CNN signals its plan to move from Hollywood.

CNN is ironing out the last-minute details of moving the 24-hour news channel's Los Angeles bureau from Hollywood to the Miracle Mile.

The 40,000-square-foot lease at 6500 Wilshire Blvd. could be worth $16.6 million over its 15-year term, according to several sources close to the negotiations.

The 23-story building, near the intersection with San Vicente Boulevard, is owned by TIAA-CREF pension fund subsidiary WRC Properties Inc.

As part of the deal, CNN has the fight to ground floor and building-top signage.

Lisa Tobias, a spokeswoman at Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc., confirmed in an e-mail that the unit of Time Warner Inc.-owned TBS is close to finalizing a lease.

"CNN needs to go through a technological upgrade that would have been very difficult and costly to do in its existing building," Tobias wrote. CNN is currently housed at 6430 Sunset Blvd.

CNN would take space on the top-floor that will become the West Coast broadcast studios for news programming and the "Larry King Live" show.

"The 6500 Wilshire location supports our newsgathering and production requirements," she wrote.

"Plus, we look for high ceiling space for studios, which is hard to find in most office buildings but is available at the Wilshire location."

Bob Scanlan, a principal with ScanlanKemperBard Cos., which owns 6430 Sunset, said the cable news channel plans to keep the Los Angeles bureau in Hollywood through its lease, which ends in 2007.

The loss is another blow to Hollywood, which has seen many of its broadcast and media firms move out. Most recently, Viacom Inc. consolidated its Infinity Broadcasting radio stations at 5670 Wilshire Blvd.

Robert Chavez, president of Guardian Commercial Realty, is representing CNN. WRC is represented by Rick Buckley, a principal at Madison Partners.