CTV News Montreal has unveiled a new virtual reality set for its local newscasts – a first for the network – as the newsroom rebuilds following devastating flooding last summer.
Located in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough, a major water main break on René-Lévesque Boulevard and de Lorimier Avenue on Aug. 16, 2024 sent a deluge of water into homes and business in the area, including Bell Media’s offices where CTV, RDS, Noovo, Rouge FM (CITE-FM), Energie (CKMF-FM), CJAD, CHOM, Virgin Radio (CJFM-FM) and TSN Radio (CKGM-FM) were impacted as control panels and other equipment were destroyed.
A little more than a year later, CTV is introducing its new virtual studio environment, following the debut of a similar set that went into use last year by Bell Media French-language news channel, Noovo Info.
The virtual studio environment includes multiple modular screens to accommodate high-quality news graphics, video footage, and live interviews.
“This innovative new virtual reality studio not only delivers a visually striking news environment for our viewers, it also allows us to tell stories in dynamic new ways,” said Jean-Philippe Pineault, General Manager, Quebec News, Bell Media. “Building on the success following Noovo Info’s transition to a virtual set, and thanks to the technological advances offered by this state-of-the-art studio, we will continue to evolve our newscasts for years to come.”
The new set will be used during CTV News at 5 with anchor Maya Johnson; CTV News at 6 with anchor Mutsumi Takahashi; and CTV News at 11:30 with anchor Caroline Van Vlaardingen, as well as the 6 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. weekend newscasts.
