The Broadcast Media Center is located behind the A Quad, adjacent to the Flint Center, and currently operates three channels in the local AT&T cable network. The staff is mostly comprised of De Anza students, whose responsibilities include cablecasting live and pretaped shows and making up the various crew positions such as director, floor director, technical director, audio operator and camera operator for studio and remote productions.

Two educational channels support the distance learning programs. Each quarter, the Broadcast Media Center cablecasts about 50 telecourses and many live teleclasses to students throughout Silicon Valley, according to a TV Center information booklet.

As part of the Education Technology Services of the College District, the Broadcast Media Center at De Anza maintains two production studios and provides technical supports to the Foothill-De Anza community. For example, the TV Center operates a teleconferencing satellite and PicTel production services. The services produce programs for the Community College Satellite Network.

The third channel is the Public Access. Channel. Each quarter about 25 communitiy members and student groups produce programs for viewers in Cupertino and Los Altos. The programs vary greatly in quality and content, ranging from Indian vegetarian cooking, to Bible discussion shows, to a program called Silicon Valley Real Estate, a show that has been running a total of 13 times a week in 28 cities. Pat Kapovich, producer of the show, said the student personel at the Broadcast Media Center have “just been awesome.”

Funding for the Public Access channel comes from the City of Cupertino and De Anza College. According to Sharon Draeger, broadcast coordinator of the Broadcast Media Center, the center currently employs about 25 students and six full-time workers, including two producers and one engineer.

Draeger says that De Anza students enrolled in six units or more can work in the Broadcast Media Center. Students working at the center aren’t necessarily film or television production majors. There are a number of international students working there, Draeger says.

Draeger has worked at the Broadcast Media Center for thirteen years and says she feels “ecstatic” about working there. “We have fun faculties and wonderful students … We can’t have a better staff.”

The Broadcast Media Center broadcasts on telecourses from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. in accordance with the cable schedule. In addition, a number of studio and remote productions and teleconferences keep the Center busy at all times.

At the moment, Drager said she had “five things going on. We are setting up a new satellite, doing a remote shoot for the campus celebration at noon, shooting a live standing comedy called ‘Laughing Matters’ from our studio, transmitting a live lecture by Julie Phillips and playing regular programs.”

For more information, call 408-864-8300.