CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia, has made a big decision the network’s landmark building in Atlanta, the CNN Center is going up for sale. The announcement is a big adjustment internally, but immediately changes won’t be seen.
What We Know:
- Pascal Desroches, the chief financial officer for WarnerMedia, comprised of CNN and other brands such as HBO and Warner Bros, said the company is prioritizing Techwood, another property it owns in Atlanta.
- “Following the sale of the CNN Center, we plan to centralize most of our employees on the Techwood campus,” Desroches wrote in an internal memo. “This process will take several years, so we don’t expect any immediate changes for employees working at the CNN Center.”
- The announcement seemingly stirred mixed emotions among CNN employees and Atlanta residents. The CNN Center has been the network’s hub since 1987. While most newscasts are anchored from New York and Washington, CNN Center control rooms and production teams keep the network stable and running around the clock.
“Downtown Atlanta has seen great investment and is quickly becoming an entertainment destination,” Desroches told staffers. “The CNN Center is of great value to a third party that specializes in such developments.”
- According to CNN, the company is currently searching for a potential buyer. A corporate spokesman said the plan calls for a sale-leaseback, meaning that CNN employees will stay at CNN Center for some time while the move is finalized.
- WarnerMedia (previously known as Time Warner), struck a similar deal upon selling its New York headquarters building in 2014. CNN’s New York offices and other parts of the enterprise moved to a new neighborhood, Hudson Yards, in 2019.
In Atlanta, the primary location will be Techwood, about two miles north of the CNN Center facility. TBS and other channels are operated from the Techwood campus, which still contains the mansion that housed CNN at its outset. CNN will be back there sometime in the future.
