WRTV to Launch Virtual Studio with ENCO Qimera Platform This Fall

WRTV's investment in augmented and virtual reality studio technology signals a continued push by local broadcasters to modernize content delivery and viewer experience. This move enhances local news production value and could set a new benchmark for regional affiliates. Streaming services and digital platforms will increasingly compete with local broadcasters on visual fidelity and immersive presentation for breaking news and community coverage. Watch for adoption rates of similar virtual studio technologies among other regional broadcasting groups in the next 12-18 months, particularly those recently acquired or undergoing ownership changes.

The virtual studio launch at WRTV marks the first major technical pivot under DuJuan McCoy’s Circle City Broadcasting since the station’s $83 million divestiture by E.W. Scripps Co. in March 2026. Per NewscastStudio, Scripps sold WRTV alongside WFTX to generate $123 million in cash aimed at reducing debt and funding the purchase of 23 ION-affiliated stations. Following the close of the deal, WRTV began a significant operational consolidation, including moving operations to the WISH-TV facility and executing widespread layoffs that meteorologist Kyle Mounce described on social media as 'the staff being shown the door.'

The technology choice, ENCO’s Qimera platform, represents a move toward high-performance yet cost-efficient rendering. At NAB Show 2026 in April, ENCO introduced updates for Qimera including NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and Unreal Engine 5.6 integration, which the company claims provides a 15% boost in graphics performance. This focus on efficiency aligns with broader 2026 industry trends reported by TVBEurope, where broadcasters are increasingly using virtual sets to 'do more with less' in response to shifting ad capital and smaller technical teams.

Regulatory context was also critical to this deployment. Per the Indianapolis Business Journal, the FCC granted a waiver in February 2026 to allow McCoy to own three full-power stations in the market—WRTV, WISH, and WNDY—ruling that the combined entity would bolster competition against larger owners like Nexstar. This consolidation allows Circle City to use the new virtual production stack to serve a portfolio that now includes ABC, CW, and MyNetworkTV affiliations from a single technical core.