NBC UNIVERSAL ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM PLAN TO CREATE WEST COAST NEWS HEADQUARTERS AND CONTENT CENTER IN LOS ANGELES
LA Facility To Be Modeled After Newly Designed World Class News Facility in New York
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - October 11, 2007 � NBC Universal today announced long-term plans to create a "green" state-of-the-art, high definition West Coast News headquarters and content center in Los Angeles that will house NBC News' Los Angeles bureau, as well as KNBC, KVEA and "Access Hollywood." Pending approvals, NBCU will begin the transition by 2011. The new facility will be the anchor tenant at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Red Line Subway Station in Universal City, directly across the street from Universal Studios and Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and CityWalk. It is part of a proposed development by Thomas Properties Group.
The West Coast facility will be modeled after the NBC News World Headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, which is being unveiled today and opens later this month.
"This facility represents the future of local content gathering," said Linda Sullivan, President and General Manager, KNBC. "Our ability to serve the community is key to our success as a local television station. The content center will improve our newsgathering capabilities, allowing us to leverage the power of the entire NBC portfolio and focus on what we do best � local content creation that is relevant to our viewers and easily accessible on all media platforms."
The West Coast News headquarters will offer world-class newsgathering, broadcasting, editing and production facilities for all network and local news operations. The facility will enable NBC Universal to deliver media on a variety of platforms, from mp3 players to cell phones, the Internet and beyond to all emerging technologies. Like [you already told us it was modeled after something else] the hugely successful "Today" show studio in New York, this multi-level production facility will feature a specially designed street-side studio that allows visitors and transit users the ability to become part of the live backdrop for local newscasts and network productions. The facility will also host the "Today" show and Nightly News when originating from Los Angeles.
Designs for the project are still underway, and plans include state-of-the-art technologies such as virtual studios with "green screen" and interactive graphic capabilities, a media operations center with full satellite downlink capabilities, increased fiber connectivity, cross platform and multi-functional control rooms, a futuristic news room for all productions, and an office building that will seamlessly connect to the studio operations.
The new facility will be a leading example of sustainable "green" design, construction and transit-oriented development. The project is being proposed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED� Green Building Rating at the Silver certification level - for not only its design and construction, but also its ongoing operations. The project will integrate the latest in renewable power, energy and water efficient technologies.
The Universal City MTA Red Line Subway Station's location was a key-deciding factor in moving the NBC Universal facility to Los Angeles. By locating this new facility into an existing subway and bus station, visitors, guests and employees will be encouraged to take public transit and significantly reduce their car-related commuting emissions and stress. The project is currently in the environmental review process and is slated for public hearings in 2008.
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.
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