From todays Herald.
CBC explores relocating TV, radio to same building
By Tim Arsenault Television Reporter
Sat. Jan 31 - 4:46 AM
CBC in Halifax would love to have all its employees under one roof, but there’s no hurry.
"There’s no urgency. There’s no deadline," Wendy Jones, communications manager with CBC in Halifax, said Thursday in an interview. "We are in an exploratory phase.
"CBC, with our real estate division, has been looking really for the last four-plus years in this market to see how we can either move our buildings together, move our staff together (or) look for a new location. There’s a number of options."
The public broadcaster operates out of two familiar properties in the city. CBC Radio is at the corner of Sackville and South Park streets, while CBC-TV is a short walk away down Bell Road.
The YMCA on South Park Street approached the CBC a few months ago to see if there was interest in somehow developing their neighbouring aging buildings to mutual advantage.
A potential partnership between the recreation organization and CBC comes with stipulations that the broadcaster wouldn’t face if it moved into a new building or combined operations at one of its existing facilities.
"It could be a year, year and a half, we’re told before we hear back and only at that stage does the Y and CBC then go out to the development community to gauge (the) level of interest, market value, all kinds of stuff like that," said Jones.
The urge to merge has been pursued by CBC across the country. A year ago, St. John’s, N.L., combined operations that had been in two buildings and a new facility in Ottawa is home to employees from six previously scattered locations.
About 200 television, radio and French services employees work at the Bell Road and Sackville Street locations, but it’s the benefits that could come from combined news operations that’s driving the planning.
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