WZMQ Marquette Renovating Downtown Building for New Studio

Newscast Studio reports that Lilly Broadcasting’s WZMQ-TV (Marquette) has announced that it will open a new studio and office in a building that was formerly an Irish pub-style restaurant. The station is taking over a building at 142 West Washington Street in downtown Marquette.

Plans call for a studio on the second floor along with office space throughout. A new entrance and windows will be added.

“We wanted a spot that’s in an iconic and convenient setting,” said John Christianson, chief operating officer for Lilly Broadcasting, in a statement. “We can look out and see the magnificent exterior of the Delft (Theater).”

Christianson also noted that the U.P. 200, a sled dog race, journeys near the building as well.

By locating the studio on the second floor, the station won’t be able to leverage the existing storefront-style windows as a background or way for pedestrians to glimpse inside of the operation.

The move gives the station a physical location with a Marquette mailing address as well as the potential for reporters and videographers to use the space as a home base when reporting from the city. The station could also opt to use the space for administration and advertising sales operations that would benefit from being in the local community.

WZMQ’s 19.2 subchannel became the U.P.’s CBS affiliate on January 20.  Following the CBS affiliation, the company announced that it would launch local news at 6 and 11 p.m. on the channel under the name “19 News: This is Home.”  Production for the newscasts currently happens primarily at the company’s Erie, Pennsylvania stations, but the station has reporters who are based in Marquette.