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August 17, 2021 11:59 pm  #1


Viacom/CBS Sells Manhattan "Black Rock" Headquarters

In 2018, CBS raised a few eye brows when it sold it's iconic Los Angeles facility "Television City" for $750 million.  Now the company has announced it is also selling the New York headquarters known as Black Rock.  More in this article from Bill Brioux...https://brioux.tv/blog/2021/08/17/viacomcbs-sells-its-landmark-manhattan-headquarters/

 

August 18, 2021 12:52 am  #2


Re: Viacom/CBS Sells Manhattan "Black Rock" Headquarters

Nothing to see here...  CBS pretty much moved out of Black Rock 2 years ago.  WCBS AM/FM had studios there until the early 2000s and since then, it was mostly space for HR and where new hires went to watch those excruciating orientation videos.  The entire place has been empty since the start of the pandemic.  Same for the Broadcast Center on 57th street, now that the entire radio division works from home and Evening News moved to Washington.  It's also where they used to shoot Last Week Tonight.  It'll probably be sold next.   

 

August 18, 2021 6:14 pm  #3


Re: Viacom/CBS Sells Manhattan "Black Rock" Headquarters

There's still a lot that happens in the Broadcast Center, including the local WCBS-TV newsroom/studio and the master control for the entire CBS Television Network, plus the CBSN operation and most of the network newsroom (even if the anchoring for Evening News has gone to DC.) It may not all be there forever, but CBS will need to be leasing a lot of space back for years to come. Whether that's a better financial arrangement than ownership, only the corporate accounting department can say. 

 

August 18, 2021 7:30 pm  #4


Re: Viacom/CBS Sells Manhattan "Black Rock" Headquarters

I wonder if Bell has thought about selling their extensive property and facilities out on Channel 9 Court.  They own over 30 acres where CFTO has been located  since signing on.  Great location by the 401 and McCowan Road and worth a fortune. 

Bell likely has some properties around the city that are sitting idle, and could relocate CTV Toronto there.  The headquarters for Bell Media is the ChumCity building on Queen but wouldn't be nearly big enough to house the studios and offices that are located out in Agincourt.  Or they could build a new facility closer to downtown, sell it and then lease back, similar to what Corus did years ago down on the Lakeshore. 

     Thread Starter
 

August 18, 2021 9:39 pm  #5


Re: Viacom/CBS Sells Manhattan "Black Rock" Headquarters

Good points torontostan and Pinewood is currently building 5 more soundstages to the facility for a total of 16 altogether.  Bell has controlling interest now, and they claim that all studios are more or less booked solid for the next few years.  Both CBS and Netflix have long term contracts for studio space at Pinewood, and CBS also has their own facilities/studios in Mississauga.  But your right, downtown on the Pinewood lot for CTV/TSN/Discovery etc. if there is any room left would be interesting. 

     Thread Starter
 

August 19, 2021 2:09 am  #6


Re: Viacom/CBS Sells Manhattan "Black Rock" Headquarters

fybush wrote:

There's still a lot that happens in the Broadcast Center, including the local WCBS-TV newsroom/studio and the master control for the entire CBS Television Network, plus the CBSN operation and most of the network newsroom (even if the anchoring for Evening News has gone to DC.) It may not all be there forever, but CBS will need to be leasing a lot of space back for years to come. Whether that's a better financial arrangement than ownership, only the corporate accounting department can say. 

The place is half a million square feet - and it's not 1968 anymore; lights and cameras are tiny, and you don't need a cavernous studio to make TV.   CBS is moving the morning show to the old MTV TRL studios in the fall.  The rest of news and ops will follow.  As for the other stuff: The Broadcast Center only does Master Control for the eastern half of the US and a lot of that switched to Television City in LA when the building was evacuated.  WCBS only anchors newscasts out of there.  Reporters don't even go back to cut their pieces - that's done from the field now.  The 'national newsroom' is a rotation of about 11 people, in what used to be the old Studio 47/Dan Rather newsroom (now called the 'news hub' - or 'carpet world').  As for CBSN, they only do the hour-long morning show out of their space. Everyone else anchors and produces from home.  They've even got directors working remotely.  The place is a ghost town and they've proven there's no reason to go back (nor does anyone want to).