Three Campuses, Three States, One Standard: Beonair Network Now Holds Three ACCSC School of Distinction Awards

With Ohio Media School - Columbus joining Illinois Media School - Chicago and Colorado Media School - Denver, the network explains what the honor means for students

COLUMBUS, OH / ACCESS Newswire / September 28, 2026 / Ohio Media School - Columbus has been named a 2025-2026 School of Distinction by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), making it the third campus in the Beonair Network of Media Schools to earn the honor. Illinois Media School - Chicago and Colorado Media School - Denver each received the same recognition in their most recent accreditation cycles for the period of 2022-2023.

Of 216 accreditation applications evaluated by the Commission this cycle, eight received the School of Distinction award. It recognizes accredited member schools that demonstrated a commitment to the expectations and rigors of ACCSC accreditation, as well as a commitment to delivering quality educational programs to students.

"One campus earning this could be a good year. Three campuses in three states, each reviewed separately by the same accreditor, is a pattern," said Imran Ali, VP of Operations for the Beonair Network of Media Schools. "Accreditation is not a box we check once every few years. It is the daily discipline of doing right by students - in the classroom, in the studio, and in every process behind the scenes - and it holds whether the campus is in Columbus, Chicago, or Denver."

Same standard, three different markets

The three campuses serve different student populations in different media markets. In Chicago, Illinois Media School students and staff produce the live game audio and video for Windy City Bulls home games at NOW Arena and Chicago Dogs games at Impact Field. In Denver, Colorado Media School faculty include a technical producer for Altitude Sports and a Telly Award-winning producer-director whose credits include NASA TV. In Columbus, Sports Broadcasting instructor Marty Bannister calls high school football for WSYX/ABC 6 and Ohio University athletics for ESPN3.

What the three share is the review they passed. ACCSC examines each campus's curriculum, equipment, faculty qualifications, student surveys, graduation and employment records, catalog, enrollment agreement, and its handling of money, complaints, and refunds. Each campus also maintains a Program Advisory Committee of working media professionals from its own market, whose feedback must be documented and acted on.

"What the Commission affirmed in Columbus is the same thing it affirmed in Chicago and Denver," said Dr. Elizabeth Fogle, National Director of Education for the Beonair Network. "The rigor we ask of ourselves is producing the kind of education students deserve, and it is producing it consistently."

What accreditation means for a student

Alongside the announcement, the network published a plain-language guide at beonair.com explaining what accreditation does for the students who enroll. Accreditation by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education is a condition of a school's eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs; it is the reason the review looks at equipment, curriculum, and whether instructors are active in their field; and it is why a diploma from an accredited institution is recognized by employers and other schools.

The Beonair Network's campuses offer programs in Radio & Television Broadcasting, Digital Media Production, Audio Production, Film & Video Production, and Sports Broadcasting, with Social Media Marketing and Podcast Production launching in October 2026. Students train from their first day in professional studios and edit suites under instructors who are working media professionals.

About the Beonair Network of Media Schools

The Beonair Network of Media Schools is a family of four schools and seven campuses - Ohio Media School, Illinois Media School, Colorado Media School, and Miami Media School - offering diploma and degree programs in audio production, video production, digital media production, film and video production, sports broadcasting, and related fields. The network's faculty of active industry professionals provides students with hands-on training and opportunities to gain real-world experience through live productions and industry partnerships. Ohio Media School, Illinois Media School, and Colorado Media School are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Learn more at beonair.com.

Media Contact
John P. Girard
National Director of Implementation & Brand Management
Beonair Network of Media Schools
518 956-1385 | [email protected]

SOURCE: Beonair Network of Media Schools