The Yeager Media Studio on campus will undergo a “refresh” that could cost as much as $100,000 beginning in May.
The Yeager Media Studio is home of television show On the Call with The Prairie Doc, and The Collegian student news broadcast. The studio also hosts interviews, podcasts, and even serves as a podium for presidential and faculty announcements for the university.
Over the years, the studio has become outdated and is in need of a “refresh,” said Andrew Sogn, University Marketing and Communications assistant director.
“We need as much flexibility and ability to transform as possible,” Sogn said. “Within that now, we have a green screen, a black curtain, and a blue curtain.”
The revamp will look to brighten the aesthetics of the room overall. The background will be redone and will have five to six areas around the room to shoot video from. Along with that, there will be the addition of a state-of-the-art news desk that hosts an interactive screen on the front.
“It will look drastically different in here,” said Joshua Westwick, director of The School of Communications and Journalism. “The carpet on the floor and the walls will all come down … It is getting painted, there will be a new SDSU logo on the wall …”
The newly renovated area will also include an audio mixer, soundproofing equipment and other upgrades.
Possibly the biggest difference from an equipment standpoint is the installation of a state-of-the-art Tricaster system —a versatile video switcher boasting teleprompter functionality and seamless video playback.
“(The Tricaster) is going to allow us to save space and it will take the place of three outdated computers that are in there now,” said Brian Stemwedel, assistant coordinator for University Marketing and Communications.
Staff members emphasize the long-awaited arrival of these new systems and they forsee a significant expansion in the studio’s capabilities in terms of classroom functionality and media production.
“Eventually, there will be opportunities to network a broadcast across campus … and we can direct it from [Yeager Media Studio]” Stemwedel said regarding the functionality of the new equipment.
The Yeager Media Center operated as a stand-alone business model for the university. In recent years it transitioned to become part of the video services unit and operates under University Marketing and Communications. But it is also shared with the school of Communications and Journalism.
The project budget is still being tweaked, and the details are still being finalized, but thanks to contributions from The College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, the Office of Academic Affairs, The School of Communications and Journalism, and University Marketing Communication, the project will begin around the end of May and will be completed before students return to campus.
The project will cost an estimated $80,000 to $100,000.
“By providing a more accurate representation of what’s happening in the industry, we are better preparing our students for their future,” Westwick said. “We are showing them that the university is committed to journalism education in providing extraordinary hands-on learning opportunities.”
