TEGNA Preparing For A St. Louis Move

An NBC affiliate that was launched by Pulitzer as a sibling to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that has been associated with TEGNA since its days as Gannett and Combined Communications Corp., which purchased the station in 1979, is preparing to leave downtown St. Louis and sell its home of 40 years.

KSDK-5 is planning to relocate from 1000 Market Street. But, TEGNA says the station will remain within St. Louis city limits. This rules out Clayton, Creve Coeur, or Florissant — bedroom communities to a city that has seen a cloudy business environment in recent times.

According to the St. Louis Business Journal, which KSDK sourced in its own reporting, station President/GM Alicia Elsner believes the relocation will be complete by the time 2026 begins. But, Elsner did not disclose where the station would be relocating to.

That’s because a lease is still in the finalization stage, and an announcement is likely due by mid-February 2025, she told the news organization.

In a statement, Elsner shared, “Staying within St. Louis city limits has been a top priority as we plan our move to a new facility. Our goal is to finalize a space that fosters collaboration and innovation, while offering security, ample parking, and minimal commuting disruption. We’re excited for this next chapter and will keep you updated as details are finalized.”

KSDK has been in downtown St. Louis since 1947 and was located at 1111 Olive St. until its 1982 move to its current facility.

Relocating TV stations is hardly an anomaly. KMOV, owned by Atlanta-based Gray Media, in late 2023 left downtown’s Gateway Tower for a new studio in Maryland Heights following its acquisition from Meredith Corp.. In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market, WTVJ-TV relocated from downtown Miami to suburban Miramar, Fla., years ago. Then, WPLG-10 relocated from Miami to southern Broward County, and WSVN-7 is preparing to relocate from Bay Harbor Islands to southern Broward County — today the geographical center of South Florida. WFOR-4 and WLTV-23 are the lone major network TV stations remaining in Miami-Dade County today, with the CBS and Univision O&Os using respective studios and offices in the Doral area.

For KSDK, selling the Market Street building could net some $5.2 million, based on appraised property values shared by the St. Louis Business Journal. The building includes some 70,000 square feet.

Could safety for staff be behind the KSDK move? The station noted in its own report that 1000 Market Street requires off-site parking garage use; a series of shootings were seen in close proximity to the station’s home in 2023.