Dedication Ceremony for the George G. Beasley Media Complex at ASU at 4 p.m. Today; Photos Included

by Madison V. Fisler

Aug. 22, 2013. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the George G. Beasley Media Complex at Appalachian State University took place today, Aug. 22, at 4 p.m. in the complex courtyard. 

Finally opened in August following numerous delays, construction on the complex began in 2011. The completed project is a 18,000 square-foot LEED-designed media complex which houses broadcast studios, classrooms and class labs for students and offices for members of faculty in the Appalachian State University Department of Communication’s electronic media broadcasting program. 

The ribbon cutting ceremony was performed in the courtyard of the George G. Beasley Complex where a large crowd gathered to watch the dedication. Members of the department of communications, students, members of the Board of Trustees and other university officials turned out for the event. Many individuals spoke at the event, including Chancellor Ken Peacock, Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts Glinda Treadaway and Beasley himself.

“Thank you for the lives you have touched and the lives you will touch,” said Chancellor Ken Peacock of Beasley.

“This building isn’t about George Beasley. It’s about the students who we can expect to come through this building.”

Beasley himself had a few words for the crowd as well.

“I think that over the next few years, Appalachian will be one of the premier broadcasting schools in America,” said Beasley.

Plans were announced to begin building the complex on the corner of Rivers Street and Depot Street back in 2008. The project experienced multiple delays because of funding, but is now finally officially open. 

The complex’s ground floor will house the new WASU-FM radio complex which will moved the radio station from its current place in Wey Hall. There are also faculty offices, two production suites and a waiting area, as well classrooms wired for audio/video production, and computer and audio labs for students to utilize. 

The second floor will hold a total of two television studios and their control rooms, more faculty offices, a green room, storage and multiple video editing suites. The television studio will be the largest studio in the communications department.

The George G. Beasley Media Complex is named after donor George G. Beasley, who is also an Appalachian State University Alumni who earned a bachelor of science and master of arts degrees in business education. Beasley also served as chairman, founder and CEO of Beasley Broadcast Group Inc., which today owns more than 40 radio stations across the United States. 

According to a press release, Beasley is a current member and past chairman of the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors, a current member of Appalachian’s Board of Trustees and Campaign Steering Committee, and a former member of the College of Fine and Applied Arts’ Communication Advisory Board. In 1990 he received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He also received an honorary doctorate from Appalachian in May 2013.