The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / CP24 moving to Channel Nine Court

**Posted by RadioAaron** June 19, 2024 1:39 pm

....this October, apparently. Just announced to staff.

**Posted by BowmanvilleBob** June 19, 2024 1:53 pm

Wow! How will they transfer that hip, happenin' downtown vibe to Scarborough? Perhaps it will look something like this.

**Posted by RadioActive** June 19, 2024 3:02 pm

Too bad. Being downtown made it easier to reach breaking news stories in the southern part of the city. It's a lot easier to dispatch a camera to shoot viz of an accident or fire at say, Bloor & Yonge, from University and Queen than to try to get all the way downtown from Agincourt.

This being Bell, it would seem to be a money saving gesture, the only real reason they do anything. Are they planning on selling 299 Queen St. W.? If so, what, if anything, happens to the radio stations on Richmond St.?

**Posted by newsguy1** June 19, 2024 3:16 pm

... and what will they do with that truck sticking out of the building?

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** June 19, 2024 3:21 pm

Just like CTV Kitchener. They moved out of their longtime home at 864 King Street in downtown Kitchener across from Grand River Hospital. Then they moved into a new building across from Sportsworld crossing this past year.

**Posted by Glen Warren** June 19, 2024 3:30 pm

BowmanvilleBob wrote:
Wow! How will they transfer that hip, happenin' downtown vibe to Scarborough? Perhaps it will look something like this.

Don't worry too much... the crane shot will be the true magic (well that and the 26er of whatever LaRue was drinking).

This move was discussed a year or so ago, due to the basic shutdown of that downtown area for the Ontario Line construction and a new transit station being constructed. At the time, it was thought that Bell Media would move 299 Queen St. W. operations to the space at the Pinewood Studios over at the Port Lands area... within the last year, Bell has reduced their interest/ownership in the Pinewood Studios, so maybe this is now the reason for moving up to Channel 9 Court. ???

**Posted by markow202** June 19, 2024 3:37 pm

I can see 299 Queen to go for alas...more condos! Ridiculous city if you ask me.

**Posted by paterson1** June 19, 2024 4:34 pm

Glen Warren wrote:
BowmanvilleBob wrote:
Wow! How will they transfer that hip, happenin' downtown vibe to Scarborough? Perhaps it will look something like this.
Don't worry too much... the crane shot will be the true magic (well that and the 26er of whatever LaRue was drinking).

This move was discussed a year or so ago, due to the basic shutdown of that downtown area for the Ontario Line construction and a new transit station being constructed. At the time, it was thought that Bell Media would move 299 Queen St. W. operations to the space at the Pinewood Studios over at the Port Lands area... within the last year, Bell has reduced their interest/ownership in the Pinewood Studios, so maybe this is now the reason for moving up to Channel 9 Court. ???

That's a good point GW. I remember that as well a while ago about moving 299 Queen to the Pinewood Studio. Bell has since sold Pinewood after the addition and renovations were completed about a year ago. At one point Pinewood Studios were booked a solid 3 years in advance, with Netflix permanently booking studio space.

Hopefully they will put out a press release. Sadly condos could be a real possiblility for the building. Maybe even another tower but keeping the old facade for the bottom floors. I wonder if Bell won't sell the building and property and develop 299 Queen into condos or something else. Sort of what Rogers has been doing in a big way in Mississauga..

**Posted by RadioActive** June 19, 2024 4:42 pm

BlogTO has a number of answers to some of the questions posed here, including the when, the who and what might happen to that iconic truck (which was originally a City TV Live Eye.)

**Posted by Saul** June 19, 2024 4:45 pm

Agreed about the condos. Though I now live in one after selling my house and the reason for that the house is literally on top of the Ontario line tunnel (Berkeley and King) (and we decided condo ownership is easier that dealing with a house, at our stage in life). So I can understand Bell wanting out of the Queen building ... given that the Eglinton project has no projected completion date, the Ontario Line might, um, take a little while...

**Posted by djwildbill** June 19, 2024 6:55 pm

Where will they do the MuchMusic Awards? 299 had that parking lot they transformed into a stage and standing area.

**Posted by RadioAaron** June 19, 2024 6:57 pm

djwildbill wrote:
Where will they do the MuchMusic Awards? 299 had that parking lot they transformed into a stage and standing area.

They haven't done those in a while.

This is CP24 moving out, not the whole operation (yet?)

**Posted by RadioActive** June 19, 2024 7:11 pm

paterson1 wrote:
Sadly condos could be a real possiblility for the building. Maybe even another tower but keeping the old facade for the bottom floors..

I'm not entirely sure how much change would be allowed for any planned condos. 299 Queen St. W. is a designated heritage building in Toronto, so I'm not sure how much they can do on the inside or the outside without violating that historical legacy. They would almost certainly have to keep all of the basic bones of the outside intact and maybe part of the inside, as well.

So theoretically, it could be renovated, but with possibly some major restrictions.

**Posted by Glen Warren** June 19, 2024 7:30 pm

Yes, iirc 299 Queen St. W. was previously or at one point the home of The Ryerson Press. It is referred to as the Wesley Building.

Depending on how tight the City of Toronto is with Heritage designations, the developer(s) may propose to keep the building facade which is five stories? This could be pitched as being a "podium" and housing commercial/office suites inside. Then the towering condos would be built atop the original five stories / facade...

It will also depend on what is left of the underground foundation when the transit line construction is complete.

Last edited by Glen Warren (June 19, 2024 7:31 pm)

**Posted by Radio Bob** June 19, 2024 9:06 pm

Who says they won't keep a couple ENG crews and reporters downtown to be better able to react to breaking news outside of Agincourt?

**Posted by RadioActive** June 19, 2024 9:27 pm

Radio Bob wrote:
Who says they won't keep a couple ENG crews and reporters downtown to be better able to react to breaking news outside of Agincourt?

That's possible, but if they sell the building they'd need them to go across to Richmond St., where the radio stations are. Do they have any video editing equipment there? I'd be surprised, but it doesn't mean they couldn't put some in, I suppose.

**Posted by betaylored** June 19, 2024 10:11 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Radio Bob wrote:
Who says they won't keep a couple ENG crews and reporters downtown to be better able to react to breaking news outside of Agincourt?
That's possible, but if they sell the building they'd need them to go across to Richmond St., where the radio stations are. Do they have any video editing equipment there? I'd be surprised, but it doesn't mean they couldn't put some in, I suppose.

The other thing they'll have to figure out is how their radio personalities are going to keep on appearing on CP24. John Moore from 1010 does regular segments and Josie and Jamar from CHUM's new afternoon drive show announced they're making a Friday on-air visit to CP24 a regular thing.

However they sort it out, one of the landmarks that gave Queen St West a special and very cool vibe is going away and I think they should have come up with a solution that kept a small studio in the neighbourhood, much the same way the Edge and Q had a Yonge Street presence during the good old days.

Last edited by betaylored (June 19, 2024 10:13 pm)

**Posted by Glen Warren** June 19, 2024 10:47 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Radio Bob wrote:
Who says they won't keep a couple ENG crews and reporters downtown to be better able to react to breaking news outside of Agincourt?
That's possible, but if they sell the building they'd need them to go across to Richmond St., where the radio stations are. Do they have any video editing equipment there? I'd be surprised, but it doesn't mean they couldn't put some in, I suppose.

They can easily and quickly set up a few edit stations... all they would need would be 2 -3 laptops, some monitors, a few desks and chairs for work stations... and fibre connections... file / archive server access.

They will also need a "shot box" for live intvu's for guests into the various shows and for live reporter top/tails. No one is going to hike up to Scarborough from downtown for a 3 minute live intvu... and Zoom/Skype are already past their best before date for a broadcast aesthetic...

When all of the heavy construction work begins at ground level and below on Queen St. W., what is going to be the impact on the radio studios on Richmond... I think they will be affected.

But hey, there might be some suitable space opening up sooner than later on Queens Quay...

**Posted by RadioActive** June 26, 2024 8:20 am

newsguy1 wrote:
...and what will they do with that truck sticking out of the building?

The Star also wondered about this, and tried to get an answer.

CP24 is moving. Here’s what that means for the iconic car on the side of the Queen Street building

**Posted by Walter** June 26, 2024 8:29 am

djwildbill wrote:
Where will they do the MuchMusic Awards? 299 had that parking lot they transformed into a stage and standing area.

Maybe they can rope off a part of the Scarborough Town Centre parking lot. The whole thing could be catered by Manchu Wok and Tim Horton's from the food court. Beware of flying bullets.

**Posted by DeepTracks** June 26, 2024 9:00 am

When the first promotional picture was taken of the truck the "dish" affixed to the roof was not a proper microwave uplink dish. It was in fact a garbage can lid, painted white as a substitute because they couldn't get the real thing in time for the photo shoot.

**Posted by In Phase** June 26, 2024 8:13 pm

DeepTracks wrote:
When the first promotional picture was taken of the truck the "dish" affixed to the roof was not a proper microwave uplink dish. It was in fact a garbage can lid, painted white as a substitute because they couldn't get the real thing in time for the photo shoot.

Absolutely true

**Posted by newsguy1** June 26, 2024 8:47 pm

I love stories like this one about mocking up a phoney satellite dish.
It's just so broadcasting.
When I worked in B.C. my news director JJ Richards at CKDA in Victoria became news director of CFUN, the CHUM station in Vancouver.
The station had a couple of news cruisers with numbers written on the side to identify them.
They had been numbered 1 and 2 accordingly.
JJ had them repaint those numbers to read something like, 24 and 36.

**Posted by RadioAaron** June 28, 2024 10:34 am

Just noticed this line in Unifor's press release about yesterday's Bell layoffs:

Unifor was informed that 49 unionized positions may be impacted in Locals 79-M and 723-M, driven by what the company calls, the “Willow” plan to relocate its downtown Toronto news stations CP24, BNN and NewsTalk 1010, to Agincourt, Ont.

https://www.milkmanunlimited.com/post/bell-media-lays-off-50-unifor-media-workers

**Posted by RadioActive** June 28, 2024 12:37 pm

Where are CHUM-FM and Virgin 99.9 located right now? If both are still on Richmond (where the famous CHUM sign was moved to) what happens to them? Obviously, they're not going to leave just two stations in that complex if they're taking 'RB all the way up to Agincourt.

**Posted by RadioAaron** June 28, 2024 1:15 pm

They're still at Richmond. There's still quite a bit at 299/Richmond: CHUM, Virgin, iHeart radio content, local sales, Your Morning, Etalk, space for PURE Country and MOVE, exec offices

**Posted by Brad** November 7, 2024 8:32 pm

So it's November. Is CP24 still moving?

**Posted by Chrisphen** November 7, 2024 9:02 pm

Bell will need them to move into the basement, yeah.

**Posted by haydenmatthews14** November 7, 2024 9:54 pm

Weren't they supposed to move out this October? What was the cause of the move out delay?

Last edited by haydenmatthews14 (November 7, 2024 9:54 pm)

**Posted by Shorty Wave** November 8, 2024 8:57 am

Chrisphen wrote:
Bell will need them to move into the basement, yeah.

But don’t take my stapler!