Hope Channel Breaks Ground on New Studio

[Key Guy]

From the Adventist News Network

http://news.adventist.org/2009/03/adventist-church-tel.html

Since its launch in 2003, the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Hope Channel television network has operated out of a basement studio at the church's headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. The current studio floor has enough space for one set, and production assistants need up to half a day to change designs for different shows.

A new $5 million, multiple-use building with 3,000 square-feet of studio space and room for six sets is expected to change that. The new facility will help the international Christian network compete on a global stage with more efficiency and productivity, church officials said during a March 24 groundbreaking ceremony.

World church President Jan Paulsen marked the occasion by using a 70,000-pound excavator to dig into the south lawn on headquarters property as church vice presidents and construction company representatives used hand shovels to break ground.

"You look over the past six years and it's amazing how far we've come," Paulsen said of the network.

Hope Channel produces programming in five languages around the world. The network also uses 11 different satellites to deliver programming globally and offers several language channels online, including Chinese, Norwegian and Czech.

Last month, the network signed a deal with DIRECTV, one of the largest satellite television providers in the United States.

"We have to dramatically improve the quality of our programs because we are now competing with the great giants of television," said Mark Finley, Hope Channel's board chair.

The new studio will help producers increase the quantity of programs with room for multiple standing sets, Finley said. The studio will also be able to link with the 50 Adventist media centers around the world, he said.

The new building is expected to provide a total of 24,000 square-foot of space. Plans include two stories and a basement for a studio control room and storage. The roof is designed to support live vegetation, which will absorb storm water and help reduce runoff.

"This is an exciting building for us," said Don Smith, president of Conewago Enterprises, construction company in charge of the project.

Several years ago, church project leaders considered several sites within the headquarters building for the studio, including the atrium, cafeteria and work areas.

The building is scheduled for completion within 300 days, said Bob Lemon, world church treasurer and building committee chair. He said the project should be on budget as construction costs have recently declined.

"We look forward to having God's blessings on this project," Lemon said.

[Key Guy]

How many knew that there are more than 850 working at GenCon?

From: http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/03/23/daily42.html

The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists broke ground on a major expansion of its world headquarters in Silver Spring Tuesday.

The three-story extension of the main building at 12501 Old Columbia Pike will mostly house the Hope Channel, the protestant denomination’s global TV network.

Hanover, Penn.-based Conewago Enterprises Inc. is the general contractor for the $5 million project, which will be built on the far left side of the building.

“The expansion is needed because we’re bursting at the seams in the main building,” said Scott Steward, marketing director of the Hope Channel.

The new building will have 24,000 square feet of space and the Hope Channel studio will be about 3,000 square feet with room for multiple sets. It currently occupies just 600 square feet in the basement of the main building.

“This will allow Hope Channel to improve efficiency, quality, and quantity of production for live and recorded programs,” said Steward.

The project is slated to be completed within 300 days.

More than 850 people work in the world headquarters building and no additional staff is expected to be hired at this time, he said.

Hope Channel is an international network of 10 channels using 11 different satellites that air family-friendly Christian lifestyle TV in multiple languages.

Hope Channel, launched in 2003, works with the church’s media centers around the world and will be added to DirecTV on channel 368 beginning April 29.

Seventh-day Adventists have nearly 16 million members worldwide and are known for their healthcare, education, media, and disaster relief work. In the Dayton area, the Kettering Health Network follows in the spirit of Seventh-day Adventist healthcare ministry, saying on its Web site, "We strive to be innovative and to convey God's love in a caring environment."

[phkrause]

Wow, they got a job freeze going on because they don't have any money but they can afford to build???? Oh well maybe they will be able or have to hire some people for printing, ha ha, but I doubt it.

pk

[Tom Wetmore]

This project has been in development process for several years. The money was allocated and contracts signed quite some time before the economy went in the tank. To break or even delay those contracts at this stage would cost the Church substantial dollars.

[Tom Wetmore]

That figure includes the General Conference, North American Division, ADRA, Adventist Risk Management and Home Study/Griggs University - all in the same building.