In a local first, CBS Atlanta has a new virtual and augmented reality newsroom

CBS News Atlanta (WUPA-TV) is launching its first newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Monday with a fully augmented and virtual reality newsroom, the first among local TV stations in town.

Atlanta native Jobina Fortson-Evans will be CBS Atlanta’s anchor for both newscasts. She was previously a host on “ATL Live,” a features program on Atlanta News First (WANF-TV), which dropped its CBS affiliation last month after 31 years to go independent.

“It’s an incredible honor to help shape CBS Atlanta’s voice and lead this groundbreaking newsroom,” said Fortson-Evans in a news release. “Atlanta is my home, and I’m deeply committed to telling stories that reflect the heart, complexity and resilience of our community.”

CBS Atlanta ― which now airs CBS programming such as “60 Minutes,” “The Price is Right,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Survivor” ― is building a news operation from scratch and will be adding other newscasts this fall.

The first previously announced meteorologist is Georgia native Troy Bridges, who has moved from CBS Detroit after serving on weather teams in Augusta, Macon, Florida and Oklahoma.

“This technology allows us to engage viewers in new ways,” Fortson-Evans said, “making the news more accessible, more visual and more impactful than ever before.”

CBS has already introduced this technology in several other stations it owns in markets such asNew York, Denver, San Francisco and Miami. CBS Atlanta will be its ninth market using immersive technology.

The station faces difficult headwinds in its hunt for new viewers. Fewer people are watching broadcast TV and Atlanta already has four established news operations: market leader ABC affiliate WSB-TV; solid runner-up Fox 5 (WAGA-TV); NBC affiliate 11Alive (WXIA-TV); and Atlanta News First, which is now independent and airs more than 90 hours a week of local news.