New Center Is a Godsend for Religious Broadcasting Group

For the 135 employees working on the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s worldwide radio and television programs, life just got a lot easier.

Since relocating to Simi Valley seven years ago from smaller studios in Newbury Park, the media ministry has endured major construction on the $15.9-million Adventist Media Center at 101 W. Cochran St.

The center became fully operational this month when the final 22,000 square feet of studio space were added.

“Now we can do the programs in half the amount of time with half the amount of people,” said Warren Judd, chief executive of Adventist Media Productions, the 20-member group that produces all the church’s radio and television programs.

The center produces four main Adventist programs: “Voice of Prophecy” and the Spanish-language “La Voz de la Esperanza” radio shows, and the “Faith for Today” and “It Is Written” television broadcasts.

With the recent studio addition, the center now can produce all its programs completely in-house. Until now, videotaping had to be done on location or in rented studio space.

“One of the biggest things the new facility means is we have increased production capacity,” said Kermit Netteburg, president of the Media Center. “We have excellent state-of-the-art equipment that allows us to do our work of bringing people closer to Jesus.”

The new equipment includes the latest digital audio, television recording and editing tools. Combine that with digital satellite transmission equipment and the center can broadcast programs in more than 40 languages all over the world.

In addition to the four main radio and TV programs, the center provides support services for two other media ministries, “Breath of Life” and “LifeTalk.”

The Simi Valley facility also contains general office space for an Adventist advertising agency called Transda, several dressing rooms and two waiting rooms for the radio and TV personalities and their guests.

The Simi Valley center--with two television studios, four audio studios and six video editing suites--is twice as large as the facility in Newbury Park, which was sold to Amgen Inc.

With more than 6,000 square feet and a ceiling two stories high, Studio A will be used for larger programs and can accommodate a studio audience.

The backdrop--or cyclorama--encircles the entire studio, making it one of the largest on the West Coast. With the help of special lighting, it can simulate outdoor conditions such as a sunset, sunrise, cloud-filled sky or a rainbow. Studio B, at 2,400 square feet, has similar features.

For more information concerning the Media Center, visit www.sdamedia.org or call 955-7777.