MANKATO — When it comes to broadcasting, nothing says success quite like the name “Emmy.”

And at Bethany Lutheran College, there’s a good chance the communication program, which trains people to work in the broadcast industry, will be walking tall next week ready to drop that name in just about every conversation.

The students from the communications program are responsible for the broadcasting of Minnesota State University men’s hockey games. A pre-game show produced for each broadcast, and actual game coverage each had been submitted for regional Emmy Award consideration, and each made the cut to be nominees.

Winners will be announced Saturday. The Bethany works make up half the nominations in the category of student live broadcasts.

Chris Johnson, who runs Bethany’s communications program, said they don’t spend a lot of time chasing trophies. But getting an Emmy nomination and perhaps an award is something to be proud of.

“It’s more about validating student work,” Johnson said.

The nominations come at a time of great academic momentum for the program and the college.

This fall is the first semester for Honsey Hall, Bethany’s newest academic building. One of the primary tenants of the building is the communications program.

The college has made a substantial financial commitment — roughly $600,000 — to making sure the program offers students the best possible experience in broadcast and film. Half that sum went to outfitting a trailer full of high-definition broadcast equipment, which allows the students to take their skills anywhere and remotely produce a high-def broadcast.

That’s how they’ve done the MSU hockey games. But in previous years, the operation has been in standard definition and the truck they used was smaller, more cramped and, frankly, not nearly as spiffy.

New building, all new equipment, giant boost to reputation from an Emmy nomination ... Things are going well for Bethany.

“I can’t think of any other program where kids are doing remote broadcasting,” Johnson said.

The Emmy nominations aren’t the first time Bethany student work has been recognized. About a dozen students have won awards from the Broadcast Education Association, an organization widely recognized within the industry, but not exactly a household name.

“Not a lot of people know what BEA is,” said student Marcus Taplin, whose name will be on the Emmy if they win. “But when you say you’re nominated for an Emmy, people know what that is.”

Taplin said he was excited when he heard about the nominations. He was the one who spent time getting everything ready for the submissions. He’s also been the main producer for the hockey broadcasts for several years.

Taplin is one of the program’s recent success stories. During an internship last summer at FOX Sports North in the Twin Cities, he was able to use the knowledge he’d gained from setting up the hockey broadcasts — which is more of an engineer’s job — to school the pros at FOX when such expertise was needed.

Without working on the hockey broadcasts, “I wouldn’t have that skill,” he said.

Johnson says they try and improve their work every year and make the hockey broadcasts more professional. This year, the addition of the high-definition production will be a big leap, although viewers probably won’t see the games live in high def. Johnson said Charter probably will make the games available on demand the following week in high def, though.

Bethany’s communications program has about 50 students. And Johnson said there’s an opportunity for every one of them in the program to get the kind of experience they need to land a job.

Or an Emmy.

“(Recognition) is really valuable for the students, because it’s not just Chris saying, ‘Good job,’” he said. “To have someone else say that, it’s proof.”