OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Google Streetview (new tab)

Overview

This site served KING Broadcasting for over 60 years. before it was sold in 2015. In 2018, the land and improvements had a total value of $53,953,800 up from $7,772,000 in 1982 and $14,861,000 in 2000.

Building History

KING Broadcasting was the city's first television station, originally known as KRSC when it was owned by Palmer K. Leberman (d. 1977) and his Radio Sales Corporation. According to his obituary in the New York Times, "In 1927, [Leberman] built, owned and operated radio station KRSC in Seattle and three years later, while retaining ownership of the station, worked for NBC on the West Coast in advertising sales." (See New York Times.com, "P. K. Leberman, 77, Retired in 1968 as Head of Family Circle Magazine," published 07/01/1977, accessed 05/31/2018.) KRSC-TV began broadcasting on 11/25/1948, with a local football game between West Seattle and Wenatchee High Schools. Originally, KRSC had an affiliation with the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), occasionally picking up programming produced by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and DuMont networks. The Bullitt Family's KING Broadcasting purchased the station in 05/1949 for $375,000, renaming the channel "KING-TV."

A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision in 1952, unfroze the construction of new television channels in place since 1948. An FCC Annual Report for 1952 stated of this process of propagating new stations across the US: "Highlighting the broadcast year was removal of the 'freeze' on the construction of new television stations which had been in effect since the fall of 1948 pending the outcome of the comprehensive proceedings affecting the future of video broadcasting. This was accomplished by a final report and order of the Commission on April 11, 1952, which, by adding 70 UHF channels to the then available 12 VHF channels, opened the door for more than 2,000 TV stations to ultimately serve nearly 1,200 communities in the United States and its possessions, and reserved channel assignments in 242 communities for noncommercial education use. To make Nation-wide TV coverage possible, the Commission had to change the rules with respect to station power, coverage, separation, etc. The report fixed July 1, 1952, as the date for beginning the processing of application for new TV stations under a temporary procedure designed to bring their first TV service to the greatest number of people in the shortest possible time. In general, priority was to be given places without TV stations according to their rank in population, and application from the Territories and possessions and for educational stations were to be processed as received." (See Eighteenth Annual Report Federal Communications Commission, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1952, [Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1953], p. 6-7.)

KING-TV's three-year monopoly on television broadcasting ended in 1953, when KTNT-TV, channel 11, became the city's CBS affiliate; KMO-TV, channel 13, became NBC's for a very short time, before changing to KOMO-TV, channel 4, and KING-TV joined ABC and the DuMont system. DuMont went defunct in 1956. Affiliation with the under-capitalized ABC did not satisfy the Bullitt Family, and they forged a connection with NBC by 10/1958. For about one year, Seattle had two NBC affiliates, KING and KOMO. On 09/27/1959, however, KING obtained the exclusive NBC contract, while KOMO had to settle for joining ABC.

Building Notes

The four-floor KING Broadcasting Studios contained 193,788 gross square feet, 155,272 net. KING Broadcasting sold the block-long parcel to Kilroy Realty LP on 02/13/2015 for $42,557,524. Kilroy also purchased a small parcel across the street at 401 Dexter Avenue North on the same day for $1,832,621.

Alterations

Significant alterations were made to the building in 1970.

Demolition

Demolition of the King Broadcasting Company Headquarters began on Tuesday, 07/05/2016. Dickson Company had the contract for the project.