Puget Sound Access, the public TV station in South King County, is moving to Renton this January.

Known to many as the providers of Channel 77, the non-profit’s lease at its Kent facility expires Dec. 31.

The studio was closed on Oct. 27 and classes have been suspended.

The move was prompted by a need for “a facility that better suits our 501( c )(3) non-profit’s mission of helping people use technologies to enhance communication within our community,” wrote John Klockner, the executive director, in an email.

The studio’s current location is 22412 72nd Ave. S., in Kent, and around 9,000 square feet. Klockner hopes with some proposed re-configuration, Carco Theater will be a better set-up.

“Carco presents us with an opportunity in Renton to help our local creative community better engage both live and mediated audiences,” Klockner said. “While traditional theater events can still focus on the in-venue ticket holders and the actions of the performers on-stage, we can bring to the theater technologies and live-event media experience that will enable productions to do more and to touch more people.”

Although the Carco space is bigger, it’s 12,000 square-feet, it offers less space to work with because of the theater seating arrangement. This means considerably less, but adequate space for Puget Sound Access’ post-production and other activities, Klockner said.

The Carco Theater stage area is roughly the size of the organization’s current studio. The current location has a large studio with control and dressing rooms, post-production and conference rooms, facilities for hardware and software development, staff offices, a lobby and areas for storage of equipment and set pieces.

Klockner envisions “expanding the theater’s possibilities and reach,” so he can grow Carco as a community resource.

Currently, Puget Sound Access is in negotiations with the City of Renton on lease terms for Carco. Issues include base rent, revenue sharing, theater improvements to be paid by the non-profit and the number of days the City of Renton may reserve for free events to be staffed by Puget Sound Access. Also up for discussion is the personnel and equipment Puget Sound Access will provide to the theater’s clients.

Klockner plans to increase both full-time staff to operate the facility and temporary staff to assist with events. The positions will be funded by Puget Sound Access. The organization itself is funded through membership dues, fees for production work for cities, nonprofits and through investment income and allocations from a 2001 founding trust fund.

Klockner says his organization has proposed converting the basement area into a working office and production space. They have also proposed modernizing Carco’s computer network and television feeds to improve communication to and from the building.

“We want to bring to Carco our advanced media production tools so that events and performances on the stage may more easily be produced, recorded and perhaps even eventually broadcast live on television or over the Internet,” said Klockner.

Puget Sound Access will foot the bill for all improvements to the theater, Klockner says.

Puget Sound Access used to focus on providing specialized production facilities and tools to help people and organizations create content for distribution over cable television channels.

“Nowadays, with contemporary technologies making video so easy and inexpensive to produce and distribute, our challenge is to help producers create content that merits notice in a sea of competing alternatives,” Klockner said. “While we do this in a variety of ways, the most important means with respect to Carco involves our helping people integrate media into live performances.”

Puget Sound Access has been the primary media services provider for ShoWare Center in Kent.