ABC 7 CHICAGO Unveils Its New State Street Studio on Monday, April 10

ABC 7 CHICAGO Unveils Its New State Street Studio on Monday, April 10

CHICAGO, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- ABC 7 CHICAGO will debut its State Street Studio on Monday, April 10, with a special edition of ABC 7 NEWS THIS MORNING from 5:00-7:00 AM. ABC 7's Hosea Sanders, Judy Hsu, Tracy Butler and Roz Varon, will welcome several Chicago dignitaries and special performances to the station's new sidewalk studio site. In addition, ABC's Robin Roberts will be in Chicago to do live cut-ins for Good Morning America, and to debut the State Street Studio to a national audience. In a taped segment for the newscast, Oprah returns to her old stomping grounds to visit the former studio that helped launch her into stardom.

ABC 7 CHICAGO invites its viewers to come down to 190 North State Street to celebrate this important event in the station's history, and to enjoy the festivities. There will be appearances by: Blue Man Group, William Smith Jr. & the Renewed Voices for Christ Gospel Choir, the Proviso East marching band, Jesse White Tumblers, Disney star Christy Carlson Romano "Kim Possible," and much more. Mayor Richard M. Daley will join ABC 7 CHICAGO President and General Manager Emily Barr for the official ribbon cutting at approximately 6:45 AM.

The ABC 7 State Street Studio celebration will also be available on-line at http://abc7chicago.com/ .

The new State Street Studio is the first of its kind in Chicago. By situating the broadcasts toward the street, onlookers will actually be looking directly at the anchor desk, allowing for a front-row look at the most watched newscasts in the city. This street-side studio is literally a window into the world of television. Also unique to Chicago, and the first of its kind in the country, the studio showcases a video sculpture that stands 42 feet tall, 8 feet wide and features computer graphics, animation and live video. A ticker banner, which wraps around the southeast corner of the building, will track the latest news headlines, weather reports, sports scores and community events.

"We are tremendously proud to unveil the ABC 7 State Street Studio, the new home to all of Chicago's top-rated newscasts and local programming," said Barr. "It is gratifying to know the Studio will become an exciting downtown destination point, contributing to the renaissance that has transformed this historic area. We welcome Chicago natives and visitors alike to enjoy the State Street studio's unique view of broadcasting in progress."

Construction on the State Street Studio began in April 2005 with the 8,200 square foot conversion of existing retail and broadcast space. Legat, the Chicago-based architectural firm responsible for the renovations, preserved the image of the 1920's-era building, while also adding contemporary touches, including an expansive bay window extending onto the sidewalk. Turner Special Projects Division, based in Chicago, Illinois is the general contractor for the State Street Studio project.

"The completion of ABC 7's new State Street Studio opens a new chapter in the history and future of State Street," said Michael J. Lundeen, AIA, Architect/Senior Project Manager, Legat Architects. "This sidewalk studio illustrates ABC 7's commitment to preserving a historical building and sensitively designing the ground floor to meet the needs of today's news media."

The site of the new State Street Studio is already a part of the city's history in many ways. It stands in what was originally a vaudeville house built in 1919 by architects C.W. Rapp and George L. Rapp. Formerly called the State Lake Theatre, it was constructed a couple of years before the legendary Chicago Theatre, also built by Rapp & Rapp. After more than 60 years of showing live acts and movies, the theatre closed its doors in the early 1980s.

The theatre's interior was converted and 190 North State Street reopened as ABC 7 CHICAGO's television studios. In 1984, Oprah Winfrey came to WLS-TV as the host of A.M. Chicago, broadcasting her first talk show out of the very same studio space.

Source: ABC 7 CHICAGO

CONTACT: Jayme Nicholas of ABC 7 CHICAGO, +1-312-750-7254

Web site: http://abc7chicago.com/

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