Inside the multimedia journalism room for the past 15 years, cameras rolled each week as students pieced together the SHSTV broadcast that played regularly at the beginning of tutorial in classes across campus.
For SHSTV staff members like junior Iris Jin, who has been a part of this process since her freshman year, the program was more than a class — it was a community.
But over the summer, students like Jin found out the school eliminated it because of low enrollment combined with a lack of a qualified teacher to teach it after previous adviser Ben Brotzman no longer had room for it in his schedule.
Since 2009, the program has produced video announcements covering school news and events, while also entertaining students through interviews, challenges and creative segments. With SHSTV cut from the course list for the 2025-26 school year, the broadcasts that once connected the campus will no longer be part of students’ weekly routine.
Brotzman, who is also the school’s drama teacher, has taken on an additional drama teaching role at Los Gatos High.
With three classes to balance across two schools, he was unable to continue leading SHSTV. At the same time, interest in the course declined, with only 14 students signing up, which was notably less than previous years’ sign-ups of around 18-19 students.
The discontinuation of SHSTV affects not only the students who signed up for the class but also the larger school community. Students who enrolled will no longer have the chance to develop broadcasting skills such as filming, editing and on-camera presenting. The wider student body will also lose a creative outlet that brought school news to life in a fun, engaging format.
“Watching SHSTV almost every week was such a fun way to learn about nearby eateries, current sports teams and events and just laugh with my friends about funny segments,” senior Nila Venkataratnam said. “It sucks that it’s gone this year because, since freshman year, it’s always been a great way to decompress after a long class.”
In the absence of SHSTV, the school will now rely more heavily on other sources of information, such as The Saratoga Falcon, principal Greg Louie’s Friday newsletters and ASB morning announcements. The Falcon plans to incorporate video journalism, which may help fill some of the gaps left behind.
The change also extends to SHSTV’s old home. With SHSTV no longer in operation for this year, the multimedia journalism room will now be used only for Media Arts Program classes rather than serving as a shared space for both MAP and SHSTV.
Still, some students are determined to carry on SHSTV’s spirit. Jin mentioned that some former SHSTV students are planning on starting a club to try to emulate the class. Even so, the unique role SHSTV played in the school’s culture will be missed, at least for this year.
“I’m really going to miss SHSTV because I feel like it really connected the school and made our community closer by informing everyone what was going on,” junior Dyuthi Boinepalli said. “I think it shone the spotlight, not just on the biggest things going on, but also the little things that make our community special.”
