The inauguration of the new main studio of the News Centre and the private radio studios building came in implementation of the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to encourage creativity and involve the private sector in contributing to media production, Abdullah Al Balushi, Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Information, said.
Al Balushi highlighted the significance of the opening of the new studios and extended his thanks to HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister on the occasion, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the start of television broadcasting.
He said that HRH’s support of the media sector enhances its role in the comprehensive development process.
Al Balushi explained that this project was executed by local experts with the help of consulting companies.
The project is divided into six sub-projects that include construction, decoration, electrical services, technical equipment, and others. It is aimed at enhancing competitiveness and improving product quality. It will also give a boost to the advertising and promotion sector in Bahrain.
The assistant undersecretary said that the radio broadcasting will use the Radio over Internet Protocol (RoIP), which is a modern protocol that offers advanced capabilities in modern studios and enables the use of all technologies needed to interact with the public.
He added that the radio station 96.5 FM, which is managed by Mumtalakat, has been relocated to broadcast from the new studios building, in addition to Hindi radio 104.2 FM, which is run by the Indian company Mirchi.
There are current tenders for an English channel, another Hindi channel, and an Arabic channel, in addition to launching a Filipino channel according to the action plan directed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The new studios will also provide technical support and modern equipment services, which will be available for private companies to benefit from.
The marketing plan has been set in place and is well regulated to efficiently manage the workflow, he explained.
Describing the new studios building, he explained that the 1000m2 building was built in the shape of a radio wave.
The building has a contemporary design and has a separate entrance in the ministry’s complex, he said.
It is built with an Acoustic insulation system ranging from 25-35 (NC). Generators of 2 X 550kva provide a sustainable power supply for all studios.
Regarding the new main studio of the News Centre, Al Balushi said that the 450m2 studio provides all the needs of the news centre management such as 4K production technology and the largest wall screen in the ministry, in addition to a modern decor similar to that used in studios of leading channels.
He added that the studio has a ceiling mounted camera that glides within 10 metres, which allows taking shots from different angles in the news broadcast, in addition to modern virtual reality technology.
The studio is equipped with the latest international standards; transmitters with a digital headend system from the French company DiGiDiA, an FM radio broadcast system, a DAB+ digital radio broadcast system from the German company Rohde and Schwarz, in addition to Antennas for FM radio broadcasting and Antennas for digital radio broadcasting (DAB+) from the German company Kathrein, the assistant undersecretary added.
He said that the new studios feature DAB+ digital audio broadcasting technology, which displays information on the screen of radio receivers, ensures exceptional sound quality, provides more opportunities to choose stations, and has the feature of targeted advertisements.
Al Balushi added that the studios have automatic Broadcast Software from American company “RCS”, Audio Mixing Consoles from German company “Lawo”, in addition to Control Room Furniture from the British company “Lund Halsey”.
He concluded that the new studios have a complete infrastructure including electricity and backup generators, that are exclusively available to the building. This is in addition to the latest technology for digital radio broadcasting which is available to new cars with a specific mode of modern technologies to receive this advanced form of broadcasting.
He said that the project provides transmitters, consultant services for technical equipment, construction and electrical works.
Source: Bahrain News Agency