Project planning

Given the variety of audio programming, the station had a goal to increase the quality and quantity of content for its distribution channels. At the center of this plan was a networked audio infrastructure, which provides easier access to any audio source from any studio. Very little equipment from the old facility was used in the new facility.

The control room for the talk studio.

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The new plans also included additional space for audio production. The old radio facilities included two on-air rooms and two small post audio rooms. The new facility retained these spaces, but added a musical performance recording studio and a talk studio that can accommodate multiple guests.

There are two on-air studios: One for BYU Radio and one for Classical 89. Attached to each is a small producer/news room. In addition, there are two post-production spaces and two voice-over rooms.

The recording studio can host a small ensemble or other musical group, and the recording studio can go live to air if needed. There is also a 260-seat theatre where live musical events can be produced, and any of the radio stations can take a live feed of the event.

A voice-over room.

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WideOrbit Automation is used for the on-air storage and playback, and ProTools handles the production work. In time, the WideOrbit system will be integrated with organization-wide media asset management (MAM) system.

As part of the move, BYU began to ingest its library of CDs into the automation system to support a completely file-based operation. The Axia audio network also integrates into this file-based system and simplifies routing and resource sharing. The networked audio system also allows the announcers to be flexible in where they go in the air.

The combined radio/TV operation shares office spaces, but some production facilities are shared as well. The TV side has two ProTools rooms to complement the one radio ProTools room, but all three are shared by both sides.

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