MediaWorks unifies radio stations with Orban

New Zealand:

MediaWorks Radio has aligned its radio stations with the installation of Orban 8700i, 5700i and 5500i digital processors. The upgrades were made to deliver a more uniform sound across all of the stations.

‘MediaWorks Radio is a New Zealand broadcaster with over 180 unique content streams broadcast over a network of just under 300 transmission points,’ explained Blake Beale, radio engineering manager at MediaWorks New Zealand. ‘Due to the unique way MediaWorks radio came to be through many years of acquisitions and mergers, there have been inconsistent technologies used from broadcast consoles, automation and transmitters, resulting in a difficult support model to maintain and stations that were once local, but now network brands sounding different in each market.’

An audit carried out across the company explored the brands and models that made up the network. These were all compared against each other when deciding which to go with at a national scale. ‘Our requirements were one processor supplier with the flexibility to sound great on an oldies to a contemporary hit radio format, rock as well as a dance format, to mention a few,’ said Beale. ‘These comparisons resulted in our choice to partner with Orban, who were more than happy to assist with a long-term procurement schedule. Having the reputation of rock-solid reliability for remote sites with difficult access due to New Zealand’s challenging and volatile geography also played a part in our decision.

‘Three models were chosen to rollout, depending on the size of the market. Metro cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch would receive the 8600 (now 8700i), regional cities the 5700i, and small provincial markets the 5500i. Having the added extra of integrated radio data system (RDS) generators has enabled MediaWorks Radio to not only up the game sound wise, but also introduce RDS with an AF table that hands over seamlessly when transitioning frequencies from the next broadcast point.’