Satellite image of Metromedia Square from May 1994

Metromedia Square (also known as Fox Television Center from 1986 to 1996) was a radio and television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, 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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1104 × 736 pixel, file size: 242 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Satellite image of Metromedia Square in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California as of May 31, 1994. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1104 × 736 pixel, file size: 242 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Satellite image of Metromedia Square in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California as of May 31, 1994. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... A television studio is an installation in which television or video productions take place, either for live television, for recording live on tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for postproduction. ... Sunset Boulevard (officially known as West Sunset Boulevard, except in Beverly Hills) is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

History

The site was first known as the Nassour Studio, built in 1946 and opened January 1, 1947.

Originally, there were four sound stages ranging in size from around 7,600 square feet to just over 13,000 square feet (Later, the Metromedia Corporation added two more as well as large office buildings).

Nassour's modern Art Deco-styled projection room and modern offices were located in the buildings fronting Sunset.

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." The lot was very small (about 4 acres) so an underground facility for storage was necessary. A large freight elevator was installed for access.

Over 100 independent films were shot there under the Nassour Studio banner. Nassour Studio was sold to Norman Chandler who owned The Los Angeles Times. Chandler was looking for a facility to permanently house KTTV (Channel 11). The Los Angeles Times (also L.A. Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the Western United States. ... KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. ...

From 1949 to 1996, KTTV was housed here, and radio stations KMET 94.7 FM (now KTWV) and KLAC AM 570, both owned by Metromedia Broadcasting at the time, moved here in mid-1976. 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... KMET was a Los Angeles radio station originally owned by Metromedia that first took to the air in June 1968 at 94. ... KTWV is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside-San Bernardino, California area on 94. ... KLAC AM 570 is a radio station serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. ... 1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles Metromedia Producers Corporation logo Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Television producer Norman Lear moved into the property in 1973 and headquartered his company, Tandem Productions, in the building. Lear started videotaping his television series here in the fall of 1975, including, but not limited to, All in the Family, Diff'rent Strokes, The Jeffersons, Maude, Good Times, One Day at a Time, and The Facts of Life. One of his other classic shows, Sanford & Son, remained taping its series at NBC Studios in Burbank, although its 1980 revival, Sanford, was videotaped at Metromedia. Shows such as Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, and The Jeffersons later relocated to Universal City Studios by 1982. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Norman Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American television writer and producer who produced shows such as All in the Family, Sanford and Son and Maude. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Maude is a half-hour American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 29, 1978. ... Good Times was an American sitcom originally broadcast from February 8, 1974 until August 1, 1979 on the CBS television network. ... One Day at a Time is a long-running American situation comedy dealing with a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters (Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli and their building superintendent (Pat Harrington, Jr. ... The Facts of Life was an American sitcom which ran on the NBC network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. ... Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford. ... NBC Studios are the two studio facilities belonging to the National Broadcasting Company, with one of them being located at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and the other located in Burbank, California, just outside of Los Angeles. ... Universal Studios Theme Parks. ...

In 1986, Metromedia sold KTTV to the Fox Broadcasting Company, and the studios became the Fox Television Center, even though Metromedia continued to own the building and the land on which it was situated, therefore leasing the property to Fox and KTTV. Shows like the Fox-produced Small Wonder and NBC's Saved by the Bell were among the last series to be taped at this complex, as well as the sketch comedy series, In Living Color, and the first season of MAD TV. Ironically, very few Fox television shows were actually taped at the Fox Television Center. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... 1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles Metromedia Producers Corporation logo Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... Small wonder could refer to: Small Wonder (TV series), a mid 80s TV series Small Wonder (webcomic), a webcomic published by Viper Comics Small Wonder: Essays, a book by Barbara Kingsolver. ... Saved by the Bell was an American teen sitcom which originally aired between 1989 and 1993. ... In Living Color is a sketch comedy television series which ran on the FOX Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. ... Mad TV has three meanings: MADtv — a TV series. ...

KTTV moved to its own new building (the new Fox Television Center) in West Los Angeles in 1996, which is the corporate home of the Fox Television Stations Group. Meanwhile, the radio stations' studios had remained here, even long after they were no longer owned by Metromedia. KMET had become KTWV, now owned by CBS Radio, and moved to new studios in Culver City in 1997, and then Miracle Mile neighborhood on L.A.'s Wilshire Boulevard on February 18, 2005. KLAC eventually became acquired by Clear Channel Communications and moved to studios shared with Clear Channel's other AM stations, which are now located in Burbank. The FOX Television Center (formerly known as the KTTV/KTWV Studios and Metromedia Square) was a group of radio and television studios located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. ... West Los Angeles is a district in western Los Angeles, California. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Fox Television Stations (FTS) are a group of television stations located throughout the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company. ... KMET was a Los Angeles radio station originally owned by Metromedia that first took to the air in June 1968 at 94. ... KTWV is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside-San Bernardino, California area on 94. ... CBS Radio Inc. ... Motto: The Heart of Screenland Location of Culver City in California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1917-09-07 [2] Government  - City Manager Jerry Fulwood [1] Area  - City  5. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... The Miracle Mile The Miracle Mile is lined by many high-rise buildings. ... Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile District, looking east toward Downtown Los Angeles Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, looking east toward the Millionaires Mile Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... KLAC AM 570 is a radio station serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. ... Not to be confused with clear channel radio stations, which are AM radio stations with certain technical parameters. ...

The Fox Broadcasting Company, which had maintained some business offices at the 20th Century Fox studios in Los Angeles' Century City neighborhood while at the Television Center, moved its complete base of operations to the Century City studio lot shortly after the KTTV move. This new facility, known as the Fox Network Center, is the home to the network's live studio productions, such as Fox NFL Sunday and Fox Saturday Baseball. Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... Century City is the name of: A neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA. See: Century City, Los Angeles, California. ... NFL on FOX logo. ... Major League Baseball on FOX is the de facto brand name for a weekly presentation of Major League Baseball games on the Fox television network. ...

The Metromedia Corporation sold the land to the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2000. The building was demolished by the School District in 2003, while a new high school is currently being built, which is scheduled to open by the 2007-08 school year. 1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles Metromedia Producers Corporation logo Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956... The Los Angeles Unified School District (the LAUSD) is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

List of Shows Taped at Metromedia

• 227 (NBC) (for its entire 1985-1990 run)
• All in the Family (CBS) (from 1975 to 1979, formerly at CBS Television City from 1971 to 1975 )
• Diff'rent Strokes (NBC) (from 1978 to 1982, then at Universal City Studios from 1982 to 1985 and ABC Television Center from 1985 to 1986)
• Concentration (syndication) (for its entire 1973-1978 run hosted by Jack Narz)
• The Facts of Life (NBC) (from 1979 to 1982, then at Universal City Studios from 1982 to 1987 and NBC Studios from 1987 to 1988)
• Family Ties (NBC) (pilot episode only)
• Gimme a Break! (NBC) (for its entire 1981-1987 run)
• Good Times (CBS) (from 1975 to 1979, formerly at CBS Television City from 1974 to 1975)
• In Living Color (Fox) (for its entire 1990-1994 run)
• I've Got A Secret (syndication) (for its entire 1972-1973 run hosted by Steve Allen)
• The Jeffersons (CBS) (from fall 1975 to 1982, formerly at CBS Television City in early 1975, then at Universal City Studios from 1982 to 1985)
• Jeopardy! (syndication) (from 1984 to 1985, then to KTLA-TV from 1985 to 1991, Hollywood Center Studios 1991 to 1994, currently Sony Pictures Studios 1994 to present)
• MAD TV (Fox) (from 1995 to 1996)
• Mama's Family (NBC/syndication)
• One Day at a Time (CBS) (from 1975 to 1982, the pilot and second episode taped at CBS Television City in 1975, then at Universal City Studios from 1982 to 1984)
• Sanford (NBC) (for its entire 1980-1981 run)
• Saved by the Bell (NBC) (for its entire 1989-1993 run)
• Small Wonder (syndication) (for its entire 1985-1989 run)
• Three's Company (ABC) (early 1977 and 1982-1984, the pilot was shot at ABC Television Center, and the show was at CBS Television City from fall 1977 to 1982)
• Truth or Consequences (syndication) (for its entire 1966-1975 run hosted by Bob Barker and 1977-78 run hosted by Bob Hilton)
• Soul Train (syndication) (from 1971 to 1981, then at A&M Records from 1981 to 1985, Hollywood Center Studios from 1985 to 1993, and Paramount Studios from 1993-2006)

227 is an African American sitcom that was broadcast on the NBC network from September 14, 1985 to July 28, 1990, for five seasons, and ranked onto the Nielsen Ratings for three seasons (1985 - 1986, 1986 - 1987, 1987 - 1988). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... CBS Television City is a television studio located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles West Side at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of Beverly and Fairfax Avenue. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Universal Studios Theme Parks. ... The ABC Television Center (formerly known as the KABC-TV Studios) was a group of television studio located at 4151 Prospect Avenue in Hollywood, California. ... Concentration was a TV game show based on the childrens memory game of the same name. ... Jack Narz (born November 13, 1922, in Louisville, Kentucky), the elder brother of game show legend Tom Kennedy (Jim Narz) and the brother-in-law of another game show legend, the late Bill Cullen, is an American television announcer and game show host in his own right, who eluded the... The Facts of Life may refer to: A US sitcom that ran from 1979 to 1988. ... NBC Studios are the two studio facilities belonging to the National Broadcasting Company, with one of them being located at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and the other located in Burbank, California, just outside of Los Angeles. ... Family Ties was a popular American television sitcom which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. ... Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981 until May 12, 1987. ... Good Times was an American sitcom originally broadcast from February 8, 1974 until August 1, 1979 on the CBS television network. ... In Living Color is a sketch comedy television series which ran on the FOX Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. ... Ive Got a Secret (abbreviated as IGAS) was a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television and was created by Allan Sherman as essentially a knockoff of Whats My Line?. The original version of the show premiered in June 19, 1952... Steve Allen on the cover of Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American musician, comedian, and writer who was instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jeopardy! is an international television quiz game show, originally devised by Merv Griffin. ... KTLA-TV, channel 5, is the WB affiliated television station in Los Angeles. ... Hollywood Center Studios is a company based in Los Angeles, California which provides stage facilities to television and movie production companies. ... The Sony Pictures Studios are located on 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, California. ... Mad TV has three meanings: MADtv — a TV series. ... Mamas Family is an American television sitcom which premiered on January 22, 1983, on the NBC television network, where it aired for two seasons, until its cancellation in May 1984. ... One Day at a Time is a long-running American situation comedy dealing with a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters (Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli and their building superintendent (Pat Harrington, Jr. ... Sanford was the 1980 revival of the 1970s sitcom Sanford & Son. ... Saved by the Bell was an American teen sitcom which originally aired between 1989 and 1993. ... Small wonder could refer to: Small Wonder (TV series), a mid 80s TV series Small Wonder (webcomic), a webcomic published by Viper Comics Small Wonder: Essays, a book by Barbara Kingsolver. ... For the Entourage episode, see Threes Company (Entourage). ... CBS Television City is a television studio located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles West Side at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of Beverly and Fairfax Avenue. ... Action Comics #127 (December 1948), featuring Superman appearing on the show with Ralph Edwards Truth or Consequences was an American quiz show, originally hosted on radio by Ralph Edwards from 1940 to 1957, and later on television by Edwards himself from 1950 to 1951, Jack Bailey from 1954 to 1955... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bob Hilton with The Price Is Right announcer Rich Fields. ... Soul Train is a long-running music-related syndicated television program. ... A&M Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Universal Music Group. ...

External links

• News on the center's demolition, by Variety
• Article on Metromedia Square at seeing-stars.com
• Info on Nassour Studio