NBC 5, Telemundo Chicago move into unified newsroom following four-year, $70M project

When NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago launched from their new studios this past weekend, viewers saw updated sets and sharper production. Behind the scenes, the stations had completed a substantial four-year, $70 million transformation of how local television news gets made.

The project consolidated more than 70,000 square feet across multiple floors of NBC Tower into a single workspace where English and Spanish-language journalists, producers, engineers and executives now work side by side.

Reporters can file stories to broadcast, digital and streaming platforms from nearly any location in the building. The NBC News Chicago Bureau moved in as well, creating a shared resource pool across local and national operations.

More significantly, NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago became the first stations in NBCUniversal’s portfolio to abandon traditional on-premises newsroom servers in favor of cloud-based production systems.

The decision comes as local broadcasters face pressure from streaming competitors and fragmenting audiences.

Five studios ready for cloud-based production

The remodeled facility includes five broadcast studios and more than 20 camera-ready filming locations distributed throughout the space. The design allows for what NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago describe as a “shoot-anywhere” approach to content creation across broadcast, digital and streaming platforms.

Advertisement

The stations are the first across the NBCUniversal Local group to implement a cloud-based newsroom system as part of the renovation, deploying Saga and Mimir systems from Fonn Group AS, moving away from traditional on-premises newsroom infrastructure.

The stations also introduced what it describes as a Unified Production Platform across the facility.

The platform consists of standardized newsroom applications and production systems that enable staff to work across markets and coordinate with national news operations. The system is being implemented at other NBCUniversal Local stations as part of the company’s broader infrastructure modernization.

Technical infrastructure and workflow changes

NBC Tower at 454 North Columbus Drive was completed in 1989, with WMAQ moving from Merchandise Mart to the facility. 

While modern for the era, NBC Tower no longer fit the station’s needs, with NBC 5 broadcasting from a former newsroom studio that had been enclosed. 

The new broadcast facility moves staff and technical operations onto the second floor, which previously housed studios for syndicated programming before the top-to-bottom renovation. 

The proximity is intended to reduce the time required to move from story development to on-air production, with workflows and speed at the heart of the new facility. 

Design and construction partnerships

Design Republic served as the chief architectural team for the project, with Partners by Design providing additional architectural services. The firms worked to create a space that accommodates both traditional broadcast workflows and newer digital content creation needs.

Jack Morton Worldwide designed the studio spaces, while NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises scenic constructed the physical sets. The Lighting Design Group provided lighting design for the studios and production areas.

Clune Construction served as the primary construction contractor, managing work that took place while the stations continued broadcasting from temporary spaces within NBC Tower. Gardiner & Theobald provided construction consulting services.

Qvest US served as systems integrator, coordinating the installation and integration of broadcast and IT systems from multiple vendors. Technology partners included EVS Broadcast for production servers, Ross Video for switchers and production control, Calrec Audio for audio mixing consoles, Grass Valley for cameras and production equipment, Sony Professional for additional camera systems, LiveU for remote transmission equipment and Imagine Communications for playout and distribution systems.

Advertisement

Jonathan Garratt, vice president of technology and operations at NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago, led the internal employee team through the transition.

The project was overseen by NBCUniversal Operations & Technology and Global Real Estate divisions.

Bilingual operations under one roof

The renovation physically integrates NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago operations in ways that were not possible when teams worked on separate floors. The stations share technical infrastructure, including the studios, allowing for more flexible resource allocation during major news events.

The shared space also enables collaboration between English- and Spanish-language news teams on stories that serve both audiences. The stations can deploy bilingual journalists across platforms and coordinate coverage during breaking news situations.

The facility is designed to support production across formats, with multiple filming locations beyond the traditional studios.

The Chicago renovation positions NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago for platform convergence that will likely accelerate over the next five to ten years. Broadcast television remains the primary distribution channel for local news, but streaming and social platforms grow more important each quarter.

Stay tuned for additional coverage of the new facility on NCS.

Photos courtesy of Design Republic/Kendall McCaugherty

Advertisement