Metromedia Square
| Metromedia Square | |
|---|---|
Satellite image of Metromedia Square from May 1994
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| Former names | Nassour Studios (1947–1950) KTTV Studios (1950–1967) Fox Television Center (I) (1986–1996) |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Film, radio, and television studios |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Hollywood, California |
| Address | 5746 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90028 |
| Coordinates | 34°05′53″N 118°18′54″W / 34.098080°N 118.315033°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1946 |
| Opened | 1947 |
| Renovated | 1967 |
| Closed | 2000 |
| Demolished | 2003 |
| Landlord | Nassour Studios (1947–1950) Times-Mirror Company (1950–1963) Metromedia (1963–2000) |
Metromedia Square (later known as Fox Television Center from 1986 to 1996) was a radio and television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California on the southeastern corner of Sunset and Van Ness Avenue. For decades it was recognizable by the white, ladder-like snake on the building's roof. This work of art was called "Starsteps" and was dismantled when ownership of the building changed hands in 2000.
The site was first known as the Nassour Studios, built in 1946 and opened January 1, 1947 by brothers William and Edward Nassour (1911-1962). Over 100 independent films were shot there under the Nassour Studio banner. Originally, there were four sound stages ranging in size from around 7,600 square feet (710 m2) to just over 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2). Nassour's modern Art Deco-styled projection room and modern offices were located in the buildings fronting Sunset Boulevard.
Dressing rooms were constructed adjacent to stages 1 and 2. An old converted two story apartment building located down the street on Van Ness housed producers and writers. The big stage (4) had removable panels that hid a water tank. It was used to film the jungle river scenes in Africa Screams (1949). The lot was very small (about four acres) so an underground facility for storage was necessary. A large freight elevator was installed for access.
In 1950 the Nassour brothers sold their studio to the Times-Mirror Company, publisher of the Los Angeles Times. Times-Mirror was looking for a facility to permanently house KTTV (channel 11), its new television station (at the time, owned jointly with CBS) which commenced broadcasting the previous year. The facility was later renamed KTTV Studios.
The New York City-based firm Metromedia purchased the property along with KTTV in 1963. In 1967 Metromedia undertook an extensive renovation and expansion of the facility, which included a new office tower and building housing various Metromedia enterprises, including the Harlem Globetrotters, the Ice Capades, the Foster & Kleisler advertising firm and Wolper Productions, the latter of which was purchased by the company in 1964. The renovation also brought about a name change, from KTTV Studios to Metromedia Square. Los Angeles radio stations KLAC and KMET (now KTWV), which Metromedia purchased in separate 1963 and 1965 transactions, moved there in 1976.
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