts: Steve Sosna, Cutter Martin, Rachael Jay, Marty Bass and Tim Williams.

The AR/VR sports coverage also opens the door to more dynamic sports analysis and visual storytelling, led by CBS Baltimore’s on-air sports team, sports director Alex Glaze and sports reporter Grace Grill, the station reported.

CALIFORNIA—CBS Stations has promoted Scott Warren, president and general manager of CBS Bay Area, to regional president and general manager of Northern California, overseeing CBS Bay Area and CBS Sacramento.

In the expanded role, he will continue reporting to Jennifer Mitchell, president of CBS Stations and CBS News and Stations Digital. Deborah Collura, who has been president and general manager of CBS Sacramento since 2022, is leaving the company.

Warren, who has led CBS Bay Area for nearly four years, has helped drive significant innovation and growth, most notably through the CBS Stations industry-leading AR/VR technology initiative. In his expanded role, Warren will maintain leadership of CBS Bay Area while also guiding strategic and operational efforts at CBS Sacramento. His focus will include expanding technological capabilities and fostering greater collaboration across both stations.

“Since joining CBS Bay Area in 2022, Scott has implemented and led groundbreaking AR/VR technology initiatives across all CBS stations,” said Mitchell. “He is a forward-thinking innovator and a transformational leader. He is well positioned to guide our Northern California stations into the future while building upon the strong legacy that Deborah established.”

“I can’t wait to lean into the talented team at CBS Sacramento and help lead our Northern California stations as we continue to build on our community-focused journalism,” added Warren. “I look forward to seeing what we can all create together across Northern California, while building on the innovative ideas and storytelling strategies we already have in place.”

As a veteran multiplatform media executive with more than 25 years of experience in leading broadcast, streaming and digital news, Warren has overseen newsroom operations across several television news stations and has personally earned several Emmy Awards for his work in driving innovation in the media industry and launching impactful news content. Additionally, under his leadership at CBS Bay Area, the station received multiple accolades, including the Northern California Emmy Award for Station of the Year.

PHILADELPHIA—After more than 20 years at CBS Philadelphia and an award-winning career spanning nearly four decades, Jim Donovan, anchor of CBS News Philadelphia’s morning and noon newscasts, has announced his retirement. His final broadcast will be Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.

“Jim Donovan is a Philadelphia institution,” said Kelly Frank, president and general manager of CBS Philadelphia. “His passion for advocacy, his commitment to our viewers, and his ability to connect with the community have made him a trusted voice in homes across the region. We are grateful for his leadership, his heart, and the legacy he leaves behind.”

A 15-time Emmy Award winner, Donovan joined CBS Philadelphia in 2004 as the station’s “On Your Side” consumer reporter. In 2016, he took the helm of the morning newscast, helping to relaunch and grow one of the region’s most-watched programs. His coverage of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia in 2015 remains one of his most memorable contributions.

Donovan’s career began as an intern at WWOR-TV in New Jersey and took him from CNBC to WGHP in North Carolina, WBNS in Ohio, and finally to CBS Philadelphia, where his consumer reporting helped thousands of viewers resolve issues and recover funds. His work has earned national recognition and deep respect from colleagues and audiences alike.

“I’ve had the privilege of living my dream every single day,” said Donovan. “From the newsroom to the anchor desk, and from the streets of Philadelphia to 55 countries around the world, I’ve been blessed with a career that’s been both meaningful and joyful. I’m grateful to my CBS Philadelphia family and to the viewers who welcomed me into their homes each morning.”

CBS Philadelphia will celebrate Donovan’s career with special on-air tributes during his final week, December 15–19.

Sinclair Broadcast Group today announced network distribution agreements with CBS Television Stations to add Sinclair’s free over-the-air (OTA) national broadcast TV networks Comet, CHARGE!, TBD and The Nest to additional CBS affiliates beginning this week.   

The expanded agreement positions Sinclair’s networks Comet and CHARGE! in CBS’s key channel slots in several of the country’s top-10 markets, adjacent to all five broadcast networks, the station group said.

Sci-fi/fantasy channel Comet is coming to WCBS in New York on Channel 2.5 and on Channel 5.5 on San Francisco’s KPIX. Crime drama diginet Charge! will now be available on KCAL in Los Angeles on Channel 9.3, Chicago’s WBBM on Channel 2.5 and on Channel 3.5 on KYW in Philadelphia KYW. 

Comedy channel TBD will now be on Miami’s WBFS, on Channel 33.6; WPSG in Philadelphia, Channel 57.2; and on Channel 44.2 on KPYX in San Francisco. The Nest Sinclair’s newest network, which offers ‘comfort food’ programming, is now on  Channel 9.2  on KCAL in Los Angeles and on Channel 44.4 on KPYX. 

Sinclair says that Comet, CHARGE!, TBD. and The Nest were the fastest growing multicast networks in the country in 2023.

SACRAMENTO—Veteran local news executive Mary Baynes has been named vice president and news director at CBS News and Stations’ local businesses in Sacramento, including KOVR-TV (CBS 13), KMAX-TV (CW 31), the CBS News Sacramento streaming channel and CBSSacramento.com. 

Baynes is assuming her new role, effective immediately, after serving as the assistant news director at KOVR and KMAX since January 2019. She succeeds Mike Dello Stritto, who in February was named vice president and news director at CBS News and Stations’ Los Angeles properties.

“Mary has done a tremendous job of overseeing our newsroom the past few months and has thoroughly impressed me and her colleagues by providing poised and thoughtful leadership on a daily basis,” said Deborah Collura, vice president and general manager of CBS News and Stations’ Sacramento properties. “I am also in awe over how she has led our coverage of breaking news. We are thrilled to be able to give Mary this well-deserved promotion and look forward to having her continue to provide a steady and experienced hand as the leader of our news team.”

Prior to serving as the assistant news director at KOVR and KMAX, Baynes spent four-plus years as an executive producer at KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV, the CBS-owned stations in her hometown of Los Angeles, Calif. Before that, she spent four years with KOVR and KMAX, first as a line producer and then as an executive producer. Baynes began her career in television news as a line producer at KSBW-TV in Salinas, Calif.

“I love being a member of the CBS Sacramento family,” Baynes said. “I’ve learned so much during my two tours of duty here and am excited to receive this wonderful opportunity to lead our news team. I am grateful for the support provided by Deborah and all of my colleagues. I look forward to doing all I can to help us continue to do a great job of serving our viewers across our broadcast, streaming and digital platforms.”

Baynes earned her bachelor’s degree in radio, television, film and broadcast journalism from California State University, San Jose. She and her husband are the proud parents of two children.

NEW YORK—CBS will combine CBS News and the CBS Television Stations with Neeraj Khemlani, Hearst Newspapers, Cable Networks & Digital Media executive; and Wendy McMahon, former ABC Owned Television Stations Group president, taking the lead. They have been named presidents and co-heads of the newly formed division. They will report to George Cheeks, president and chief executive officer of the CBS Entertainment Group.

“This is an opportunity to create a news and information structure that positions CBS for the future,” said Cheeks in a company statement. “It speaks to our ability to scale newsgathering, production, technical and operational resources to serve both national and local, linear and digital, with the agility to deliver trusted information to every platform. Wendy and Neeraj have the leadership background and cross-platform accomplishments that cover all these important areas, and they share our commitment for supporting superior journalism, optimal delivery platforms and the strongest of organizational cultures.”

McMahon and Khemlani will partner on managing all aspects of the division, marking a homecoming to CBS for both executives—Khemlani as a producer on “60 Minutes” and “60 Minutes II” for eight years while McMahon served seven years at WBZ Boston and WCCO Minneapolis.

The unified division will bring under one management structure the broadcast resources of CBS News, the 24/7 streaming news service CBSN, 10 CBSN Local platforms, cbsnews.com and 28 CBS-owned stations in 17 major U.S. markets. It will maximize the power of CBS’ newsgathering and production operations to serve audiences across all national, digital, local and global platforms.

Susan Zirinsky will continue as president of CBS News until the new leadership has started and will assist with the transition. The company is in discussions with Zirinsky for a significant role at a new CBS News Content Studio to be launched later this year.

Khemlani was most recently executive vice president and deputy group head at Hearst Newspapers, overseeing 3,000 employees who publish print and digital subscription products for 24 dailies and 52 weeklies in cities across the country.

Prior to this position, McMahon was president of the ABC Owned Stations with direct responsibility for the Walt Disney Co.’s eight broadcast stations, local newsrooms and streaming assets, as well as oversight of the 1,500 team members who collectively achieved their 12th consecutive year of local television news leadership in 2020.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—CBS Television Stations is making the Alphonso Local platform the standard for its 17 owned stations throughout the U.S. to provide TV attribution for local advertisers.

Alphonso Local, from the Alphonso TV data company, is a suite of TV ad analytics and attribution services that provide info on the effectiveness of TV campaigns in driving business results like website visits and conversions, foot traffic to physical locations, online and offline transactions and more.

The CBS TV Stations sales teams can now show clients how various programs, shows, dayparts and creatives are performing in achieving the goals of local TV campaigns. Data includes showing how many people viewed an ad in a specific time frame and then subsequently visited the advertiser’s store, or website or mobile app.

Alphonso Local is powered by video AI deployed in a range of smart TVs and connected TV devices, enabling it to provide real-time and OTT viewership data, according to the company. They also report having 15 million opted-in U.S. households providing viewership data.

“Today’s marketing success demands more precise measurement and Alphonso addresses that for our station’s and clients,” said Julio Marenghi, president of sales at CBS Television Stations. “It enables powerful one-to-one targeting of TV audiences across all screens giving brands insights that rating points do not necessarily address in traditional media plans.”

CBS is using Alphonso Local at its TV owned stations in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa.

For more information, visit www.alphonso.tv.  

NEW YORK & PHILADELPHIA—ViacomCBS owned stations and networks won’t be going away for Comcast customers anytime soon, as the two sides have come to terms on a renewed content carriage agreement.

The deal will continue retransmission consent of 23 CBS-owned TV stations in 15 markets across the U.S., including CBS-owned CW affiliates. It will also continue the distribution of entertainment and sports channels like Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers.

Something new to the deal is the addition of the CBS All Access digital subscription on-demand and livestreaming service to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms later in 2020. ViacomCBS says this is the first time the CBS All Access app will be available on an MVPD-based set-top box.

In addition, the agreement covers TV Everywhere availability of programming from CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers on CBS.com, the CBS app and Xfinity Stream. Showtime Anytime will also continue to provide Xfinity Showtime subscribers with unlimited access to its content online and on mobile devices.

The markets impacted by the deal are: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore for CBS-owned stations; and Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore for CW affiliates.

Also, two MyNetwork affiliates will be available in Boston and Miami, and the CBS-owned independent station will be available in New York.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

LOS ANGELES—Residents of Los Angeles will now be able to access its local CBS-owned stations via a live stream on CBSN Los Angeles, courtesy of CBS Television Stations and CBS Interactive. This is the second such streaming service that CBS has launched, previously doing so in with CBSN New York in December 2018.

CBSN Los Angeles will feature 24/7 streams of KCBS and KCAL, including the stations’ regularly scheduled newscasts, coverage of live breaking news, a library of local news content and additional weekday one-hour newscasts produced exclusively for the platform. The news teams will include KCBS and KCAL’s anchors and reporters, as well as a team of journalists working exclusively for CBSN Los Angeles.

The streaming news service will be available for viewers through CBSN, on CBSNews.com and on the CBS News app on mobile and connected TV devices. It can also be viewed through CBSLosAngeles.com and the CBS Local mobile app.

“As we have proven with the success of CBSN New York, the need to deliver, local, relevant and useful information regardless of device or platform continues to grow,” said Adam Wiener, EVP/GM of CBS Local Digital Media.

CBS Television Stations and CBS Interactive are continuing to develop CBSN streaming services for additional markets, with plans to roll out in Boston and San Francisco later in 2019.