Students at Maspeth High School (MHS) are looking to broadcast their skills throughout their high school as the Media Production Team lobbies to create a television/radio station and recording studio to benefit students, faculty and parents.
The school’s Media Production Team recently submitted their idea to transform an existing storage room at MHS into a television/radio station and recording studio for Cycle 7 of the New York City Council’s Participatory Budget process in which City Council members use discretionary funds to pay for projects voted on by the community.
The idea to create the studio came about after members of the student government pitched their request to principal Khurshid Abdul Mutakabbir to place television monitors in the school lobby and student cafeteria to share school news and events. Mutakabbir supported their idea and authorized the purchase and installation of four monitors in the student cafeteria and lobby, along with a monitor that was donated for the parent resource area.
Once the monitors were in place, many students expressed interest in creating their own content and sharing the information on the televisions and MHS website and social media outlets. That is when seven students came together to create the Media Production Team.
The group then visited the Hispanic Information Telecommunications Network (HITN) at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and were inspired by the studio and control room at the facility, and wanted to bring that back with them to MHS.
HITN offered to help identify key pieces of equipment the students would need to create a television/radio studio in their school.
Some of the equipment they would need include broadcasting software, broadcasting desk, electrical upgrades, transmission equipment, master control equipment, captioning EAS, data casting equipment and receivers, production control and studio equipment, a television nonlinear editing station, and more.
According to Mario Matos, treasurer at MHS, a low-ball estimate of the cost for this project would be approximately $750,000.
Matos explained that having a recording studio at the school would allow choral and string orchestra students to be able to professionally record their abilities for scholarship opportunities at colleges and universities.
A radio station would allow MHS students to share local news, happenings and opinions to a larger audience across the internet.
Having a television production studio would allow students in film courses to engage in the post-production process of their film projects; provide the opportunity for student-led newscasts for the in-school television monitors as well as Facebook, YouTube, and the MHS website; allow for the post-production of school plays, performances, and musicals; and give students the ability to record, produce and share public service announcements.
To support MHS’ pitch to get the television/radio station and recording studio, visit the New York City Council’s Participatory Budgeting website and vote to support the proposal. You can also submit your own idea to help better the community.
