The Cast Of ‘The Oval’, ‘Zatima’ ‘All The Queens…
CBS Atlanta formally launched its brand-new local newsroom and the area’s first totally immersive AR/VR news studio with a star-studded celebration! The inaugural CBS Atlanta Fest gathered community expertise from Beyond The Gates, Tyler Perry’s The Oval, Sistas, Ruthless, Zatima, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, and more—signaling a new period of local storytelling and national leisure in town.
Celebrating the Network’s New Chapter
BOSSIP’s very own, Lauryn Bass, was in the room for the pink carpet–caught exclusive moments with some of CBS’s star energy.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
“I grew up here. I represent this city. I love the culture, I love the vibe,” said Jobina Fortson-Evans, CBS Atlanta’s new night anchor, as she regarded out over town skyline during CBS Atlanta Fest. “It’s such an honor to do the news that actually represents what people want to see… To be the start of doing this [AR/VR set] is just beyond my wildest dreams.”
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Fortson-Evans isn’t just speaking about another news show. She’s debuting the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts inside the first totally immersive AR/VR local news studio in the Southeast, turning Atlanta’s headlines into a visible expertise viewers can actually step inside.
Fortson-Evans also had a message for the next technology of journalists watching the news panorama shift under AI and social media.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
“Be you, do you, and there will always be room for you,” she said. “Find stories that aren’t in press releases. Be active in your community… and if you’re not being respected where you are, that’s a sign to step elsewhere. CBS is dedicated to community journalism and really championing that.”
Stars Celebrate the Network’s New Chapter
On the carpet, Kron Moore of Tyler Perry’s The Oval soaked up the evening in a pink FOA look.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
“It’s really exciting to be out for this new opportunity for CBS,” she told BOSSIP. “Study the art, study the craft. Have a love for the work, because it can’t just be about money or fame.”
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Tamara Tunie graced the room so elegantly in a silver ensemble, representing the character she performs on Beyond the Gates. When requested what it’s like to painting a household matriarch, she answered:
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
“It feels great. I feel like I’m being my mother, who is my hero and my role model, who is truly the matriarch of our family. If I can honor her by representing her peer group and all the women of my age who are holding their families down and together, I’m so proud to do it.”
When requested about the cultural weight of starring in one of CBS’s first Black-led dramas in years, she explained:
“We really need opportunities for Black people to be in spaces where we’re looked at in a positive way. One of the reasons I said yes to doing this show is because it focuses on an affluent African American family. And our cast is very diverse—it’s not just a Black show. Everyone is represented, from Latina to Asian to LGBTQ. Our audience is pretty much 50/50 Black and white, which is fantastic because it’s a show about human beings, not just Black people. We’re able to insinuate Black culture and Black history and Black positiveness throughout the show and still be entertaining, edifying, and educational—while giving everybody a good time and some good old soap-opera drama.”
Tunie’s on-screen associate, Clifton Davis, also shared his expertise on the show.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
“It’s a thrill every day. Tamara is so gifted and so talented. I almost feel boring talking about it because I say it so often, but it’s so true. She’s a profoundly gifted performer.”
When requested why he believes Beyond the Gates resonates with audiences, Davis mirrored:
“For me, doing this show is not a hit because it’s Black—it’s a hit because it’s good. It’s written well, it’s diverse, and we have other ethnicities in our cast and crew. We’ve got a family that works on Beyond the Gates that comes together, giving the best they’ve got to make it a successful show. From the writers to wardrobe to camera crew to sound and lights to actors, hair and makeup, everyone is doing their very best to make Beyond the Gates a great show.”
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Sports illustration was also in the building. Former WNBA star, Ty Young, shared what it meant to attend a evening mixing Atlanta sports activities and leisure.
“It’s colliding with sports and entertainment here in Atlanta. It’s cool to see familiar faces in the sports space and the TV space and be a part of it.”
Actors had been also circulating the building. Award-winning actor, Antoine Morgan, summed up the spirit of the evening.
“This event brings so many people together—actors, sports figures, executives. I hope it gives more opportunity and a positive vibe about Atlanta, bringing all races and backgrounds together.”
Community Journalism Meets Cutting-Edge Tech
CBS management made it clear that this launch isn’t just about slick visuals.
“You told us you wanted less crime reporting. We’re not here to just report—we’re here to inform and uplift,” said Jennifer Mitchell, president of CBS Stations and CBS News and Stations Digital, after unveiling the VR setup to cheers.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Atlanta now joins New York and Los Angeles as only the third CBS market to ship every newscast in full AR/VR. Vice president and news director Shawn Hoder called the new operation proof that “local journalism thrives when led by people who know and care about the community.”
A Rooftop Night of Magic
Held on the rooftop at Retreat by The Gathering Spot, the night set a luxurious scene with skyline views and a fixed stream of hospitality. Guests had been greeted with rounds of drinks, refreshments and video games as soon as they arrived and throughout the evening.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Servers circulated signature hors d’oeuvres and desserts named after CBS exhibits—deviled eggs, chicken and waffles, and decadent treats like Daytime Decadence Cheesecake, Beyond the Gates Fairmont Crest Cobbler, The Young & the Restless Genoa City Ganache Truffles—alongside a inventive drink menu that doubled as a CBS playlist.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Guests sipped on rose, champagne, and Rindin, or opted for themed cocktails such as The NCIS Crime Scene Spritz (Prosecco, Aperol, soda water), Seeing Ghosts (reposado, Campari, grapefruit), Matlock Martini, The Tracker, Watson, Where’s My Marg?, and The CBS Atlanta Augmentini with vodka, St. Germain, lemon juice, and a splash of Prosecco.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Interactive stations stored the gang buzzing, from mini-golf/putt-putt and a customized iron-on hat patch station to VR experiences and a nook where visitors may “rep their county.”
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Rocking the CBS Blue Carpet
The blue carpet visitor record spanned community executives, elected officers, and leisure heavyweights.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Among those noticed:
Jennifer Mitchell, CBS Stations president; Mike Benson, CBS chief advertising officer; Tom Canedo, president of CBS Atlanta; and on-air journalists Brian Unger, Sam Crenshaw, and Elita Fielder Adjei.
Political leaders such as Sen. Raphael Warnock, State Rep. Park Cannon, and metropolis officers, including Marci Collier Overstreet and Rev. Sean Smith.
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Source: Carol Lee Rose / Getty Images for Paramount+
Daytime and primetime expertise from The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, Beyond the Gates, Ghosts, and NCIS, alongside BET and BET+ stars and athletes, including WNBA alum Ty Young, Angel McCoughtry, Takeo Spikes, and more.
With skyline views, next-level tech, and a roster of stars and civic leaders, CBS Atlanta Fest wasn’t just a occasion—it was a promise that Atlanta’s tales can be told with depth, innovation, and cultural fluency.
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
Carol Lee Rose
The post The Cast Of ‘The Oval’, ‘Zatima’ ‘All The Queens Men’, ‘Beyond The Gates’ & Other Celebs Sizzle CBS Atlanta Fest appeared first on GWN.