George Hohmann - Charleston Daily Mail
February 26, 2012
The staff of WOWK-TV is expected to begin moving into its new studio and offices on Quarrier Street by mid-March, said Bray Cary, president and chief executive officer of the station's owner, West Virginia Media Holdings.
"We anticipate that we'll be starting to occupy parts of the offices no later than mid-March," Cary said. "By the end of April we think the facility will be fully functional."
Cary said 85 to 90 employees of WOWK-TV and The State Journal will work out of the new studio and offices, which are next to BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co.'s headquarters at 400 Quarrier St.
West Virginia Media Holdings has signed a multi-year lease for just under 15,000 square feet of space that BrickStreet did not build out when it refurbished the former Montgomery Ward department store building.
WOWK-TV's operations will be on the ground floor, facing Quarrier Street. The space has its own entrance and its own parking. It is on the west end of the building, adjacent to the Charleston Town Center's Quarrier Street parking garage.
Most of WOWK-TV's Huntington staff and its entire Charleston staff will move into the new facility. "We will have one major studio," Cary said. "Huntington will still have a small newsroom, sales office and studio operation, but it will be in a different building than it is in now."
The building at 555 5th Ave. that currently houses WOWK-TV's Huntington studio and offices is for sale. Cary said a new location for the scaled-down Huntington operation has not yet been finalized.
WOWK's Charleston studio and offices are currently at 13 Kanawha Blvd. W. The lease on that space expires this year.
In August, when the move was announced, Cary was asked why his company decided to shift most personnel to Charleston. "If you look at where the center of economic activity and the center of news in the area is, it's Charleston," he said. "We think we can better service all of those involved by being in the middle of the market.
"The most exciting thing for WOWK is, it will have all of its employees for the first time under one roof," Cary said in an interview for this story. "That will make a huge difference in terms of teamwork and an effective news operation. It should elevate the quality of our product. That's really what this is all about."
Cary mentioned another benefit for the TV station and its viewers: "Everything will be in high definition."
Pray Construction Co. Inc. of Scott Depot is the general contractor. "They've been outstanding," Cary said. "They've hit every deadline."
Most of the construction is complete. "What isn't complete is the installation of all of the electrical equipment and stuff that makes it a TV station," Cary said.
Greg Burton, president and chief executive officer of BrickStreet — West Virginia Media Holdings' new landlord — said, "To date there have been no issues and all of the parties - BrickStreet, West Virginia Media and the contractor - have worked well in getting the space renovated.
"BrickStreet has been working hard for the past few years trying to find a tenant for our space and we are very pleased that West Virginia Media has agreed to move into the space," Burton said. "They are a perfect fit for the space and will bring additional people to the mall, which will be beneficial to downtown Charleston overall. We look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Bray Cary and West Virginia Media."
Lisa McCracken, the Charleston Town Center's marketing director, said she recently toured West Virginia Media's new facilities and spoke with top management.
"While they are in the BrickStreet building, they want to partner with the Charleston Town Center for opportunities for promotion and exposure," she said.
