NBCUniversal Boston Media Center - New Home for WBTS, WNEU, NECN and NBC Sports Boston

[rkolsen 1684]

I’ve been told by a well placed source that the new NBCUniversal Boston Media Center -  the new home of WBTS, WNEU, NECN and NBC Sports Boston is expected to open Sunday January 19.  The $125 million dollar project was announced in August 2018. The new facility is going to be 160,000 sq ft will have six broadcast studios and one designated for podcasting. Right now WNEU currently has to share with studio space with NECN. 

[jbnews 344]

5 hours ago, rkolsen said:

I’ve been told by a well placed source that the new NBCUniversal Boston Media Center -  the new home of WBTS, WNEU, NECN and NBC Sports Boston is expected to open Sunday January 19.  The $125 million dollar project was announced in August 2018. The new facility is going to be 160,000 sq ft will have six broadcast studios and one designated for podcasting. Right now WNEU currently has to share with studio space with NECN. 

Is the 19th when the new studios will debut on air?

[TSSZNews 1051]

There's allegedly a coastal storm in the forecast for New England this coming weekend so... 

[NBC 5 Chicago 191]

Could we see a new graphics package debut on NBC Boston? It would align with the NBC O&O's debuting new graphics ahead of the Olympics every 4 years since look C.

[Gavin 118]

Hmm. Finally NECN won't have to share a studio with Telemundo Boston, and they won't have to when Telemundo Boston is on the air or when NBC Boston on the air simulcast there shows nice. Yea but this will be the first real set for NBC Boston cause really that refresh they got when they luanch was nothing since it had been a Telemundo/NECN (which they both would move into smaller and secondary studio) set when they were just two a sharing a studio fit with there needs. But then NBC came in and kinds killed the quaint vibe.

[TheRolyPoly 2409]

14 hours ago, rkolsen said:

... and one designated for podcasting. 

This part is making me happy so much. I would be an advocate for stations to do more podcasting.

[PTVNews 194]

10 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

This part is making me happy so much. I would be an advocate for stations to do more podcasting.

 

It takes a lot of time, effort, planning and production to do a series that is high quality. Are there any current/recent podcasts from TV stations that you like?

[MidwestTV 1232]

8 hours ago, PTVNews said:

 

It takes a lot of time, effort, planning and production to do a series that is high quality. Are there any current/recent podcasts from TV stations that you like?

I know the "Bardstown" podcast from WHAS/Vault Studios was one of the most listened and highest downloaded Apple podcasts for several weeks when it debuted. They can be popular if done properly and a topic of mass interest is found.

[CircleSeven 1955]

It opens today. Here's some pix of the new building.

 

WNEU will debut its first Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra broadcast from Needham at 5pm tonight.

 

[Gavin 118]

42 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

It opens today. Here's some pix of the new building.

 

WNEU will debut its first Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra broadcast from Needham at 5pm tonight.

 

Nice WNEU is the lucky ones the get to debut from the new building first lucky.

 

In the move that NBC/Telemundo's done to new facilities it's been NBC that debuts first Telemundo a day later KNBC moved into Universal City first months later KVEA would follow suit.

[TheRolyPoly 2409]

It looks amazing inside and out. It won't translate to better ratings though...

[rkolsen 1684]

One thing I’m surprised about is that there seems to be no weather pods given how much they emphasized weather coverage. I guess they have a roll on pod on set for extended coverage. 
 

Here WNEU has some AR for weather.

 

Also it appears they installed Sony cameras, as many of NBC O&Os have been changing over to Grass Valley - including WCAU/WWSI.  I assume the new plant is IP based on 2110. 

[rkolsen 1684]

Some more screencaps...

 

https://imgur.com/a/IBMJrch
 

 

[atlnewsfan03 78]

NBC did a good job on its NBCU Boston Media Center project, along with investments made in other NBC O&O properties in the past decade (including Philly, San Diego, LA, and Dallas).  NBC Boston News set looks good.  I'd be interested in seeing NBC investing in new state-of-the-art digs for DC, and closing longtime Nebraska Ave location.

[carolinanews4 376]

Well @atlnewsfan03 you are getting your wish...sort of. NBC is investing in D.C. but the Nebraska Ave. building is not closing. It will, however, undergo major renovations. First step is to move network operations out of the building. NBC is building a brand new bureau on North Capitol Street NW, much closer to the Capitol. NewscastStudio reported that the new facility can accommodate six simultaneous broadcast feeds at one time. NBC will occupy five floors of the building and will have a a street-level studio facing the Capitol building. The facility will house 350 employees from NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC. It is expected to open in early March.

That will leave WRC and WZDC alone in the Nebraska Avenue building. Extensive renovations are expected once the network is fully moved. The network currently has two studios and a fairly decent sized newsroom that local operations can utilize once the network bureau is moved. Studio A is the largest studio in the building that, since 1961, has housed "Meet the Press" in one half and local high school quiz show “It’s Academic” in the other half. The Washington Post reported that WRC had asked the producers of “It’s Academic” to begin looking for a new production home. The reason? The 1950s-era NBC studio would be undergoing a huge renovation. That was before a fire at the North Capitol Street studios  delayed the network's plans. (Original game plan was for MTP and MSNBC to be produced out of Studio N5 on the upper level of the North Cap building until new facilities were completed.) Now all Washington-based MSNBC shows are produced in Studio A until the move this spring. 

Ultimately I believe we will see new digs for both WRC and WZDC once the network is in their new home downtown.

[Gavin 118]

47 minutes ago, carolinanews4 said:

Well @atlnewsfan03 you are getting your wish...sort of. NBC is investing in D.C. but the Nebraska Ave. building is not closing. It will, however, undergo major renovations. First step is to move network operations out of the building. NBC is building a brand new bureau on North Capitol Street NW, much closer to the Capitol. NewscastStudio reported that the new facility can accommodate six simultaneous broadcast feeds at one time. NBC will occupy five floors of the building and will have a a street-level studio facing the Capitol building. The facility will house 350 employees from NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC. It is expected to open in early March.

That will leave WRC and WZDC alone in the Nebraska Avenue building. Extensive renovations are expected once the network is fully moved. The network currently has two studios and a fairly decent sized newsroom that local operations can utilize once the network bureau is moved. Studio A is the largest studio in the building that, since 1961, has housed "Meet the Press" in one half and local high school quiz show “It’s Academic” in the other half. The Washington Post reported that WRC had asked the producers of “It’s Academic” to begin looking for a new production home. The reason? The 1950s-era NBC studio would be undergoing a huge renovation. That was before a fire at the North Capitol Street studios  delayed the network's plans. (Original game plan was for MTP and MSNBC to be produced out of Studio N5 on the upper level of the North Cap building until new facilities were completed.) Now all Washington-based MSNBC shows are produced in Studio A until the move this spring. 

Ultimately I believe we will see new digs for both WRC and WZDC once the network is in their new home downtown.

 

I agree cause WZDC needs there own studio and market yea they jumped in Telemundo Station Group right in so they gave them a spare space that was a item store so they couldn't produce a lot of programing when you have 1 camera ptz and two other rolling ones. But there a major market they should have news in the morning and weekends and having a sizeable studio to handle production is a great catalyst also because they already have the newsroom and space and resources so that all they need to make that happen. They just need a studio.

[CircleSeven 1955]

WBTS is airing its final morning broadcast from the Newton location. At 6pm tonight, they'll be broadcasting from their new building in Needham.

 

 

[jbnews 344]

NBC10 has ditched their custom theme after only 3 years and replaced it with NBC O&O by 360. Guess the new bosses didn't like the music. NECN has debuted really nice and colorful new graphics along with a new logo. 

[scrabbleship 429]

I wonder if the move from Newton to Needham played a role in the odd tech problem WBTS had during the third period of the Bruins/Penguins game where the main audio wasn't going through. 

[ABC 7 Denver 1714]

The NBC 10 Boston set:

 

 

This is so underwhelming. This is great for tight 1 and 2 shots, but it's super basic. The anchor desk isn't proportional for the space and the standups behind are pretty bland. 4/10 stars. Decent colors and fixtures, but it feels like a shoe box design.

[rkolsen 1684]

18 minutes ago, scrabbleship said:

I wonder if the move from Newton to Needham played a role in the odd tech problem WBTS had during the third period of the Bruins/Penguins game where the main audio wasn't going through. 

I doubt it as everything is processed in at the Comcast Media Center in Centennial, CO straight to the transmitters/headends.  I don’t think regular network programming passes through the station unless they want to run a custom ticker or something.  I did however notice some audio problems with their online stream when WNEU launched and it seemed like today an ad was missing some audio on the WBTS stream as well.  

[rkolsen 1684]

Here’s a tour:.  I imagine they’ll have roll in elements and the walls will add versatility. 
 

NBC 10, Telemundo NI and NECN each have one studio. NBC Sports Boston has two. And the sixth is for special projects or when I imagine there’s a set to be replaced.

 

 

 

 

[rkolsen 1684]

Here’s NECN’s set,  I like it. A little more creative that WBTS and WNEU. 
 

 

[rkolsen 1684]

Here’s NECN’s insta story with some more views.  
 

I really like the LED wall that’s showing bricks with the sliding monitor in addition to the one movable wall.   
 

https://imgur.com/a/do0QgLd

[ProButtonPusher 230]

1 hour ago, rkolsen said:

I doubt it as everything is processed in at the Comcast Media Center in Centennial, CO straight to the transmitters/headends.  I don’t think regular network programming passes through the station unless they want to run a custom ticker or something.  I did however notice some audio problems with their online stream when WNEU launched and it seemed like today an ad was missing some audio on the WBTS stream as well.  

Generally, the way most modern hubs work is having the equipment racked at the local station (servers, sat receivers, etc), and those are remotely controlled over IP.

 

Sending the local newscasts to-and-from a hub creates unnecessary bandwidth and latency. Internet connections are at a point where remote computer connections and an IP stream of the station’s output (sent back to the hub) are all that are necessary.