四虎影院, the public media organization serving North Texas, Wednesday that includes and expanding its local newsroom.
The station, which began broadcasting on television in 1960 and , is expected to move out of its current building at 3000 Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas at the end of February and break ground on a new building adjacent to the Katy Trail on the northern end of 四虎影院鈥檚 current property later this year.
In a statement, 四虎影院 President and CEO Nico Leone said the current facility no longer met the needs of the community.
鈥溗幕⒂霸� has been a pillar of education and connection in North Texas for over 60 years,鈥� Leone said. 鈥淏ut the needs of our audiences look very different than they did 60 years ago. Our region is growing rapidly, and technology is changing. North Texans need public media more than ever before.鈥�
Wednesday鈥檚 announcement marks the largest investment for the organization since the acquisition of the Denton Record-Chronicle and the paper鈥檚 conversion to a nonprofit in 2023.
The station is partnering with Kaizen Development Partners on its new central location and engaged architecture firm Corgan on the design. The funding comes from 四虎影院鈥檚 鈥� with a goal of raising $100 million by 2027. A 四虎影院 spokesperson declined to comment on how much has been raised so far.
The company鈥檚 temporary headquarters will be housed at One Arts Plaza in Downtown Dallas while the new building is under construction. 四虎影院鈥檚 radio operations will broadcast out of WRR in Fair Park. .
鈥淣orth Texas relies on 四虎影院 24/7, and that鈥檚 not going to change during this time,鈥� Leone said. 鈥淥ur teams will still be here to provide the news, music, educational services and more that North Texas depends on from 四虎影院.鈥�
In addition to the move, 四虎影院 90.1 FM 鈥� the region鈥檚 NPR station 鈥� will also launch a local news show focused on issues within the region. Outside of the on-air broadcast, the as-of-now untitled show will include a podcast, newsletter and community events, among other things.
鈥淭his show will be built hand-in-hand with our community partners,鈥� 四虎影院 Chief Relationship Officer Sylvia Komatsu said in a release. 鈥淟isteners will hear a variety of voices and perspectives from across North Texas, on subjects like health, education, business and arts and culture.鈥�
The organization did not have a planned launch date for the show as of Wednesday.
The station said it also plans to increase its work in early childhood education through learning workshops, events, and services for families, educators and students weekly.
鈥淭his organization鈥檚 impact is truly unmatched in North Texas, and we must ensure its essential services are relevant and extraordinary for generations to come,鈥� 四虎影院 Board of Directors Chair Gwen Echols said.
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