By Isabel Hicks MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN – Montana State University will welcome the public to a groundbreaking celebration for the planned expansion of Montana PBS on Tuesday, April 29, at 3 p.m.
The groundbreaking will be held at the site of the building expansion, MSU’s Visual Communications Building at the corner of South 11th Avenue and Grant Street. The expansion will add more than 32,000 square feet to the building, which houses Montana PBS and MSU’s School of Film and Photography.
“Designed to be both an advanced technological production facility and an inspiring, collaborative hub for students, the expanded Visual Communications Building will empower Montana PBS to tell Montana’s story with more depth, clarity and creativity than ever before,” said Aaron Pruitt, Montana PBS director and general manager.
The renovation will include a shared lobby connecting MSU’s School of Film and Photography and the offices of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, KGLT Radio and Montana PBS, an area intended to encourage student collaboration across artistic disciplines. In addition, new, state-of-the-art technology and production spaces will increase Montana PBS’s current capabilities. The expansion will include a large TV studio, production control rooms, a green screen studio, video editing suites and other broadcast technology.
The building will be home to the new Joseph S. Sample classroom and studio, which will serve as a screening venue, lecture hall, event center and production studio. Its versatility and large capacity of 192 seats will allow it to host large enrollment MSU core classes (including SFP’s FILM 101), live audience televised productions and university events.
“Montana PBS has been a cornerstone of the MSU community and a fixture in Montana life for four decades. This expansion will make it possible for Montana PBS to do even more to serve the families and communities in Montana and provide valuable opportunities for Montana State students,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado.
Immediately following the groundbreaking ceremony, a live in-person appearance by Clifford the Big Red Dog will offer fans an opportunity for photos in the Montana PBS studio. Clifford the Big Red Dog is a well-known character from animated educational TV shows on the PBS Kids channel.
Kristina Martin, Montana PBS director of development, said fundraising for the Building Possibilities campaign began in early 2019.
“In the six years since, Montana PBS has raised nearly $32 million needed to move forward, though we anticipate we will need to raise additional funds before construction is complete,” she said. Martin credited Cruzado for her strong support of this project, including her support of fundraising efforts.
Approximately $29.5 million will go toward construction, with the remaining $2 million allocated for new and upgraded technology to expand Montana PBS’s ability to produce award-winning content. Montana PBS’s creative team has received national recognition for programs like “11th & Grant with Eric Funk” and documentaries like “Ivan Doig: Landscapes of a Western Mind.”
This expansion will also support academic mentorship of MSU students. Montana PBS engages MSU students from every department, especially live TV production. For example, students make up the majority of the production crew for Bobcat Athletics broadcasts, commencement and convocation ceremonies, and other high-profile livestreamed events, experiences which develop professional skills in an academic setting that deliver on MSU’s reputation for hands-on learning.
Nikki Vradenburg, Montana PBS director of education, said the expansion will also further education and outreach efforts. “Montana PBS trains teachers, daycare providers and parents with media literacy and other educational resources to better serve their students, communities and families,” she said.
Montana PBS’s Building Possibilities campaign attracted gifts from scores of donors across the state. Key donors include Patt and Terry Payne of Missoula; the Kendeda Fund; Jim and Chris Scott; the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust; the Otto Bremer Trust; and the late Joseph S. Sample, one of the station’s founders.
“Who knew that a grassroots effort that started because I wanted my kids to be able to watch ‘Sesame Street’ would grow into this?” said Nancy Flikkema, co-founder of Montana PBS and another key donor. “I’m proud to have been a part of this organization for the past 40 years and to see how far it’s come.”
Montana PBS recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. Founded in 1984, KUSM-TV at MSU partnered with the University of Montana’s KUFM-TV in 1997 to become Montana PBS. The statewide network now broadcasts five channels with more than 275,000 Montanans viewing each week.
