OKC station debuts new set that moves anchors to center of the action

By Michael P. Hill • October 4, 2024

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KWTV, the CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City, has debuted a complete on-air makeover, including a new set and graphics.

Station’s mission of keeping an eye on the horizon inspires new graphics

The redesigned studio, from Devlin Design Group, is dominated by upgraded seamless LED video walls, including the “arc” directly behind the anchor desk position.

This curved wall was created using 288 tiles and has been designed to be the primary anchor background as well playing a role in interview, lifestyle and demonstration shots.

Camera right of this is an additional, smaller segment that the station has taken to calling the “BAM” (notably, during a video tour of the new studio, anchor Amanda Taylor opted not to let viewers know those letters typically stand for “big ass monitor”).

At KWTV, the BAM was strategically positioned between the main anchor desk and Bob Mills Weather Center — named after a sponsoring furniture store — allowing it to serve multiple purposes, including appearing on weather, sports and standups.

Behind the BAM is a bold diagonal slash that cuts through a gray wall segment on the left and a wood one on the right. The slash also appears behind a second, smaller curved LED video wall installed camera left of its big brother.

The curved LED arrays are supported in the center by structural scenery but appear to “float” above the floor on either side. This creates two alcoves backed with additional video walls using monitors with low-profile bezels.

An additional venue next door, known internally as the “twin,” features movable monitors. It’s backed by a trio of lightboxes that, when viewed together, showcase a giant monochromatic number nine backed with color-changing LED.

With Oklahoma located in Tornado Alley, KWTV devotes significant resources to weather, and the redesigned weather center has two in-studio workstations for live, team-based weather coverage.

By default, the two workstations are positioned in an S-shaped arrangement, with the smaller one having the ability to communicate directly with the station’s remote weather vehicle and helicopter. The main shot in this area showcases the outline of the state of Oklahoma above the forecasters’ heads along with an LED video ribbon. The blue panel in the middle also features a sponsor banner and is flanked by two stacks of monitors.

A textured shoot-off wall is placed between the weather center and green screen area.

For alternate setups, the set also includes a curved sofa on a riser, a smaller standup interview desk and a demo table with a cooktop, all mounted on wheels.

One key feature of the new set is that the anchor desk is now more centrally located, which Taylor noted makes it easier to communicate with the various members of the news, sports and weather team as they collaborate to create newscasts.