Bronx Community College unveiled plans Monday to renovate its Media and Digital Film Production Television Studio, as it aims to provide students with cutting-edge tools and facilities to prepare for careers in today’s media landscape.
Bronx Council Members joined union leaders, school administrators, industry partners, and students for a tour of the existing studio, led by Jeffrey Wisotsky, director of BCC’s Media and Digital Film Production program. Wisotsky said the college hopes to get $4 million in funding to overhaul the 6,000-square-foot space, which would be used to modernize classrooms, upgrade its TV studio with state-of-the-art lighting and film equipment, add a new Black Box theater and install an ADA-accessible elevator.
“Some of the switches and things that we have now are not being used anymore, so the idea that we can bring them into the 21st century with a new studio is fantastic,” Wisotsky said.
Despite aging equipment, the college has maintained a robust program, producing around 150 shows every two months. Through partnerships with local unions and production companies, students gain real-world experience and internship opportunities that strengthen their career readiness.
Current students said they loved the program at BCC but acknowledged that access to more modern technology is essential to stay competitive in today’s job market. Tasha Barber, a third-semester student, told the Bronx Times she’s glad she switched her major from Theater to Media and Digital Film, saying that she was “blossoming” at the school.
“ It feels good that you know that – wow, my dreams are becoming visible,” Barber said. “You think about them, you believe in them, but then when you see them on screen, it’s different.”
But Barber also said that she felt having better technology would make students more attractive hires.
“All the stuff [equipment] that we are learning is so outdated,” Barber said. “It’s like there’s all this new technology going on. If we continue to learn from that [old technology], we will never understand the new technology.”
Union leaders who joined the tour praised Bronx Community College for providing students with a strong foundation in media production and voiced support for the proposed upgrades.
Dejan Georgevich, a director and cinematographer with the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600, emphasized the importance of keeping pace with industry standards. He offered words of support to students.
“ What’s more important is that we’re here to offer the steppingstones, the mentoring path for your future,” Georgevich said, addressing BCC students. “You are the future voices. You are the voices that make it this beautiful, diverse mosaic for American culture and art.”
But before BCC can upgrade its aging equipment, it needs funding. The school is seeking a combined $2 million from the Bronx Borough President’s Office and the City Council from the 2026 Fiscal budget. It then hopes that those funds will then be matched by the state.
BCC estimated that once it secures funding, it can complete the renovations in about two years.
Bronx lawmakers sat down with Bronx Community College Interim President Milton Santiago in a row of directors’ chairs to talk about their support for the school and its future goals. City Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, who represents District 14 where the college is located, said that she remembered being on the college campus with her mother who was a student when she was young.
She said that the entire neighborhood benefits when Bronx Community College is supported.
“I wanna make sure the facilities are as amazing as they can be because we deserve the best so that we can become what we are inside, what we are as, as resilient people, we can become our very best,” Sanchez said to the students, educators and union members listening to the discussion.
Council Member Eric Dinowitz who represents District 11 in the Northwest Bronx and chairs the Committee on Higher Education told the Bronx Times that he’s been a longtime supporter of the Bronx Community College and that he’s going to try and do his part to help them get the funding they need.
“When we make investments in spaces like this, we’re really investing in the future of the Bronx, and making sure that Bronx Community College can continue to educate our Bronx students and prepare them for the best future possible,” Dinowitz said.
He also said that Bronx storytellers have the power to show investors, visitors and tourists the borough is a special place.
“Their preconceived notion of the Bronx is not a good one,” Dinowitz said. “That in part comes from media which often portrays the Bronx as a poor or violent, or lesser than part of the city. And it’s not. We have really incredible things going on in our borough that we want to uplift.”
Council Member Althea Stevens, who represents the nearby District 16, told BCC students and educators that additional investment in the borough and BCC was overdue.
“ We should have been continuously investing in this,” Stevens said. “But understanding that in this time and in this moment, we need to make sure that people from our communities are getting the tools that they need to curate our history, our story, and our vision.”
