The Nexstar Media-owned cable news network NewsNation unveiled its brand new New York studios this past Tuesday.
The debut of the new production facility included a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was joined by NewsNation’s evening on-air talent, including Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas, Dan Abrams, and Ashleigh Banfield.
Michael Corn, NewsNation’s president of news, was also in attendance, as were Nexstar CEO Perry Sook and Nexstar Networks president Sean Compton.
I don’t cut ribbons for every station, says NYC Mayor Eric Adams at WPIX/NewsNation ribbon cutting. pic.twitter.com/aRFwgvMXkt
— Mike Malone (@BCMikeMalone) April 25, 2023
The new production facility is located in The Daily News Building in midtown Manhattan, and will be where all NewsNation evening programming will originate from. Editorial staff will also work out of the Daily News Building.
NewsNation’s New York operation will share a home with New York station WPIX. Nexstar has been operating WPIX since October 2022, when it took majority control of station parent The CW. WPIX (locally known as PIX 11) has called The Daily News Building home since its inception in 1948.
Some of the bells and whistles of this newly updated facility, which took 10 months to construct and occupies approximately 1,000 square feet, include:
- New news set, feed room, newsroom, production control room, and lighting and lighting controls/grid.
- Two full control rooms on two different floors – one on the 2nd floor and another on the 10th floor.
- The new 2nd-floor presentation area is 360 degrees, allowing the ability to shoot every possible way for maximum depth.
- The 10th floor currently houses the studio for the Dan Abrams Show and Cuomo. Cuomo’s show will soon be moving to the second floor.
- 359 LED panels consisting of 31 million pixels.
- 112 TVs between the newsroom, feed room, and control rooms.
- East and west LED areas are moveable along a track from north to south to maximize versatility.
- Capacity to do 16 simultaneous live shots.
The new studio’s debut comes during a busy time for the news network, which just launched a new afternoon news block, NewsNation Now, and an hour-long Washington, D.C.-based political news and analysis program, The Hill, on Monday. It recently launched an evening newscast Elizabeth Vargas Reports and is expanding to a 24-hour news schedule five days per week.
NewsNation anchors Adrienne Bankert and Mitch Carr marked the expansion by thanking viewers for tuning in, saying, “Thank you to our loyal viewers. NewsNation is now the fastest-growing news channel in the country. Tell your friends about us. We are news for all America, and that means you. If you are watching, we are news for you.”