WCNY’s new $20 million headquarters “spectacular,” PBS’s Kerger says

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At the grand opening Wednesday of WCNY’s new $20 million Broadcast and Education Center in Syracuse, N.Y., PBS President Paula Kerger declared the facility “spectacular.”

At 56,000 square feet over two buildings, it includes two TV and two radio studios, seven technical editing suites, a production control room, public cafe and courtyard. The educational centerpiece is Enterprise America, a mock town for students to apply Common Core curriculum to real-life situations and learn career, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, the local Post-Standard reports.

The facility is also home to the Centralcast master-control hub, which handles programming streams for all nine pubTV stations in New York state plus New Jersey’s four-station network.

Kerger admitted that she had her doubts when WCNY President Robert Daino announced in 2007 that the station would end pledge drives.

“I have to say I wasn’t sure that he could make it work,” she said. Kerger added that she cautioned Daino “to not make such big bold statements. But, you know, I was wrong.”

She also took a moment to comment on Bill Moyers’ decision to end his Moyers & Company program in January 2014.  “I really hope that he decides that he has a few more stories to tell because he has such an enormous gift that he has brought the American public,” Kerger said. “He has a voice that is singular and has been profoundly important.”

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