This is random, and not begun with any information from anywhere. Someone, in the thread on Dan Gilbert, had asked what firms would be interested in coming downtown. I would like to mention one category of business I would LOVE to see come downtown: broadcasters.

I realize that at this point that is a pipe dream. Most broadcasters have invested millions in recent years in modern studios and equipment; those are expenditures that are not likely to want to repeat soon. But I think that Fox 2/FSN, WXYZ, and CBS & Clear Channel stations would be huge assets to the city. In addition to being highly visible operations, with hundreds of employees, they operate 24 hours a day. They are also the types of businesses that bring visitors to the city [[corporate suits, advertisers, consultants, lawyers, etc all do extensive and regular business with broadcasters). They also would be great at building out "signature" spaces. I've envisioned WXYZ going into the old Free Press building; the Fox properties moving into the base of a Quicken Loans building at the Statler site on Grand Circus Park; CBS's TV & radio stations moving into the mostly empty warehouse portion of Ford Field; and Clear Channel's stations could move into the top floors of the First National building.

Fun to think about it. As I do with Detroit's sports teams, I hope that one day all the area broadcasters are downtown. Anyone know any station execs? As the late Rod Roddy would have said, Come On Down!

PS On a practical note, being downtown seems to make a lot of sense for those stations with news and sports operations. More time is spent covering news in Detroit than in any other city in the SE Michigan.

PPS Kudos to WDIV and any other broadcasters in Detroit already!