Novi City Transforms Storage Space into Modern TV and Podcast Studio
The city of Novi has accomplished a truly impressive transformation, converting what was once an old storage space, informally called the “dungeon”, into a top-notch TV and podcast studio. They made this remarkable makeover using public, educational, and governmental funds.
The project, affectionately named “Studio No.VI,” took slightly over a year to design and build. It was part of the city’s budget for 2023-2024, with construction kicking off in late August and the official studio opening in February.
What’s incredibly praiseworthy is that this $800,000 studio was not built using taxpayer funds, but from public, educational, and governmental funds. The PEG funds are collected annually from federal fees charged to cable consumers. One such charge is a 1% PEG fee that’s mandated by federal law.
These funds, which are strictly allocated for video operations, are a boon for Novi city. Its Communications Director explains that they had over a million dollars in PEG fees a couple of years ago and the fund continues to grow. The city calculates an annual average receipt of $350,000-$380,000 in PEG funds.
“Studio No.VI” displays a remarkable use of space. The studio, occupying 1,000 square feet in the Novi Civic Center, is comprised of three distinct sets. It’s equipped with a flexible green screen, a main setup featuring a video wall, and a standing monitor, all of which can easily be modified to provide different backdrops.
Moreover, the studio is paving the way for efficient production. Pre-studio, shooting involved hours of packing and unpacking vast quantities of gear, including lighting and cameras. Now, not only is all the necessary equipment conveniently available, but much of the content creation has been streamlined into essentially a one-man job!
Another big beneficiary of this transformation is the podcast and the “Update Novi” monthly update with the mayor among other broadcasts. They can now be turned around super-fast and super-efficiently. In fact, the turnaround time for certain programs has been decreased from hours to just a mere 15 minutes!
Although the studio isn’t publicly rented, it is constantly used to produce engaging content for the city’s diverse platforms, including social media channels, websites, and cable channels.
Looking ahead, the next big project that Novi city plans to master using the PEG funds is updating the City Council chamber. The fund, which has once again risen to around $1 million, is hoped to complete this project in a year or so.
In summary, the city of Novi is indeed showcasing an impressive, forward-thinking approach in building this multifunctional, efficient, and high-tech studio. It’s a testament to their dedication to not only enhancing social media communications but also fostering transparency with the residents of Novi.
