CBS opening research center, attraction at MGM Grand

Wednesday, April 18, 2001 | 11:36 a.m.

The CBS television network announced today it is opening "Television City," a huge television research center, at the MGM Grand hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

The center will be devoted to track public opinion on programming offered by CBS and other networks operated by CBS parent company Viacom, including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, UPN, King World, Paramount Television, Showtime, TNN and CMT. CBS will also make the center available to its advertisers to help them conduct research in the development of television advertising campaigns. The 4,000-square-foot center is located in the public area between the MGM Grand Conference Center and the Studio Walk retail area.

The center will be operated by Paramount Parks, the Viacom division that operates "Star Trek: The Experience" at the Las Vegas Hilton. It was not immediately known how many employees the center will have.

"We branded ourselves as the City of Entertainment, and we think this project is synonymous with that proposition," said Bill Hornbuckle, president of the MGM Grand. "Las Vegas is a melting pot, and the crowd we attract is probably the best cross-section (of the public) available ... that's interested in looking at new entertainment products."

The center consists of 46 video display units, two screening rooms, two focus group rooms, interactive computer kiosks and a retail outlet devoted to products from Viacom's networks. The store will be operated by the MGM Grand.

Hornbuckle said the MGM Grand will have access to the research facilities to conduct its own research, and will derive revenues from leasing the space to CBS, as well as operating the retail outlet.