broadcastreport UNITED KINGDOM Thinking outside the ‘box’
The basic design of radio studios has changed little over the last 90 years. But operational considerations, new acoustic techniques, evolving technologies and financial considerations have made engineers and designers take a different approach to a long-established format, suggests Kevin Hilton
LAST YEAR’S 90th anniversary of BBC Radio was a timely reminder of how the venerable medium has
developed over the years. But a constant has been the radio studio, which has invariably been a voice booth for the
presenter and guests, with a control housing the technical equipment, engineer and production team.
BBC World Service’s glass studios This model has been used by
broadcasters – both public and commercial – of all nationalities since the 1920s. Because it works and served well for so long people have not considered changing the template much, but in the 21st century a variety of factors is making engineers, designers and architects reassess how a radio studio works and what it should look like.
A major shift in attitudes is
that studios today do not have to be at a distance from the production offices or newsroom – often on another floor of the building – or to the highest acoustic specifications. This has been seen particularly at smaller stations but among the most striking examples is the BBC World Service glass studios, which it first began to use over 10 years ago and now has installed into its new home at Broadcasting House in London. The concept was formulated
by Nick Sheridan, head of technology for BBC Global News, who outlined the project during a presentation at last year’s Radio Academy TechCon. “Radio is changing and that is especially true for the World Service, despite its traditional image,” he said. “When we were still at Bush House we started to look at production facilities for the future, with studios not just
on the same floor as the offices but right next to them.” Sheridan and his colleagues came up with the idea of a glass box near the producers’ desks that could be used whenever something needed to be recorded. “We wanted to have everything within the box, with no apps room,” Sheridan explained. He added that although the studios were small enough to fit in the office space, the glass would make them feel big to the person inside. The choice of material caused
many acousticians to balk at the idea, despite Sheridan’s assertion that it would be appropriate for speech radio, which does not need top specifications. Acoustic consultant Andy Munro was among the few not to dismiss the idea. “He didn’t think we were mad,” said Sheridan. A prototype was built at Bush
House, featuring three glass panels and a back wall containing absorbent material. Even with only a single door, Sheridan said this produced an isolation of 40dB and a reverberation time of 0.15 seconds. “We were aiming for a NR [Noise Rating] of 30 but achieved 25,” he added. Six glass studios were built at Bush House for the South Asian Service and when the time came to move the entire World Service operation to the “New”