| NBC Tower | |
|---|---|
 NBC Tower withpeacock logo | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°53′24″N87°37′16″W / 41.8899°N 87.6211°W /41.8899; -87.6211 |
| Completed | 1989 |
| Owner | Metropolis Investment Holdings Inc. |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Roof | 497 ft (151 m) |
| Top floor | 459 ft (140 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 37 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
TheNBC Tower is an office tower on theNear North Side ofChicago, Illinois located at 454 North Columbus Drive (455 North Cityfront Plaza is also used as a vanity address) in downtown Chicago's Magnificent Mile area. Completed in 1989, the 37-story building reaches a height of 627 feet (191 m).NBC's Chicago offices, studios, andowned-and-operated stationWMAQ-TV are based in the building. At 10 o'clock on the evening of October 1, 1989, WMAQ-TV broadcast its first newscast from the new home, with the then-weeknight news team ofRon Magers,Carol Marin,John Coleman, andMark Giangreco.[1]Telemundo O&OWSNS-TV has also occupied the building since its purchase by NBC in 2001, and NBC's former radio properties,WKQX, andWLUP-FM, continue to maintain studios in the tower.[2]
The design, byAdrian D. Smith ofSkidmore, Owings & Merrill, is in theArt Deco style and bears a marked similarity to30 Rockefeller Plaza inNew York City, which is NBC's global headquarters. The tower is further enhanced by the use oflimestone piers and recessed tinted glass withgranitespandrels.[3] The building takes additional cues from the nearby landmarkTribune Tower with the use offlying buttresses. A 130 ft (40 m)broadcast tower andspire tops theskyscraper. WMAQ and WSNS haveSTL and satellite facilities on the roof; the STLs link to WMAQ and WSNS's transmitter facilities atop theWillis Tower. WMAQ radio/WSCR studios and STL were located in the building until 2006 when they relocated toTwo Prudential Plaza.
Located in the Cityfront Plaza area, the building contains 850,000 sq ft (79,000 m2) of space and three floors of underground parking with 261 spaces. Connected to the main tower is a four-story radio and television broadcasting facility where WSNS's newscasts and WMAQ's newscasts are currently taped, and was the former recording facility forJerry Springer andThe Steve Wilkos Show before their tax credit-influenced move toStamford, Connecticut in 2009. It was also home to the 1990s syndicated improv/sketch showKwik Witz,[4]The Jenny Jones Show until its cancellation in 2003,Steve Harvey until its move toLos Angeles in 2017, andJudge Mathis until its cancellation in 2023.
The following TV and radio stations are located in the building:
In February 2016, alternative stationWKQX and sister classic rock stationWLUP-FM announced that they will be moving from their longtime home in theMerchandise Mart to a new studio in the tower. WKQX and WLUP-FM operated temporarily from the formerWLS studios at 190 N. State St. On August 4, 2016, the move of WKQX and WLUP-FM to the tower was finalized.[5]
CBS Media Ventures' Chicago branch is located in Suite 2910.
From the tower's opening to 2006, WMAQ/WSCR radio studios were also located in the building. The stations relocated.
The tower was also the world headquarters ofNavistar International until 2000 when the company announced plans to relocate to west suburbanLisle, Illinois.
In addition to housing these entities, the studios have been home to the following shows:
