WSLS celebrates new building with ceremonial ground breaking

Station plans to move to the new building in March

ROANOKE, Va. – WSLS, the first TV station in the Roanoke Valley, has come a long way since it installed the station's first color TV cameras in 1967. 

On Thursday, the station took another step forward as it broke ground for a brand-new station in Roanoke.

"I am very excited," said Emily Barr, CEO of WSLS' parent company, Graham Media. "The first time I walked into the old building, which is, let's be honest, it's kind of past its useful life, I was looking and hoping that we could do this for you, so to get started and dig up the first mound of dirt -- it's really exciting."

Sam Lionberger, the contractor for the project, said he is still waiting on a building permit, but he hopes to start the project next week. 
 
"The city of Roanoke been great to work with," said Lionberger. "So hopefully, fingers crossed, we're going to be here starting next week." 

The building is empty right now, but by March, it will be a state of the art television station.

There will be modern upgrades that will move the station's footprint beyond broadcasting.

"So we are not just a television station anymore. We are a media center that is serving television, digital, mobile -- all kinds of things," said Barr.

The planning has been in the works for months. 

"We're going to have 50 percent more square footage in our new studio than we have in our current studio," said Rick Moll, WSLS news director.
 


About the Author:

John Carlin co-anchors the 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts on WSLS 10.