ABC 7 Chicago's newscast sits behind glass at street level on State Street, for audiences to witness, and sometimes engage with, during live production. The studio works as a broadcast set and as the station's storefront at the same time.
I led the original build in 2006, one of the first street-side broadcast studios at a local news station, and the 2016 redesign that followed it.
On the redesign I ran the RFP and the vendor selection, and set the creative direction: brand expression, layout, and the display technology plan, including the seven by three monitor array behind the anchor desk and the three by three array at the stand-up position, both driven by ORAD. Jack Morton PDG developed the structural and architectural design to that direction. Black Walnut fabricated. I coordinated design, broadcast engineering, IT, lighting, and news operations through fabrication, installation, and rehearsal.
The original studio was recognized with a Chicago Midwest Emmy Award for studio design. This 2016 redesign went live the same weekend the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.
Role: Creative Direction, Brand Environment Design, RFP and Vendor Management, Project Management
Scale: Street-side broadcast studio at 190 North State Street. Original build and 2016 redesign.
Focus: Brand expression, layout, display technology, cross-department coordination
Vendor Partners: Jack Morton PDG (design). Black Walnut (fabrication).
Role: Creative Direction, Brand Environment Design, RFP and Vendor Management, Project Management
Scale: Street-side broadcast studio at 190 North State Street. Original build and 2016 redesign.
Focus: Brand expression, layout, display technology, cross-department coordination
Vendor Partners: Jack Morton PDG (design). Black Walnut (fabrication).
Main News Desk area with 7x3 Monitor Array powered by ORAD and Ross Xpression.
Wide Shot of Anchor Desk with 7x3 Monitor Array and Reporter Area in distance to the right.
3X3 Monitor Array and Stand-up Reporter Area. The right wall serves as a distant backdrop for the Weather presentation area.
High angle view of the stand-up area with inlaid rosco detail flooring.