ONE of the world's biggest Christian satellite channels has been making use of a college's studios.

God TV screened 40 half-hour chat shows at Darlington College of Technology, hiring the studios, which were recently opened by the director general of the BBC, Greg Dyke.

Btech National Diploma media students sat in on the recordings of In Depth, a chat show hosted by David Aldous.

Director Gary Dell praised the facilities, which are in the Media Design Centre, at the Cleveland Avenue site.

He said: "A lot of the time you find so-called studios in broom cupboards and what the students have to work with is quite distant from what they will find in the outside world.

"But at the college a good amount of thought and commitment has gone in to providing facilities that are realistic."

Tony Metcalf, head of media, said: "It's not just a case of operating commercially in hiring out our studios, it also gives our students the chance to see current studio practice from professional crews."