From Radio World’s “Who’s Buying What” page: For Melinda FM, being able to originate its programs from festivals and events is an important part of keeping in touch with listeners. To achieve this, the station, based in the costal town of Middelkerke in West Flanders, Belgium, recently overhauled its mobile radio studio.
“In view of the challenges in the near future, as well as for everyday broadcasts and special events in the coming years, we wanted to purchase a new, mobile radio studio,” stated Melinda FM Chairman Chris Schoutteet. “In my opinion, investing in state-of-the-art technology opens up new ways of producing informative and entertaining programs, which is crucial for retaining our audience.”
To manage the project, Melinda FM turned to broadcast equipment supplier Aircast Media Solutions, a subsidiary of antenna manufacturer Lambda Technologies.
“When Melinda FM, one of our long-standing customers, asked us to upgrade their mobile studio, we analyzed their requirements,” stated Aircast Media Solution Manager Tommy Degraeve. “Together we scanned the market for a solution mapping best the radio station’s demands for optimized workflows, system openness, and future potential.”
That review pointed the team toward Lawo crystal broadcast consoles.
“We wanted a versatile mixing system that would offer us expansion options, so that we could, for example, offer programs with extended listener participation via telephone. or voice-over-IP connections,” Schoutteet stated.
The ability of the crystal to store and recall snapshots and DSP profiles for customized show setups and individual talent profiles and for them to be accessible from any networked console was particularly attractive for supporting remote operations and OB setups.
The new setup had its first test at the five-day Sluze Kermesse 2024 festival in Middelkerke. During the mid-May event, Melinda FM mixed live interviews and music mixed seamlessly on site.
“It’s a pleasure to showcase what local radio can achieve,” stated Schoutteet. “Our mobile studio now enables us to bring music and engaging conversations directly to the community, which is essential for maintaining close contact with our audience.”
