Nation’s largest Spanish-language public broadcasting network to expand footprint by 40,000 SF
Brooklyn, NY (May 24, 2018) – The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) today announced the signing of a ten-year lease with HITN, the largest Spanish-language public broadcasting network in the country. The move marks a significant expansion for the network in the Yard’s Building 292, where it currently occupies 21,000 square feet. Now, it will take an additional 25,000 square feet of interior space and 15,000 square feet of rooftop studio space. The expansion will create 40-65 permanent jobs, adding to HITN’s 57 jobs at the Yard, helping to further BNYDC’s mission to create high-quality, accessible, middle-class jobs.
“Our growth as an organization started three years ago when we determined that in order for HITN to remain a relevant source of smart programming for Hispanic families we would need to adapt to the evolving habits of ‘anytime, anywhere’ media consumption,” said Michael D. Nieves, CEO and President of HITN. “I’m proud to say that these efforts are paying off. We now reach 44 million households and more Hispanic families than ever before, and as a result, our operations have grown to the point where we need additional office space to accommodate our growing staff and additional studio space to continue producing the compelling, smart content that Hispanic families can’t find anywhere else. Since Brooklyn has now replaced Manhattan as New York’s destination for media productions, it was only natural that our expansion occur at the Yard.”
HITN’s new space will house the station’s new headquarters, including offices, production studios, editing and core tech space. HITN’s growth over the past five years prompted this expansion, as the company moved from 33 employees in 2013 to 57 in 2018, with additional plans to add staff. In the past two and a half years, they have hired 13 full time employees through the BNYDC employment center and offered internships to 23 high school and college students through a BNYDC partnership with local schools and CUNY campuses.
The Network will also build a LEED-certified rooftop studio and event space on the north-facing roof of Building 292. The rooftop space will feature clear views of Lower Manhattan, the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. This space will be used by HITN in its television operations and other media organizations.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard is currently undergoing a $1 billion expansion – its largest since WWII – which will add more than 2 million square feet of space and 10,000 new jobs by 2020, more than doubling employment at the Yard to more than 17,000 jobs.
HITN-TV is the leading Spanish-language network focused on educational and cultural programing for the whole family. It reaches over 44 million homes across the United States and Puerto Rico. The new studio expansion will produce content which aims to mirror the unique bicultural Hispanic lifestyle in New York City and across the country.
HITN’s programming lineup includes several awards winning shows that have a focus on health and wellness, science and technology, natural history, and early-education. In recent years, the network has expanded its programming slate, closing several content agreements with networks such as: Discovery, NatGeo, AMC and BBC.