New Home For Griffin Communications
KOTV.com - 10/25/2007
Griffin Communications, L.L.C. on Thursday announced acquisition of land in Tulsa's downtown where it will build a 50,000 square feet state-of-the-art media center. The Griffin Communications Media Center will house employees of the company's Tulsa properties, The News on 6, CW 12/19 and Griffin New Media, which operates the company's television websites.
"We are thrilled to keep our Tulsa media properties in the downtown area," said David Griffin, President and C.E.O. of the company. "The building design will provide creative space for our 186 employees, access for visitor tours and space where community groups can hold meetings. We want to be a catalyst for continued growth in downtown Tulsa."
The location in Tulsa's historical Brady District is bounded on the east by Cincinnati Street, on the south by Cameron Street, on the west by Boston Street and on the north by the IDL. Three buildings on the site will be razed in early January 2008 to make way for the new facility.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the $20 million facility will be scheduled in early 2008 with a target completion date of June 2009.
So 2009 before there is even a chance of them going HD with the local news :/ Wish cox would pick up some real HD channels instead of strech-o-vision stuff. Ok that is off topic LoL
I'm thinking this is a win-win-win. New development in the brady, jobs staying downtown, and land in the east end being freed up.
^ That sounds about right.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
I'm thinking this is a win-win-win. New development in the brady, jobs staying downtown, and land in the east end being freed up.
I agree. The existing buildings slated for demolition are mostly nondescript. They are close to the sidewalk, but they don't have many windows facing the street.
I hope the new KOTV facility will be close to the sidewalk with lots of windows for an interesting streetscape, maybe something similar to the WLS-TV studios in downtown Chicago (//%22http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2944230%22) on a smaller scale.
Anyone know if this is the end of Gypsy Coffee? They're in the KOTV footprint. News release didn't say whether their building is one of the three to be demolished.
^Never mind. Gypsy is on the NE corner of Cameron and Cincinnati, so it seems to be safe. Earlier media reports had the new KOTV stretching all the way to Detroit.
Yaaaaay, coffee! [:P]
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
I'm thinking this is a win-win-win. New development in the brady, jobs staying downtown, and land in the east end being freed up.
I agree. The existing buildings slated for demolition are mostly nondescript. They are close to the sidewalk, but they don't have many windows facing the street.
I hope the new KOTV facility will be close to the sidewalk with lots of windows for an interesting streetscape, maybe something similar to the WLS-TV studios in downtown Chicago (//%22http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2944230%22) on a smaller scale.
That would be really neat. You can watch the entire newscast from State St. and they have audio outside the building so you can follow along. It certainly activates the sidewalk there. Always lots of people stopping to watch.
quote:
Originally posted by Noodlez
So 2009 before there is even a chance of them going HD with the local news :/ Wish cox would pick up some real HD channels instead of strech-o-vision stuff. Ok that is off topic LoL
I've been watching locals in HD for about 6 months now thanks to DIRECTV.
Agreed Sq. The KOTV building is in good enough shape and close enough to the Blue Dome, the PAC and other habitable locations that it will probably be utilized in short order. WIN!
A short note to add to this development....
Per the Board of Adjustments ruling today, 2/26/2008, Griffin now has approval for a Heliport as part of the proposed site plan for the development..
Things that fly always make for interesting discussion.... even pigeons. [}:)]
Have they published plans for this building yet.
The kid in me things a heliport should be part of EVERY building plan. And a friggin laser.
quote:
Originally posted by Rico
A short note to add to this development....
Per the Board of Adjustments ruling today, 2/26/2008, Griffin now has approval for a Heliport as part of the proposed site plan for the development..
Things that fly always make for interesting discussion.... even pigeons. [}:)]
Awesome! Sounds like SimCity...
Did KOTV ever fix/replace their chopper after the crash? I think they were leasing it from a company in OKC so it's not really "theirs", but I haven't seen a KOTV-badged heli around in a while.
quote:
Originally posted by flybriz
Did KOTV ever fix/replace their chopper after the crash? I think they were leasing it from a company in OKC so it's not really "theirs", but I haven't seen a KOTV-badged heli around in a while.
It takes awhile to get a new custom helicopter.
quote:
Originally posted by flybriz
Did KOTV ever fix/replace their chopper after the crash? I think they were leasing it from a company in OKC so it's not really "theirs", but I haven't seen a KOTV-badged heli around in a while.
I remember them saying we acquired it from the CBS affiliate in OKC because they got a new one.
quote:
Originally posted by Hoss
quote:
Originally posted by flybriz
Did KOTV ever fix/replace their chopper after the crash? I think they were leasing it from a company in OKC so it's not really "theirs", but I haven't seen a KOTV-badged heli around in a while.
I remember them saying we acquired it from the CBS affiliate in OKC because they got a new one.
9 in OKC got there a few months after we got ours. They are affiliated stations and both got new choppers. The only difference between Skynews 6 and Skynews 9 was that the camera on Skynews 9 was a bit newer so it did HD.
to bad news9 in OKC doesn't do HD, seems kind of odd them bragging about that HD heli but unable to show HD, on a side note channel 2 went HD local news the other night :|
quote:
Originally posted by Noodlez
to bad news9 in OKC doesn't do HD, seems kind of odd them bragging about that HD heli but unable to show HD, on a side note channel 2 went HD local news the other night :|
Yes, Krista Flasch in HD! There is a god! Notice how they have zoomed the camera out for the anchors so you can't see their old wrinkly asses.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
Notice how they have zoomed the camera out for the anchors so you can't see their old wrinkly asses.
No, they continue to frame the anchors for 4:3, so that it's more than half of two different talking heads for their viewers stuck in the stone age (or on satellite).
They are either using 16:9 SD studio cameras or doing some purposeful softening of the talent to hide their old wrinkly asses. They are definitely doing 16:9 SD (either that or 16:9 480p) for the remotes that I saw. Not that I'm complaining. It's significant progress.
Maybe someday they'll have the funds to do more than flip the 16:9 switch on their cameras and make some new 16:9 graphics. (some of the transitions were obviously not HD, but were 16:9)
SkyNews 6 was the old Ranger 9 from KWTV in OKC just repainted, it was a Bell 206, while the new SkyNews 9 is a newer Bell 407. Both are/were owned by Griffin Communications.
Heres some more info KWTV's helicopter..
http://www.kwtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7506624&nav=menu681_12_3_1
M
quote:
Originally posted by tulsamatt
SkyNews 6 was the old Ranger 9 from KWTV in OKC just repainted, it was a Bell 206, while the new SkyNews 9 is a newer Bell 407. Both are/were owned by Griffin Communications.
Heres some more info KWTV's helicopter..
http://www.kwtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7506624&nav=menu681_12_3_1
M
According to registration information, "Ranger 9" was registered in 2001, and then moved to Tulsa in 2006 as "SkyNews6."
"Skynews 9" was registered in 1999 before being bought by KWTV in 2006 to replace the "23 year old Ranger 9"
Was the "new" chopper really 2 years older?
Did OKC switch out their helicopters twice?
quote:
Originally posted by nathanm
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
Notice how they have zoomed the camera out for the anchors so you can't see their old wrinkly asses.
No, they continue to frame the anchors for 4:3, so that it's more than half of two different talking heads for their viewers stuck in the stone age (or on satellite).
They are either using 16:9 SD studio cameras or doing some purposeful softening of the talent to hide their old wrinkly asses. They are definitely doing 16:9 SD (either that or 16:9 480p) for the remotes that I saw. Not that I'm complaining. It's significant progress.
Maybe someday they'll have the funds to do more than flip the 16:9 switch on their cameras and make some new 16:9 graphics. (some of the transitions were obviously not HD, but were 16:9)
ok, I thought the softening was just my imagination but my wife said it had a matte look to it so this just confirms it.
Ok, so they got rid of the black bars....great. However, they are showing the weather graphics in HD. They really pop out on the screen.
http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=87901
Muddified ground-breaking
quote:
Originally posted by OurTulsa
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
I'm thinking this is a win-win-win. New development in the brady, jobs staying downtown, and land in the east end being freed up.
I agree. The existing buildings slated for demolition are mostly nondescript. They are close to the sidewalk, but they don't have many windows facing the street.
I hope the new KOTV facility will be close to the sidewalk with lots of windows for an interesting streetscape, maybe something similar to the WLS-TV studios in downtown Chicago (//%22http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=News&id=2944230%22) on a smaller scale.
That would be really neat. You can watch the entire newscast from State St. and they have audio outside the building so you can follow along. It certainly activates the sidewalk there. Always lots of people stopping to watch.
If that were to happen I'd be willing to bet somebody would drive their car through the window in the first year.
http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8135260
(http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/8135260_BG2.jpg)
There's your glass window.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recid=87901
Muddified ground-breaking
quote:
From the Journal-Record:
One Griffin neighbor has no intention of moving. For more than four decades Jack R. Jacobs has supplied environmental systems parts as owner of L.A. King Corp., the 54-year-old operator of 26,000 square feet of warehouse space west of the Griffin construction site.
"This serves us well," he said, welcoming the News on 6 team to the Brady District. His 15-employee company enjoyed a 15-percent rise in revenue last year, with no slowdown through the first quarter. "We'll have to pay a little more in taxes, but that's a good thing."
Whoa. From the talk of some, that person CAN'T be from TULSA! Tulsans don't think that way! [8D]
quote:
Originally posted by nathanm
they continue to frame the anchors for 4:3, so that it's more than half of two different talking heads for their viewers stuck in the stone age (or on satellite)
I guess you havent seen satellite in a while...
quote:
Originally posted by izmophonik
I've been watching locals in HD for about 6 months now thanks to DIRECTV.
Got to remember, they were digital from the time of launch in 1994 and didnt have to play catch-up like cable.
quote:
Originally posted by izmophonik
I've been watching locals in HD for about 6 months now thanks to DIRECTV.
welcome to 2006. The locals have been in HD on Cox for a while now.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=8135260
(http://kotv.images.worldnow.com/images/8135260_BG2.jpg)
There's your glass window.
I give it 6 months before a drunk crashes through it.
again the media completely fails to give any credit to the architect.
If this were a story about a brand new sculpture for channel 6 they would name the artist.
Buildings just magically appear.
ok so there might be a reason why they didn't mention the architect.
They used Rees Associates out of Dallas.
They have an office in Oklahoma City, but they didn't even use that office, instead they used the one out of Dallas.
So our "local" news since the 40's pays people from Dallas to design a new studio in Tulsa's Brady district when there are at least 10 firms from Tulsa capable of doing the same work.
Wonder why young professionals, especially architects, move out of state and don't stay in Oklahoma...hmmm.
Tried to tweak that image a bit in photoshop to get it a bit bigger and clearer. Couldnt do much, not enoug "info" in the pic.
(http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/2161/kotvdowntownek7.jpg)
nice building though
quote:
Originally posted by hoodlum
nice building though
I wouldn't say that it's nice. I can't say that it's nice or not, because there's only been one screenshot of one angle of one corner of the building. I'm waiting for more than the one image before I make up my mind about it.
What is the parking situation going to be like? I would like to dream of structured parking, but I'll try to be realistic here.
quote:
Originally posted by hoodlum
ok so there might be a reason why they didn't mention the architect.
They used Rees Associates out of Dallas.
They have an office in Oklahoma City, but they didn't even use that office, instead they used the one out of Dallas.
So our "local" news since the 40's pays people from Dallas to design a new studio in Tulsa's Brady district when there are at least 10 firms from Tulsa capable of doing the same work.
Wonder why young professionals, especially architects, move out of state and don't stay in Oklahoma...hmmm.
From what I saw, Rees specializes in mass media and TV studio design. That is likely why they picked this designer and that location.
quote:
Originally posted by inteller
What is the parking situation going to be like? I would like to dream of structured parking, but I'll try to be realistic here.
I'm sure we can find some coffee if you have trouble rousing from that dream.
They purchased a big lot which backs to the IDL. I'm guessing the employees park in back and visitors park up front. Probably similar to the Clear Channel offices on Memorial, fenced/secure company vehicle lot in back, reception up front.
Rees says they are specialized in production studios. Good for them,but as i said there are probably 10 firms in Tulsa that could have done that building just as well.
Ultimately Architects specialize in problem solving. It is unfortunate that the profession of architecture has created this whole idea of specialization. I know many firms who intentionally refuse to play the specialization game, because when it comes down to it any good architecture firm can do anything that they have the numbers to do.
i will rephrase my earlier comment, looks like it could be a nice building.
I wonder if it might be Rees that staffed the assignment to the Dallas office rather than OKC?
Always a difficult balance here--I definitely agree with the instinct that projects should be kept local, but I also have trouble faulting anyone for trying to get the best regional or national talent available.
yeah i guess i just feel strongly that there is a lot of really good talent here, just as good as that in Dallas.