This fall, CBS This Morning will leave Studio 47 at CBS News headquarters on West 57th Street for a “more adaptive and modern” studio at ViacomCBS headquarters in Times Square.
“We are thrilled to have the versatility of a more technically advanced studio that has more space, more cameras and more looks,” CBS This Morning ep Shawna Thomas said in a statement. “We want the show to look, sound and feel different than the competition and this starts to get us there. While bolstering our production capabilities is serious business, be on the lookout for elements of whimsy as well.”
CTM’s new Times Square studio at 1515 Broadway once housed the long-running MTV series Total Request Live (TRL), and will feature all the bells and whistles. Interestingly, the new set can be seen from the windows of Good Morning America’s studio, which is located on the east side of Times Square.
“CBS This Morning changed the broadcast morning news landscape when it launched, and we are continuing to reimagine the program and the way we produce content for today’s multiplatform audiences,” CBS News and Stations president and co-head Neeraj Khemlani said in a statement. “The new studio in the heart of Times Square will bring us a wealth of new opportunities for high-quality production, changing our look without changing our commitment to impactful news in the morning.”
CBS News and Stations president and co-head Wendy McMahon added: “With a more adaptive and modern space, CBS This Morning will have the ability to showcase our world-class reporting and original storytelling in increasingly imaginative and inventive ways. The studio was designed with a strong vision for the show that Shawna and our team want to produce—an environment where journalists, newsmakers and one-of-a-kind personalities come together to start their day with CBS News.”
CBS News used the studio for 2020 presidential election night coverage, and those involved in the production seemed to be impressed with the space.
“The Election Night set gives us a lot of space to work with and follow all Covid-19 protocols,” CBS News election night coverage ep David Bohrman told us at the time. “It’s all the bells and whistles, including dozens of video walls, virtual mapping and augmented reality effects.”
CBS News will continue working to expand the facility, creating new interview areas, video screen experiences and an all-new graphics look for the morning show.
Here’s the executive memo to staff, obtained by TVNewser:
Good afternoon,
We are thrilled to announce today that CBS THIS MORNING will be moving to a new home in Times Square in the ViacomCBS headquarters this fall.
You saw a preview of the studio on Election Night. Now we’re taking it a step further.
Moving into this state-of-the-art studio gives CBS THIS MORNING the space and technology to create a more engaging experience for audiences across every platform.
Many people throughout the company worked hard to make this studio a reality before we arrived, and we are grateful to Bob Bakish and George Cheeks for their support. We want to thank our Vice President of News Operations Rick Jefferson, Creative Director Renee Cullen, Executive Producer Shawna Thomas and the entire team working to see this project through.
And a special thanks to our friends at ViacomCBS who are so graciously welcoming us to the building.
This studio affords us more versatility in how we produce and deliver the broadcast. But just as important it serves as an excellent representation of how collaboration makes us all stronger.
We hope you are just as excited as we are about what’s to come this fall. Please see the press release below.
Wendy and Neeraj