Viacom Finalizes Plan to Move TV Stations to Valley By CARLOS MARTINEZ Staff Reporter Plans to build a new home for both Viacom-owned KCBS Channel 2 and KCAL Channel 9 at CBS Studio Center in Studio City have been finalized and will be submitted to the city in the next few weeks. Michael Klausman, president of CBS Studio Center, said the proposed master plan will replace an existing plan for the studio’s expansion that had been approved nearly eight years ago. The new proposal includes a new three-story building, additional studio facilities that will accommodate the two stations’ broadcast operations and a five-story, 543-space parking structure, all in the studios’ northwest side. “Once we submit the plan, our intention to move KCBS and KCAL here will become official,” said Klausman, adding that it would take up to a year to get through the city approval process. Tony Lucente, president of the Studio City Homeowners Association, said his group is pleased with the proposal that would attract television broadcasters to the area for the first time. The addition of KCBS-TV to the area will mean all but one major television network affiliate in Los Angeles will be based in the Valley. KNBC and KABC are operating in Burbank and Glendale, respectively. Only KTTV, the Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliate is still based in Hollywood. “Because CBS is in the middle of a residential area, noise and traffic are big issues, so we worked things out and I think it’s going to be a good project,” Lucente said. A few years ago residents were concerned that the proposed construction of up to four new soundstages under an earlier expansion plan would bring more truck traffic and noise to the area, Lucente said. The current plan would still bring some auto traffic, but not the heavy trucks associated with film or television production, he added.
