Norwood Public Access Television Finds a State-of-the-Art Home Inside the New Norwood High School-October 10, 2011

Norwood High School is more than just a brand-new facility for students and faculty to enjoy; it is also the proud new home of Norwood Public Access Television (NPA-TV).

NPA-TV officially relocated into the school in July and is now operating entirely out of the new Norwood High building.

“I’m excited about where it is going to bring public access and how it will move public access into the future for the town of Norwood. The possibilities are endless,” said Station Manager Jack Tolman.

A Win-Win Partnership and Major Investment

With a new home comes new furnishings, and NPA-TV has introduced a wide range of cutting-edge equipment designed for both station broadcasting and student use. This upgrade is the result of a collaborative agreement between NPA-TV and the Norwood school department.

“The arrangement with the school department and Norwood Public Access is they provided some office space for the staff, and we would fund the entire television program,” Tolman explained. “It’s a win-win for Norwood.”

Students gain access to state-of-the-art broadcast gear to prepare for college and careers, while NPA secures a permanent home backed by an investment of over $500,000 this year.

“I look at this as an investment for the residents of Norwood. This belongs to them,” Tolman said. “The whole investment is about $520,000,” which was utilized to construct the brand-new studio, control room, and head-end facility. “The school department gave us the space, and Norwood Public Access spent $520,000 to outfit the studio to be state of the art.”

The upgraded hardware includes:

• Three studio cameras
• Two robotic cameras
• A professional teleprompter
• Custom-built new sets
• A head-end system enabling broadcasts across Norwood Light Broadband, Comcast, and Verizon cable television

World-Class Set Design and Facility Upgrades

The new studio was custom-designed by Mystic Scenic Studios of Norwood. Known for crafting sets for heavy-hitters like ESPN and Good Morning America, Mystic Scenic jumped at the opportunity to build a professional environment for the local public access network.

Mystic Scenic President Jim Ray completed the project at cost, saving NPA $13,000 in design fees, according to Tolman. These professional sets will serve as the backdrop for popular local programs including “Norwood Digest,” “Table Talk,” “NHS Update,” and the upcoming return of “Norwood News.”

Beyond high-tech cameras and sets, practical operational improvements have also been realized. Most notably, NPA secured a separate dedicated entrance (Door 22). Staff members can now access the facility at all hours without the risk of triggering building alarms.

“One of the most important things that was crucial for Norwood Public Access was to have our own separate entrance door 22,” Tolman noted. “Before we even began the design, we knew we needed our own entrance.”

Empowering Students and the Community

Station leadership isn’t the only group thrilled with the move. Norwood High School TV Teacher Ann Kraus expressed awe at having the professional studio located immediately adjacent to her classroom.

“It’s awing. Students just walk in and go, ‘Oh my God,'” Kraus said. “The studio just blows everyone away. The equipment, the professional aspect of it, this is something you will not see in many colleges.”

Students benefit directly from the pairing of the new studio with a classroom roughly twice the size of its predecessor at the old Norwood Senior High. The instructional space is stocked with multiple Mac workstations loaded with Final Cut Pro X, alongside a whiteboard and projector enabling Kraus to demonstrate technical concepts before students transition to hands-on work.

“To have my fantastic students in a fantastic space, it’s a win-win,” Kraus said.

Students have already dived into production, airing several episodes of “NHS Update” and utilizing the cameras from day one.

“On the first day, I had students put their hands on the camera, and said they are now holding $40,000,” Tolman remarked. “The students know they have the opportunity to learn with state-of-the-art equipment.”

Looking forward, Tolman hopes the broader Norwood community will step in to take advantage of the facility. NPA plans to reintroduce public access workshops to help residents produce their own shows, alongside upcoming community open houses welcoming local residents and public access teams from neighboring towns.

Original Reporting: Brad Cole, TRANSCRIPT BULLETIN