KWTV NEWS 9 MOVE AIMS TO DRAW MORE VIEWERS TO DOWNTOWN OKC
The relocation of KWTV News 9 to their new home in at Sheridan and Robinson last month is another example how downtown Oklahoma City continues its resurgence as an economic development destination for business and industry. More than 240 people employed by KWTV News 9 will now be working in OKC’s central business district, helping to drive more business to the area, create more visibility for the various downtown merchants and attractions, and also generate potentially more jobs in downtown. David Griffin, CEO of Griffin Media, which owns and operates KWTV News 9, and who also serves on the Chamber’s board of directors, said the company had been eyeing a move to downtown OKC for some time; however, the right time and place never really presented itself until a conversation he had with Chamber President and CEO Roy Williams early last year. “I had been talking to Roy Williams about this for years that we wanted to get downtown. I talked to the mayor about it as well. In January of 2021, Roy called me and said the former Oklahoman space might be
an opportunity for you. That really started a process that led ultimately, with the Chamber’s support, the city’s support, economic development’s support, for us to be able to move downtown. So the Chamber was instrumental in starting this whole process,” Griffin said. The company also has a TV station (KOTV) located in downtown Tulsa. Both Griffin Media and KWTV News 9 are two of several tenants located in the 100,000-square-foot complex, which is now called 100 West Main and owned by an affiliated entity related to Griffin Media. Other building tenants include entities such as The Oklahoman, Main Street YMCA, SSM Health, Mahogany Steakhouse and others. Officially dedicated last month, the KWTV News 9 space is comprised of approximately 45,000-square-feet of workspace on two floors. News, marketing, sales and technology departments are housed on the first floor, along with the production room and three studios. The main studio from where News 9 is broadcast features several newly designed sets and three robotic cameras. The new weather center is the largest in the country, according to a Griffin Media fact sheet. When guests first enter the main entrance on the east side of the building, they are greeted by a 13-foot by 25- A 13-foot by 25-foot monitor greets guests when they first enter the new KWTV News 9 newsroom downtown.
The new Weather Center at KWTV’s new home in downtown Oklahoma City. 12
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