Landscape Changing for WLS-TV

  • Television stations spend enormous amounts of time, money and effort trying to connect with their audience. Consultants do surveys, anchors make appearances, and producers develop promotional campaigns.
  • ABC-7 Chicago has come up with a dramatic new way to make a connection. The station made a vibrant statement with the unveiling of its new street-side studio at a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:50 a.m. Monday April 10, 2006. The most noticeable feature of the studio is the new outdoor spectacular LED display, which will fast become a Chicago landmark. As you walk or drive down historic State Street you are greeted by a 42-foot tall by 8 foot wide LED sculpture that insiders are calling Obelisk that weighs 8 tons and has the capability to program live news feeds as well as promotional and branding campaigns.
  • Steven L. Craig, a Southern California businessman and CEO of Craig Realty Group, recently acquired Multimedia LED and now serves as the company's Chairman. Mr. Craig's purchase of Multimedia LED was inspired by his creation of Los Angeles's first Digital Display network at the Citadel Outlet Mall. WLS-TV was looking for a partnership with a company that could provide an artistic display, while inspiring interactivity with the public.
  • This curving masterpiece gives ABC-7 a unique platform to connect with the people of Chicago while at the same time delivering the station a new promotional vehicle for their News and Network line-up, says David Tetreault, Multimedia LED Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate development.
  • The lead engineer on the project Rick Van Rensselaer says that the Obelisk was a very challenging project from an engineering and construction standpoint we took the concept from the architect, which was very freeform in shape and designed the structure to be more easily manufactured, while keeping with the original concept as much as possible. We had to develop a new, smaller LED display module to conform to the curved shape of the face of the Obelisk. We spent 10 months in the design and construction phases of the project and feel that we created one of the most unique displays in the world.
  • Multimedia LED was hired by Disney to create the LED sculpture for WLS-TV following their unparalleled design and manufacture of the Super Sign for ABC in Times Square in 1999. According to Rex Williams, CEO of Multimedia LED Design is the key driver in creating LED displays that accentuate a brand's message and Multimedia LED's design prowess is its key differentiator in the LED display industry. Multimedia LED has lit up the skies in New York City, Orlando, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Santiago and in many other regions of the world - now the company is leaving its creative and technological mark on the city of Chicago.
  • For more information, contact: Christine Lock Garcia, 312-399-5822