9 months after he took the reins at CBS’ KCBS/KCAL duopoly in Los Angeles, Tim Wieland is raring to double down on native. Assembly with reporters on Monday, Wieland mentioned he’s pondering extra sorts of in-house native productions past information (which already takes up almost 100 hours of weekly programming between the 2 stations).

“I’m clearly very bullish on native, in the way forward for native, even amid the entire doom and gloom tales which can be on the market,” Wieland advised reporters throughout a press occasion at KCBS/KCAL’s studios on the Radford Studio Middle lot. “We’ll begin doing extra native programming, not much less. So which means the normal newscast that you just see, but additionally we could sooner or later be doing extra group oriented discuss reveals, different kind of quasi entertainment-type programming, industrial programming. I believe we’ll be doing a larger variety of programming to serve the group.”

Wieland now serves as regional president and normal supervisor for each CBS Los Angeles and CBS Colorado (KCNC), however relocated from Denver (the place he had been with the station since 2001) to Southern California as a part of his new, expanded area.

Meaning he was a comparatively new transplant when the fires that destroyed a lot of Pacific Palisades and Altadena grew to become one of many largest native tales in current reminiscence. “In my profession, I’ve by no means seen viewership like that on a narrative, not simply in linear TV, however on each platform we have now,” he mentioned.

And that has continued with the continuing immigration raids in Southern California, he added: “Viewership total for our information is greater than regular viewership, and for readership on our web site, greater than regular,” he mentioned. “Social, streaming, it’s up as a result of there’s one thing occurring in our group proper now that individuals need details about.”

Popping out of the L.A. fires, Wieland touted KCBS/KCAL’s “Rebuilding SoCal” initiative: “We went on air and boldly mentioned that we’re going to have a staff of reporters devoted to this matter for the following yr and past,” he mentioned. “And we put totally different beats collectively below ‘Rebuilding SoCal,’ and also you see it in our newscast, and we’re not letting up. Let’s face it, native information hasn’t at all times been nice at that. We’ve got a popularity that’s nicely earned of protecting a breaking information story or massive story within the second after which transferring on… We’re not going to try this. ‘Rebuilding SoCal’ was an initiative pushed by the journalists in our newsroom to guarantee that we didn’t flip our backs on the group.”

On the occasion, KCBS/KCAL additionally spotlighted project desk producers Mike Rogers and Mark Liu, who frequently seem on newscasts (by way of “The Desk”) to offer context on breaking information tales. And the duopoly unveiled its new AR/VR technology-driven studio, the place it has began showcasing climate forecasts. (Wieland additionally revealed that KCBS/KCAL’s sports activities studies may also quickly transfer to the brand new house.)

KCBS/KCAL launched the AR/VR studio on June 11, and notes that it’s the one one among its form in Southern California. CBS Stations have been rolling the know-how out throughout all of its owned stations, beginning with KPIX San Francisco — the place that station’s total information forged now originates from the inexperienced display.

“Let’s face it, native information has a monitor document of over the a long time, of unveiling some pool of know-how that doesn’t essentially have super worth to the viewers,” Wieland mentioned. “And I believe what it jogs my memory is that as we take into consideration know-how and the way it can advance our work, we’ve obtained to at all times maintain the viewers in thoughts. And one of many issues that I personally love concerning the AR/VR studio is that each time I watch a forecast from contained in the AR/VR studio, I study one thing. I study one thing about how distinctive topography right here influences the climate, I realized you recognize a bit of bit extra concerning the marine layer and why it varieties and the way it burns off. And our meteorologists actually work arduous to elucidate all that.”

In the meantime, CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell (who was promoted to the place in August) additionally mentioned the AR/VR initiative (which is able to ultimately hit all 15 CBS stations — together with its newly introduced Atlanta outlet) and concentrate on 24/7 information streaming channels.

“It’s not only for the sake of being digital,” she mentioned. “It’s not simply additionally about climate, though climate storytelling can dramatically shift and alter simply by way of the presentation and the way we inform these tales. However then, when you concentrate on immersive storytelling, how will you improve a narrative in digital environments? There’s a variety of sports activities purposes. There’s visitors purposes we will do… We’re simply getting began right here.”

Mitchell additionally mentioned the “CBS Information California Investigates” initiative, which works with the community’s stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. And in discussing KCBS/KCAL’s local people involvement, she shared that it was private — having misplaced her own residence within the Palisades fireplace.

“I believe this group and this station, we do a very good job of not simply parachuting in to cowl a narrative as a result of it’s breaking or as a result of it’s against the law story that is likely to be salacious,” she mentioned. “We maintain going again to communities, and in a few of our markets, even we embed journalists in very particular areas and cities the place we all know we will’t simply parachute it out… This has been a very, actually difficult yr. Rather a lot occurring on this state particularly, however I believe the significance of it grew to become much more clear to me initially of this yr, when the wildfire began…

“The hours and hours of steady protection, the tireless work of our reporters out within the discipline so near the fires that have been burning in each the Palisades and Altadena, I’m so pleased with the work that they did, nevertheless it additionally actually shined a lightweight on why we do what we do,” she added.

Right here’s a have a look at KCBS/KCAL’s new AR/VR studio: