YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- WKBN-TV today launches what it calls “a revolutionary high-tech way of presenting local news to viewers in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys.” The new set for its news broadcasts will first be seen tonight on WKBN 27 First News at 5PM.

“I am so happy that our company has decided to roll out this concept and new technology in Youngstown. It’s a huge commitment,” said WKBN’s president and general manager, David Coy, in a prepared statement. “WKBN has always been a leader in new technology, going back to the early 1950’s, as Youngstown’s first TV station, and that tradition continues today.”

The redesign for WKBN-TV has been nearly a year in the making, beginning with an analysis the TV station’s brand and the Youngstown market, Coy said. The process continued with a team of designers from across the country who worked on everything from set design and lighting, to a new logo and animated graphics.

“Our end goal was to create a look that was simple with easy to read information and one that would fit the Youngstown market,” said Kathy Mosher-Boule, manager for on-air image and design for WKBN’s parent company, Media General. “The viewer is going to see something that’s new and fresh that no one else in the country is seeing.”

The set utilizes “virtual and augmented reality elements,” according to the announcement. Computer-generated designs are layered on real scenic elements, and WKBN is one of the only local broadcast stations in the entire country to utilize this technology, said Mitch Davis, news director.

“This new studio is more than a new look, it helps us to gather and cover news better,” Davis added. “First News anchors and reporters have more opportunities in this environment to explain stories, to go into more detail with a large variety of graphics and to show our viewers live video and late-breaking stories much quicker.”