The School of Media and Strategic Communications (SMSC) at Oklahoma State University will celebrate its fully renovated television studio with afternoon tours for students, faculty, staff and special guests on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Paul Miller Building. 

The studio, which has a totally new look and features high definition equipment that matches the latest industry standards, is the result of a project of more than $600,000 that started in the fall of 2013 with funding from the College of Arts and Sciences.

 “The upgraded studio is a truly collaborative project between the College of Arts and Sciences, SMSC and OStateTV. A group of faculty members and the SMSC in-house engineer, Bill Hodges, put together the requirements and costs and the college provided funding. All of this was accomplished in less than a year,” said Dr. Derina Holtzhausen, SMSC director.

“The tours are our way of sharing our excitement in what has been a year of terrific progress,” said Andy Wallace, an SMSC instructor and associate director for OStateTV. “The upgrades ensure our students remain on the cutting edge of the industry with technology that matches today’s modern newsroom, including state-of-the-art remote production equipment, which allows live broadcasts from anywhere. The skills students develop in this new environment will allow them to continue to 'hit the ground running' when they start their professional careers.”

Under Wallace’s guidance, SMSC students produce content for OStateTV. Recent “on location” broadcasts included “Countdown to Tipoff Bedlam Basketball pre-game show” from Eskimo Joe's; Miss OSU Pageant from the Seretean Center, and the Penn State/OSU wrestling match from Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The renovated studio will reopen its doors to students and faculty on Wednesday for the tours, which are scheduled every half hour, starting at 1 p.m. Special guests will attend a demo showing at 4 p.m., which compares and contrasts the old studio with the new improvements. President Burns Hargis and other VIP guests are scheduled to attend the demo. Due to a lack of space the event will not be open to the public. However, if members of the public wish to tour the studio after Feb. 25 they can contact melissa.coldiron@okstate.edu.

Specific technical upgrades include high definition equipment throughout the control room and a new switcher, graphics and server for remote broadcasts. The studio has new set backgrounds, a refurbished desk and furniture with new teleprompters, upgraded lighting and camera pedestals to complete the makeover. 

Anyone with internet access can view OStateTV by going to ostate.tv.