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If you've ever wanted to be seen on TV waving furiously and holding a sign outside a studio window like on the Today show, today is big for you.
Mayor Annise Parker and a bunch of business types announced that Comcast SportsNet Houston, which is going to be the TV home for the Astros, Rockets and something called the NBC Sports Group, is building a big new studio in the Houston Pavilions that will be -- wait for it -- "state of the art."
The "multi-million dollar" project will be partly funded by a TIRZ. Don't worry, though: The city says 125 permanent jobs will be created and "the Market Square TIRZ contribution will be more than offset by spending at nearby stores and restaurants by tourists and local residents who come downtown to watch the live broadcasts from a street level viewing area, similar to that utilized for NBC's Today show at Rockefeller Center in New York."
"Houston welcomes the tremendous partnership of the Houston Rockets, Astros and NBC Sports Group and its long-term investment," Parker said. "My main priority is the creation of local jobs and I am thrilled to be able to announce the creation of many new local jobs in the technology and media industries."
"We are creating a better sports experience for Houston fans on the air, online and by creating a beautiful new street-level studio facility where Houstonians work and play," said Comcast SportsNet president Matt Hutchings.
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