Meet the Mayor

I finally got to meet Antonio Villaraigosa on Friday, and I gotta say, there's definitely an aura building around the dude. Getting elected mayor of the nation's second-largest city looks good on him.

His lackluster campaign didn't excite me the way it should have, but since getting elected, I've seen some real energy. Go figure -- a mayor that the city of Los Angeles actually knows is mayor. (Haven't seen that in a while.) And not just because he made the cover of Newsweek. Villaraigosa is everywhere these days.


Including the groundbreaking last Friday for the future Studio City home of KCBS and KCAL. (Villaraigosa is standing between city council member Wendy Greuel and CBS honcho Leslie Moonves.)

I met Villaraigosa afterward, and mentioned that his original name -- Antonio Villar -- was the same as Maria's father. (Villaraigosa combined his last name with his wife's maiden name when they married.) Villaraigosa asked if Maria's dad was Filipino -- noting that "Villar" is a common surname in the Philippines, but much less so in Mexico (where Villaraigosa's family is from).

As for the event itself... as has been widely reported, the three story building – along with a five-story parking garage – will be situated toward the back of CBS Studio Center, known informally as “the Radford lot.” Construction is expected to be completed sometime in 2006. The new structure will be built where the house for the Eye’s “Big Brother” reality skein (now relocated to “Yes, Dear’s” soundstage) formerly stood.

More, from my story in today's Variety:

It’s also believed that CBS Entertainment will move its operations from Television City to the site – although the network still hasn’t officially confirmed the speculation (Daily Variety, April 16, 2004).

Not only were KCBS and KCAL staffers squeezed into the Columbia Square facilities in Hollywood after the two stations’ operations were merged, but the building is showing its age.

“We do feel like kids on Christmas morning,” said KCBS anchor Laura Diaz. “We’ve been rubbing shoulders at the duopoly.”


Once CBS’ grand west coast radio headquarters, the building is now known for its “dark hallways and dripping walls.” Moonves called the new home “tremendous” – and told station anchors and reporters in attendance that they’d finally have windows in their offices.

KCBS/KCAL vice president/GM Don Corsini thanked staffers in attendance for “putting up with” the current deteriorating facilities. He also announced that the new building’s newsroom would be named after the late anchor Jerry Dunphy, whose career included anchoring Channel 2’s “Big News” in the 1960s and helping launch KCAL’s three-hour primetime news.

The new building reps the third homes for KCBS, and at least the third home for KCAL. Originally owned by General Tire’s Don Lee Broadcasting, KTSL-Channel 2 launched at the Don Lee-Mutual Broadcasting studios (now home to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ film archives) on Vine in Hollywood.

General Tire eventually sold Channel 2 to CBS (which renamed it KNXT) and turned around and bought KHJ (now KCAL), Channel 9, which also operated in the same Vine St. building, although under different ownership.

KNXT and KHJ shared the building until the early 1960s, when Channel 2 moved to Columbia Square and KHJ relocated to Melrose, where RKO (which General Tire had bought) was based. It was a coincidence of history that Channels 2 and 9 would eventually merge under the same roof again, this time through common ownership.

The departure of KCBS and KCAL reps another end of a Hollywood era. The region was home to KABC, KCAL, KCBS, KCET, KCOP, KTLA, KTTV and KWHY until recently -- now, after the dust settles, just KTLA and KCET will remain.

CBS sold Columbia Square (which it built in 1938) to developer Ralph Horowitz in 2003 and has been leasing it since then; the building's ultimate fate is unclear, although Horowitz reportedly wants to tear down the structure to build a new development.

(Postcard credit: www.fybush.com)