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  • GM Wes Milbourn announcing plans for new digital multimedia forecasting & information center
  • Aerial shot of KFOR/KAUT studios 2014
  • Original construction
  • Original construction
  • Original construction
  • Original construction
  • Construction on current facility
  • Original construction

(Oklahoma City, Okla.) KFOR NewsChannel 4 & KAUT Freedom 43 TV are pleased to announce plans to break ground on the construction of a new, state-of-the-art weather, news and digital information center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The announcement was made during a staff appreciation luncheon Tuesday afternoon at the KFOR studios.  Ground breaking and construction is tentatively set for January 2015.

“This is a direct response to the new demands of our viewers and online readers.  Our goal is to design the new KFOR-TV/KAUT-TV  headquarters with an eye to the future.

It’s about a culture of innovation to make this a great place to work and to serve this wonderful community in the digital age,” said Wes Milbourn, President and General Manager of KFOR NewsChannel 4 and KAUT Freedom 43 TV.

The announcement comes as KFOR, Oklahoma’s first television station,  celebrates its 65th anniversary.  The current building has served the community for most of that time and has a proud history.  KFOR (formerly WKY -KTVY ) was the first station in the country to broadcast a tornado warning and the first color station in Oklahoma.  The legacy of ‘firsts’ will continue as the station plans the most advanced information center in the state.

Click here for a look at the 65th anniversary of this legacy station.

“The new 4 Warn Storm Center will be designed from the ground up and stand as the centerpiece of the entire news operation.  We’ll have the newest technology and the studios will be constructed utilizing the highest safety standards to withstand extreme severe weather so our team can deliver life-saving information on all digital platforms, without interruption, ” said Carlton Houston, News Director of KFOR NewsChannel 4 and KAUT Freedom 43 TV.

 

The size and scope of the project are still in the early planning stages.   The next steps include architectural design and surveyors who will be visiting the KFOR/KAUT 10-acre property at 444 E. Britton Road in the coming days.

KFOR NewsChannel 4/ KAUT Freedom 43 are owned by Tribune Media.  It is one of the country’s leading multimedia companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing, and interactive. The company owns or operates 42 television stations, WGN America on national cable, the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV, Tribune Studios and Chicago’s WGN-AM.