KCBS studios --located in the KPIX/CBS building on 855 Battery, is about to be no more.
I'VE LEARNED, through a local broadcast source, that Entercom, which owns KCBS, has been aced out, essentially, evicted, and that its last day at 855 Battery is November 30th. KCBS occupies both the second and third floor at 855 Battery. In addition to KCBS, 855 Battery also houses 95.7 FM, "The Game" and Alice, 97.3 FM. Their status is unknown but they too are owned by Entercom.
KCBS' future home is unknown but as usual, I'll be checking around.
The new home will most likely be overpriced & Under planned!
ReplyDeletePlenty of homeless camps around that may take the crew in.
ReplyDeleteI remember in the early 1980s when the broadcast class (Chabot College) I was in took a tour of some stations in SF, we visited KCBS, which was in the Embarcadero Centre at the time. We also visited KOIT when it was in the Pyramid and KSAN when it was still AOR.
ReplyDeleteIs it because they simply stopped paying rent?
ReplyDeleteSomething doesn't add up. Commercial landlords are desperate to hold on to tenants and they're willing to lower rents to keep them. It also doesn't make sense that Entercom was given only a month to leave. Was Nov. 30 the end of a long-term lease? Had the lease expired earlier and had gone month-to-month, allowing for such a sudden eviction? My guess is that the story is backward and your source was fed a line of BS by CBS management. Entercom probably decided to leave when its lease was up. And it' new space will be much smaller due to the work-from-home phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteRich, if you haven't noticed, businesses are fleeing SF as fast as they can. The longterm thinking is that we're headed for a multi-year recession and whatever spaces are empty now will remain empty.
I agree with Anonymous 7:36AM. Most likely Entercom was the one who decided to leave, and they must have decided months ago. There's no way they can bivouac and be up-and-running in the space of one month. KCBS probably already has a new home ready to go. IF the story is valid, that is. It may turn out to be complete bullshit (my guess).
DeleteThey've been scrambling for a while, but they have to be out by November 30th. CBS Interactive (C|Net) is leaving their expensive SOMA location and needs the space. LIVE 105 and Alice will temporarily relocate to Entercom facilities in Sacramento.
ReplyDeleteEntercom is building out temporary studios for KCBS and KGMZ in the financial district.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if they would return to Embarcadero 2 but that won't happen either. It makes sense that they'll find digs in a cheaper smaller building and ask most of their staff to do their work from home or by cell phone.
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