LOS ANGELES - Playboy Enterprises has sold its Andrita Media Center to Broadcast Facilities Inc. for a reported $12 million, according to Multichannel News.
Located in Los Angeles, Andrita Media Center is a complete HDTV studio with three television production stages, a radio studio and two HD/SD production control rooms. The 106,000 square foot facility also provides satellite transmission and post-production services.
Playboy announced in February that it expected to conclude the sale of the facility. In the company's fourth quarter financial report, CEO Christie Hefner said the sale "will benefit us financially while still allowing us to continue using those state-of-the-art production facilities."
BFI is headed by former Pixar exec Simon Bax. As part of the sale, Broadcast Cable Services president Bill Tillson will join the company as president and chief operating officer. Tillson was a consultant to Playboy in 2002, and oversaw the design, construction and start-up of Andrita Studios. Tillson has also served as the facility's general manager.
Tillson said in a statement, "BFI is committed to ensuring that Andrita continues as the premier network origination facility in Los Angeles, well positioned to serve the growing demand for HD channel launches. In addition, we will continue to build our SD channel platform and roll out our IPTV services. Our HD stages and our HD post production allow us to provide networks and producers with a turnkey solution under one roof."
According to BFI, Andrita transmits 21 cable networks, including 5,000 hours of live programming per year via satellite and/or fiber. Andrita's clients include MGM, Hallmark Channel, SiTV, The Tennis Channel, The Africa Channel, World Championship Sports Network, Here! TV and Playboy.
