Open day launches station’s digital studio

THE new digital broadcasting panel at community radio station Phoenix FM has been officially unveiled at an open day on Wednesday.

Victorian Premier and Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan visited the event and publicly launched the studio, which has been in use since last June.

Known as Studio One, the facility replaces a Falcon analogue panel, which Phoenix FM business manager Anne Conway said had been in use for many years.

“But as time went by we were in an increasingly vulnerable situation as parts were no longer available nor were the panels being manufactured,” Ms Conway said.

“Digital was obviously the way to go in anticipation of the eventual digital roll-out to our region, but as an entirely volunteer-run not-for-profit organisation, options were limited.”

In the lead-up to the 2022 state election, Ms Allan – deputy Premier at the time – spearheaded a push to secure an election promise of $50,000 for the station.

“In 2024 we were thrilled beyond belief to receive a $50,000 grant from the Victorian State Labor Government,” Ms Conway said.

“That funding, combined with our own resources, enabled us to conduct a $76,000 upgrade to our Studio One.”

Ms Conway described the Phoenix FM story as one of triumph over initial adversity and a testament to the hard work of its volunteers and the support of the community.

“Whilst digital broadcasting has not, as yet, been rolled out in our region, we are ready for it when it happens and in the meantime we have a state-of-the-art studio which our presenters find a delight to use.”

When the studio went live last year, Phoenix FM committee member and technical adviser Peter Williams described the new equipment as worldwide industry standard broadcast equipment.

“The audio becomes completely lossless, and that means that whatever the audio quality is that you put in is what you hear on your radio,” Mr Williams said at the time.

Phoenix FM’s second studio remains an analog system and is being used now mainly for pre-recording of programs, which Mr Williams said was the method some presenters preferred in preparing their shows.