December 1998 - KCET Opens State-Of-The-Art Educational Telecommunications Center

Anticipating the emergence of digital technology in its operations, KCET opened its new state-of-the-art Educational Telecommunications Center building on the Sunset Boulevard studio lot in December 1998.

Constructed through grants from GTE, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and The Ahmanson Foundation totaling $1.25 million, the two-story, 24,000 square foot structure was designed to house the station's emerging digital activities, including an Interactive Media Center, and studios and equipment intended for digital television broadcasting.

The Educational Enterprises department wanted to conduct computer and digital technology training sessions for various groups, so an Interactive Media Center was designed as part of the new building. Housed in the second floor, the space included a large open classroom with multiple interactive work stations where teacher training workshops were conducted, web/interactive media companions to KCET broadcasts were developed, and new technologies, such as flat-screen digital TVs and videoconferencing platforms, were tested and showcased. The second floor also included newsrooms for the "Life & Times" and "California Connected" programs, and a digital media laboratory.

The ground floor was home to broadcast facilities geared towards digital technology, such as a studio, an announcer's booth, a master control center, technical equipment, computer servers, and a storage area.

As the role and purpose of digital media grew for the station, the Interactive Media Center and lab were replaced by the new Digital Media department beginning in 2004.