‘CBS Mornings’ moves back home with updated set, graphics

Welcome back home, “CBS Mornings.” 

CBS News‘ morning show, which has been broadcasting from Times Square since 2021, returned to the historic CBS Broadcast Center in New York City Sept. 29, 2025.

The move comes after CBS announced it would shutter the studio inside 1515 Broadway, which had, until the August 2025 merger with Skydance Media, been the headquarters to Paramount Global. The move to shut down Studio 1515 was largely seen as a cost-saving measure.

So, when the familiar trumpets sounded the morning of Sept. 29 across America, viewers were greeted with some significant changes, including updates to the set in Studio 57 along with some shiny new graphics.

Set updates

The updated set follows much of the same layout as the space did when it was updated in February 2022 as the new home for CBS News 24/7 productions. Much of the same scenery has remained in the space, including scenic and video walls, along with movable monitors. 

The space did get a new floor, an update that also removed the square-shaped darker segment situated inside of the four structural columns that define the center of the studio in favor of an all wood-toned floor with inlay of the CBS eye smack in the center, mirroring the structural ceiling-mounted element above it.

The slatted walls that wrap much of the studio, featuring pieces of the oversized CBS eye, have been retained. That slatted motif has become somewhat of a mainstay of CBS News and its owned stations, even extending to the virtual sets these productions use. 

The wide video wall installed in 2022, along with the dual smaller ones placed on either side, remain and still sport their slatted headers and footers along with wood-toned columns with edge-lit vertical glass accents.

Perhaps the biggest change to the studio is that home base, which features the show’s trademark circular anchor desk, has been moved back closer to that primary wide video wall. 

After the 2022 renovations, most production took place inside the square space framed out by those four structural columns, which have played a prominent part of the space since 2015 when they proved too costly to remove and still support the ceiling above. That space is farther forward than where home base is relegated to now, however.

By moving the anchor desk outside of this space, the desk now feels more like it has its own alcove in the studio, which is a change from its primary more centralized location in the Times Square setup.

Opposite this space, a trio of video walls create a multipurpose venue for the show. 

Producers have the option of bringing in a smaller circular desk with an LED video ribbon ring just under the glass surface for select segments, such as “What to Watch,” where the three primary co-hosts sit camera right with segment anchor Vladimir Duthiers on the opposite side.

The space can also be used in a variety of configurations thanks to a collection of furniture that can be brought in to create sit-down interview options. It’s likely that this space can also be used for demonstrations and musical performances.

This part of the studio also sits outside of the square space in the center of the set, which continues to feature LED columns wrapped around the structural supports, though these have been updated to feature a wood-toned frame with rounded corners on on the outer sides of each face and a metallic strip running down the point that faces the center area.

Virtual set extensions

Back in Times Square, “CBS Mornings” had access to three distinct zones plus a green room that was designed to appear on-camera. 

In Studio 57, there are essentially only two full-sized venues thanks to the narrow layout of the studio’s borders, but CBS was able to leverage a combination of topical graphics and virtual set extensions on the video walls, including behind home base, to both create the illusion that the space is larger while also being able to digital decorate with the tap of a button.

The show still opens with the anchors sitting in front of a simulated New York City skyline that appears as though it’s behind windows, though this is actually an image designed to create the appearance it’s more studio.

Instead of spanning the full width of the video wall, however, the VSE depicts a smaller profile window that’s also been divided into geometric square and rectangular segments, some of which include simulated colored glass.

By narrowing the main focal point of this VSE, the show is able to add more visual interest to the background while also drawing the eye into the center of the screen and its three anchors. 

The pattern of the “panes” is the simulated window is non-symmetrical, which is another change from the previous look.

Above this is what appears to be a large mural created from some of the various shapes found within the CBS eye.

The non-symmetrical approach continues on either side of the faux window. Camera left, which is typically behind Tony Dokupil, depicts a short of sun-drenched alcove with a collection of rectangular accents on the digital walls.

On Nate Burleson’s side is a reproduction of one of the studio’s slatted walls that also sits in a sunny space with simulated windows above.

Taking cues from the circular shape of the eye icon, this side also partially features what appears to be a circular piece of art divided into colorful squared-off segments.

In addition to this, additional VSEs feature a similar sun-bathed space with an eclectic mix of virtual structural elements and artwork. 

Interview segments, for example can include some white exposed brick, wooden shelves and two 3×3 panels inspired by portions of the CBS eye’s shape as well as additional open spaces or virtual walls outfitted with oversized CBS eyes.

During book-focused interviews, “CBS Mornings” was able to prominently display the book cover in question just to one side of the ironically largely empty bookshelves as if it is an oversized poster on the wall.

Other options are also available, but most of the VSEs have a sort of gold wash over them.

The studio has long been equipped with color-changing LED accents in the columns, headers, footers and slatted walls, and “CBS Mornings” makes extensive use of this to create different moods for different segments. The lighting has been wired so that different sections can have different colors.

By default, the broadcast seems to have settled on orange and teal, which were prominent colors used on-set over in Times Square.

CBS News, like other broadcasters, have expanded their use of VSEs on broadcasts, including on “CBS Evening News,” which is produced from a large LED volume in nearby Studio 47.

Non-VSE video wall graphics

For video wall graphics that fall outside the VSE category, “CBS Mornings” is using a mix of the new, more 3D look along with both flatter designs and simple full-wall imagery.

During “What to Watch,” for example, the three-segment wall behind the secondary desk features the shapes created by giant renditions of the segment’s name along with portions of the CBS eye. 

While it’s difficult to pick out even portions of the segment title, the design does create an eye-catching look that can also easily be read as a more geometric, abstract collection of shapes, similar in concept to some of the virtual art pieces that decorate other VSEs.

For an interview with singer Gloria Estefan, the broadcast simply filled the three video walls with a tropical background that was, with the exception of the two hard columns, wasn’t interrupted by other effects, text or imagery on top. The result was a clean, elegant look for the segment that was able to match the mood of the subject while also still making the shots feel like they were originating from a studio.

The broadcast also continues to showcase graphics and footage on its video walls done in the “video on video” floating camera style, though, at least on Day 1, it didn’t feel quite as extensively used as over in Times Square.

Graphics updates

In addition to the set updates, the network also introduced select updates to the show’s graphics, though the insert banners introduced in 2024 remain.

View on Giphy

What has changed is the show’s open and several key animated wipes and transitions.

These updates depart from the largely flatter look “CBS Mornings” had been using for these features in favor of a glassy effect applied to the sun rays of the show’s sun logo. Each ray, meanwhile, can be used to showcase any number of quintessential morning and landscape scenes designed to reflect a variety of locales. 

This imagery does fade away near the very end of the open, when the show name in CBS’s signature TT Norms appears in white, with slight bevel and shadow effects added.

While the sun’s rays continue to make heavy appearances in the open, it is significantly more abstract than before. The “face” of the sun is never prominently shown and the open’s viewport is largely focused on the lower left quadrant of the icon that emphasizes the 3D rays’ slatted look.

The repeating glassy shape motif is also used by both “NBC Nightly News” (which uses a string of “N”s) and ABC News Live, which has an entire design system based around the concept of glassy tab dividers and old-fashioned slide show carousels.

“CBS Mornings” also updated the sting for its “Eye Opener” segments. These designs largely reflect the graphics used by both the network and its owned stations and take advantage of removing the circle in the middle of the icon and using that clear space for text and graphics, which are then framed out by the curves of the outer portion of the logo.

However, the 3D and glassy effects have definitely been pumped up here. The graphics take the show’s orange-yellow palette to a vibrant extreme, which also includes additional reflective and inner glow effects, including a series of outlines that suggest there could be additional layers to the look.

Contrasting with the “Eye Opener” look, the “What to Watch” segment sting has a more muted feel, with deeper changes of orange used and more dramatic shadow effects along with some lens flare accents.

Other updates include changes to the on-screen headlines used during “Eye Opener” segments. 

None of this is to say “Mornings” never used 3D — there have been video wall graphics, for example, that appeared behind anchors just before “Eye Opener” that felt a bit more 3D than other elements.

View on Giphy

The sun icon has been removed from the 7 a.m. eastern version in favor of a simple bold white header in roughly the right three-fourths of the screen with a larger, outline-only version of the same headline behind it. Even larger versions of the outline version is also used as a transitional element between stories.

The 8 a.m. “Eye Opener” as well as the one used for “CBS Mornings Plus” uses the same look, whereas before the move it had different, right-aligned graphics. 

For the top of the second hour, which typically features each anchor teasing a story before joining together in the center of the studio, similar banners are used with an orange gradient added to help boost visibility, which largely replaces the text shown on the video wall imagery behind the anchors the show used during the Times Square era.

A similar layout, just with a centered “Ahead” capsule, is used to tease upcoming blocks.

‘CBS Mornings Plus’

The additional hour of “CBS Mornings,” “CBS Mornings Plus” continues to share the space with its big sister show.

It also shares the same anchor desk, just with the stools adjusted to accomodate only two anchors.

For “Plus,” the VSE behind anchors Dokupil and Adriana Diaz switches to a colorful array of glass panels without a skyline. Instead, hints of additional virtual spaces behind are hinted out in the look.

There is also a landscape-orientation panel camera center between the two anchors that provides a place to park a subtle version of the show logo.

“Plus” also shoots its anchor two-shot from a slightly lower vantage point, making less of the glassy desk top visible.