For immediate release
Chicago, IL - July 17, 2015
WTTW and WFMT are pleased to announce that it has received two Smart Ideas Energy Efficiency incentives from ComEd, part of the company’s Smart Ideas for Your Business® program. These incentives have funded the installation of indoor and outdoor state-of-the-art LED lighting in its production facility, the Renée Crown Public Media Center at 5400 North St. Louis Avenue, most notably in its Crown Studio from where WTTW’s nightly newsmagazine Chicago Tonight originates.
In an effort to reduce energy usage and costs while providing a healthier environment for staff, over the past two years the stations worked with ComEd, its parent company Exelon, and energy consultants Elevate Energy and CIC Energy Consulting to come up with a viable plan to replace indoor and outdoor lighting with energy-efficient LED lighting along with motion sensors and other advanced lighting controls. Elevate Energy helped to identify the most appropriate energy-saving solutions for the space, and CIC provided analysis of the savings and help in implementing the improvements, many of which have already been put in place. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. As a result of the combined efforts of all of the partners, WTTW and WFMT have seen a substantial reduction in energy consumption, in ways that are seamless to its audiences.
“ComEd and its parent company, Exelon, have long supported WTTW and WFMT in a number of ways—our general operations, special presentations of programs, and, appropriately, Chicago Tonight,” said Dan Schmidt, President and CEO. “We share a commitment to innovation and to education, and together, we help to serve Chicagoland with programs that meet the needs of our diverse community. We express our thanks to ComEd for its commitment to public media, to the Chicago community, to social responsibility, and to our environment.”
“ComEd is pleased to work with WTTW and WFMT on this project to help them lower their energy use and meet their sustainability goals,” said George Malek, director of Energy Efficiency Services at ComEd. “Through our Smart Ideas Energy Efficiency Program, ComEd strives to work with our customers to tailor specific energy saving solutions to their needs. We offer a wide range of assistance starting with technical assessments to financial incentives to optimization services.”
The generous support from ComEd has made it possible for WTTW and WFMT to formulate plans for other “green” projects at the facility toward an ultimate goal of reducing its electricity usage even further. This will enable the organization to redirect its funding toward program development and production that directly impact its mission and benefit the community it serves.
About WTTW
WTTW is a premier public media organization committed to creating and presenting unique television and digital media content across four distinct television channels – WTTW11, WTTW Prime, the Spanish-language channel WTTW Vme, and WTTW Create/WTTW WORLD, and on wttw.com. Recognized for award-winning local and national productions such as Chicago Tonight, Check, Please!, and MEXICO – One Plate at a Time, WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s programming to 2 million weekly viewers across a four state area. Visitors to wttw.com can connect with others in the community and access a full library of local and national video content for kids and adults, interactive features, event and membership opportunities, and robust microsites dedicated to WTTW and PBS series and specials. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
About WFMT
WFMT is one of the nation’s most respected classical music radio stations, reaching an audience of 240,000 monthly local listeners and an ever-increasing international audience at wfmt.com/streaming. WFMT showcases superlative programs, concerts, and live events you cannot hear anywhere else – broadcasts from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Santa Fe Music Festival, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and many more. The WFMT Radio Network is a leading producer and syndicator of a diverse selection of outstanding musical series, including Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin, the Beethoven Network, and the Jazz Network.
