The Beech Interplex Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation, was founded to enhance the quality of life for the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood through private and public partnerships. The unveiling of the Beech NBC 10 Satellite Studio is the latest demonstration of that effort.
The studio, located at 1510 Cecil B. Moore Ave, is part of the revitalization plans for the avenue and the 26-square-block neighborhood surrounding it. NBC 10 in Philadelphia, one of the corporation’s partners, sponsored the development of the studio.
Primarily public service announcements will be filmed in the studio and broadcasted by NBC 10.
“You have to run to the station every time you want to film a public service announcement,” said Kenneth Scott, president and chief executive officer of the corporation. “But to have the news here in North Philadelphia, we can just film it.”
The establishment of the studio in the neighborhood serves to improve the image of a once neglected community.
“The idea came about to do something because you always have negative news on TV. We can try to change the image of the area so it’s not just a shooting on the news every night, because where are the positive stories about everything that’s going on?”
Up-to-date news from the Associated Press is displayed on a live ticker on the exterior of the studio. Channel 10’s daily line-up and a calendar of community events are visible on four plasma screens adjacent to North 15th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue.
“Obviously we want to make it a landmark, but give [the neighborhood] a more positive spin and help some of the other nonprofits get their stories out instead of letting the station dictate what stories they are interested in running,” Scott said.
The studio will also stream video on Channel 10’s Web site on services and events sponsored by Beech.
Digphilly.com, a social networking site that features current events in Philadelphia, is scheduled to film live broadcasts in the studio on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. beginning this summer.
Brittany Diggs can be reached at bdiggs@temple.edu.
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