Image: At the Eastside FM studios. Photo: supplied
Community radio station Eastside 89.7 FM has finally made the switch to stereo broadcasting after thirty years of broadcasting in mono.
A freak storm in November that damaged both their antennas provided the opportunity for Eastside to not only fix their main and standby antennas but also make the big switch.
Eastside FM station manager Tony Smythe believes the switch to stereo is vital in providing a strong quality of sound for their eastern suburbs audience.
“It is imperative our audience gets to hear the high quality and calibre of songs and musicians we play on Eastside in stereo,” he said.
“It completely enhances their listening experience, and allows our audience to enjoy by listening with both their left and right ears, which is why you would switch to stereo.”
Stereophonic sound has replaced monophonic sound reproduction in FM radio due to the improved audio quality stereo provides.
Stereo is the reproduction of sound using two or more independent audio channels to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, similar to our natural hearing. But it is more expensive to record and requires more technical expertise.
With assistance from the Community Broadcasting Fund, Eastside FM made the step to stereo and ensured there is an improved quality of sound for their eastern suburbs demographic rather than just broadcasting in mono across all metropolitan Sydney.
“We should have been broadcasting in stereo for over 60 years,” said Mr Smythe. He also believes that more community stations should make the switch but is wary of the challenge it poses.
“Community stations rely now more than ever on the support of their audience,” he said.
“Even if a station as successful as Eastside Radio has been over 30 years, switching to stereo is an enormous challenge, I can only imagine what other community stations are going through.”
