The $2 million complex that has been three years in the making will start broadcasting for community radio station Fine Music 102.5 on Monday morning.
The announcement:
On Monday community radio station Fine Music 102.5 airs its first broadcast from new state of the art $2 million studio complex at 72-76 Chandos Street – a development which has been three years in the making.
The changeover from old premises to the new may seem an easy transfer given it’s just a dozen or so paces across the street from the old 87 Chandos address, but the technical challenges will be somewhat more daunting.
Working on those challenges is the station’s technical whiz Roger Doyle who explains the move, “We’re on air 24 hours a day, so the move has to be done mid-broadcast and that has us all on tenterhooks.
“We’ll be making the changeover during the morning program so at 10.20am the presenter on air – Stephen Wilson – will introduce a 17 minute composition by Saint-Saens. While it’s playing he’ll pick up his CDs and program notes and make the dash across the street where the technical team on standby will have just a few minutes to transfer broadcast from the old to the new studios and ensure that when Stephen resumes his program, and is settled in his new chair, all is going to air smoothly. All up we’ll be aiming for less than five seconds of dead air in the process.”
The new premises boasts two prime on-air studios, three production studios and a live performance and music recording studio. Over $700,000 has been invested in new broadcast equipment and installation.
Not all studios are yet functional and the full project will be finalised by 2 June – on that day Fine Music 102.5 throws open its doors to the public for a novel open day running from 10.30am to 4pm.
Construction costs were largely offset through the selling of the station’s property – 72 Chandos Street – for a development project which included commercial premises and five levels of residential apartments.
Source: Fine Music press release.
