After a multi-year effort to lure Radio One back into Washington came up short, the city has announced CBS Radio will move from suburban Lanham, MD into D.C. limits. CBS has signed a 15-year lease to fill 33,000 square feet in the new 10-story building in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Capitol Riverfront. It will house the company’s six radio stations. Construction is set to begin next month on the new live performance space opening this summer.
CEO Dan Mason says the facility will allow for “extraordinary interactivity” with listeners. “This is an important development as we continue to strengthen the bond local radio has with the audiences in the cities where we operate,” he says. It’s that foot traffic that Washington Mayor Vincent Gray says he’s after, hoping the new studios will create a “more vibrant, active street life” in the area.
CBS Radio has about 350 employees at the cluster. Market manager Steve Swenson notes they’ll be the only radio group in downtown Washington. The location is two blocks from Nationals Park, which air on CBS Radio’s sports “106.7 The FAN” WJFK-FM, and just south of the U.S. Capitol. “This new facility will allow an unfettered look into how we operate and provide fans of our stations with the chance to meet some of the top names in the music business and our own beloved personalities,” Swenson says, reports Inside Radio.