WBBM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Chicago, held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to launch a new broadcast center — as well as office space, a hotel, condos, retail, dining, entertainment and a subway station — located at the corner of Washington and Dearborn Streets. The station televised the ceremony live on its analog and digital channels.
WBBM will occupy the first five floors of the building and relocate its entire broadcast operations to the new building upon completion, planned for some time in 2007.
The new CBS 2 broadcast center will be all digital and HD-ready. Every CBS 2 local newscast will be broadcast from the 2800sq ft. street-side studio. An outdoor video wall, measuring 80 x 20, will feature CBS news, special events, sports and entertainment, 24-hours a day.
An electronic ticker wrapping the corner of the building and CBS 2 will also have a second studio for long-form program production and special event broadcasts. In addition, CBS 2 weather control will feature the station's Doppler radar and the latest forecasting technology for street-side viewing.
