After 50 years on Central Avenue, Channel 12 has moved its television operations to the Arizona Republic tower in Downtown Phoenix and to celebrate they’re throwing an all-day street party filled with live broadcasts, celebrities, food, and entertainment.
Featuring two state-of-the-art studios and a window wall that looks out onto Van Buren, the new Channel 12 is set to debut on Wednesday, Jan. 12 and everyone is invited to attend the historic event.
That day, from long before sunrise to long after sunset, Channel 12 will host “Downtown Goes Live with 12 News,” an all-day community celebration that will open with Al Roker at 4:30 a.m. and close with the Valley’s own Gin Blossoms and a fireworks show at 11 p.m. The Downtown location and window wall is designed to imitate the NBC studios at 30 Rockefeller Center, where “The Today Show” and other programs broadcast amongst fans. Moving forward, 12 News will be taped live at the intentionally “30 Rock”-ish “200 EVB.”
Van Buren and part of 2nd Street will be closed down to host Downtown Goes Live, which will feature:
* The Today Show’s Al Roker broadcasting live from Phoenix
* A noon hour boot camp led by “The Biggest Loser” winner Ali Vincent and other former show contestants
* “Arizona Midday’s” Ambush Makeover, with the makeover subject to be plucked from the crowd outside
* Battle of the Super Chefs on “12 News Valley Dish”
* Rizwan Manji from NBC’s “Outsourced”
* Pop-ins from the Valley’s top pro athletes, mascots and cheerleaders
* Food! There will be plenty of Downtown restaurants and Valley food truck operators on hand to feed the masses snacks for breakfast, lunch and dinner