Times Square Studios

This article is about the Disney Company's production facilities. For the daytime division of the Disney-ABC Television Group, see Times Square Studios (division).
Not to be confused with MTV's studios across the street at One Astor Plaza.
Times Square Studios

The logo of Times Square Studios (since an unknown date).
Alternative names TSSL
General information
Type television studio
Location Times Square, Manhattan, New York City
Address 1500 Broadway
Current tenants -Good Morning America
Assorted other ABC News and ESPN programs (see article for others)
Inaugurated 1999
Renovated 2007 (exterior)
Owner The Walt Disney Company
Design and construction
Architect Walt Disney Imagineering

Times Square Studios (TSS) is an American television studio owned by The Walt Disney Company, located on the SE corner of West 44th Street and Broadway in the Times Square area of the borough of Manhattan. The studio is best known as the production home of ABC News' Good Morning America (GMA), a morning news and talk program, segments for other ABC News programs, and various programs on ESPN.

Background

Studio exterior 3 years after 2007 refurbishment, January 2010

Times Square Studios is on the site of the former Hotel Claridge, built in 1911. In 1972, the hotel was demolished and the current structure, which housed the National Theater,[1] and a Beefsteak Charlie's restaurant, was built. The theater closed in 1998.

The studio was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney's design and development arm. The original concept for the studio was conceived by Harry Grossman. His plan called for the studio to broadcast many shows twenty-four hours a day for both Disney-owned and non-Disney programs.

The building's outer facade consists of over nine LED ribbons of lights. The 8th LED ribbon of lights from the top is used as a ticker for ABC News, while the 9th is a sports ticker for ESPN. Also on the facade is a large TV display made by Mitsubishi - Diamond Vision despite the visual that states Siemens. This screen mainly broadcasts the late SportsCenter, along with WABC-TV and ABC News newscasts during non-GMA hours, along with high-profile sports events, series and films on the ABC and ESPN family of networks for both the convenience of Times Square visitors and to provide a simple venue for crowd photo ops for those high-profile events.

The studio is primarily used for productions of ABC News. When Good Morning America is not on the air, the studios have been used regularly to produce programming (such as special week-long New York City weeks for international morning shows) for other companies including:

Productions at Times Square Studios

Exterior (looking east from Broadway) of the Times Square Studios (April 2004).

Previous productions at Times Square Studios

Good Morning America Weekend

References

  1. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1853


Coordinates: 40°45′25″N 73°59′08″W / 40.75694°N 73.98556°W