District approves funds to move broadcasting studio to main campus

The district is beginning the process of relocating the college’s broadcast production studio to the main campus from an off-campus facility where it has been housed for more than two decades.

At the Sept. 15 board of trustees meeting, the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees voted to approve about $600,000 for architectural and engineering services to repurpose a section of the library’s first floor for the broadcast studio and spaces on the second floor for other program needs.

“So this has been in over 10 years in the making,” said Fine and Performing Arts Dean Kristi Blackburn. “As I understand it, the desire has been long-standing to have digital media programs on our campus, so that students don’t face transportation issues between the two campuses.”

The Digital Media Center was built about 20 years ago as the home of the Digital Media Department, which offers associate degrees and certificates in web design, filmmaking, broadcast production, animation, digital music and digital media arts.

The DMC was given to the district and Santa Ana College by the city of Santa Ana to serve as a business incubator as well as instructional spaces for the college’s digital media programs. Officials believe moving SAC classes out of the Digital Media Center is a way to “move forward.”

“The whole deal with the Digital Media Center is to be careful of gifts. The former mayor of Santa Ana kind of pushed this on the college,” said Trustee John Hanna. “We got the property for nada, and we built something on it, and it hasn’t achieved the expectations, I think, of what we wanted long-term,” said Hanna.

Digital music moved to the main campus about a year ago, and the college is working on moving the rest of the programs as well. While the film and broadcast programs are still using the facility, officials have stated that the DMC has been underutilized.

In addition to architectural and engineering services needed for the move to the main campus, Santa Ana College President Annebelle Nery said at the meeting that she worked with the district to set aside an additional $4-6 million for equipment as well.

Nery explained that the digital media faculty and dean expressed the need for new equipment to keep pace with the evolving job market landscape.

“It is our desire to have the new facility and the renovations really create an optimum learning environment for students. So wherever new equipment is needed, it will,” said Blackburn.

“The faculty made it clear that [the space] requires new equipment and new technology,” said Nery. “But again, I’m not a discipline expert, but I can get more information about what they hope to build, but it does include new technology and new equipment.”

Trustee Zeke Hernandez was hesitant to approve the item because he was unsure of the cost of replacing the outdated equipment at the DMC.

“I’m not too sure [if] we’re looking down the road in terms of how we really support that program,” said Hernandez. “Because this $570K is going to be for the architects to look at. I’m not too certain if that space that is within the library is adequate for the studio, the classrooms, etc.”

Nery assured Hernandez that there is a plan for when the move takes place.

“I’ve already set aside the facilities budget, and once [the work group] convenes, they’re gonna have a recommendation of how to move the entire program in its totality with new and current equipment,” said Nery.