Brandeis Television began its move into a new studio in Ziv Commons this weekend, ending a three-year search for a larger area for filming.Residence Life has authorized BTV to tentatively use the space for live broadcasting. Details of the agreement were finalized on April 7 following a series of meetings with BTV's executive board and Residence Life that took place this semester.

"This is going to be a trial-run," Julia Gordon '07, BTV's president, said. "It could become permanent, depending on how it goes."

Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett said BTV submitted a proposal to Residence Life in which they addressed concerns about the use of the space.

Director of Residence Life Maggie Balch said that the trail-run will last until the end of the semester and that no plans have been finalized for the fall.

Since BTV began moving in, Balch has not received any complaints from students living in Ziv or Ridgewood about not having that room available for activities.

Amanda Daul, the director for Ziv and Ridgewood quads, said that Residence Life will be paying attention to the impact the television station will have on the immediate community.

"If a student's need overrides, then we'll probably look into other options," she said.

Daul said the commons is open from approximately 7 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Marian Shpungin '07, BTV's vice president for communications, said the studio space would facilitate live shooting and the editing process.

"With the capability to broadcast and record from a designated studio space, the improvements to BTV that students have seen throughout the year will accelerate at an even greater pace," BTV wrote in a press release.

Since the end of the 2001-2002 academic year, BTV has worked from an office in the Shapiro Campus Center.

Instead of needing to reserve a space to film around campus, a studio gives BTV the ability to film whenever it wants, Shpungin said.

According to BTV's executive vice president, Ari Schnitzer '07, "without a designated space the moving time, set up time and take down time for a half hour show can take hours and hours."

Schnitzer said that with access to a semi-permanent space, the organization can spend much less time moving equipment and increase their airtime.

BTV had hoped to more than double funding earlier this semester with an amendment to reallocate funding from other secured organizations, including the Justice and WBRS. That amendment required a two-thirds majority vote of the undergraduate student body to pass; it received approximately one third.

BTV officials say they would have used the additional funding to refurbish the space and purchase new equipment.

With the new space, "we'll be able to show the entire Brandeis community that we really have potential," Shpungin said.