Docklands Studios Melbourne (stage 5)
Sevens Olympic Setup
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Over the last couple of years quite a few broadcast techs have been put out of work: one job they slot easily into is the tech at one of the antarctic bases and there are some jobs open there now if you can commit to 12-18months down there. Sounds like their earlier recruitment round did not get enough takers, so they may be a bit more flexible with their wishlist.
Medical is very strict, so have a look at that before you apply.
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This is the 4BC 882 - SEN 693 broadcast site on Wynnum Road today.
No signage on the building. A very long time ago when it was just 4BH there was a 4BH sign.
The second of the 2 towers can just be seen in the distance.
Close up of the sign on the fence.
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Here is the RFNSA record for the mobiles at the site:
https://www.rfnsa.com.au/4178006/detail
Doesn’t give any detail about the radio though - at least the compound is getting mowed so the site is at least being maintained
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4KQ/SENQ don’t use that mast in the photos, on the left side of the photo you’ll see a guy wire that goes much wider than the others, it’s an active guy.
4KQ has a different directional radiation pattern to 4BC, 4BC use both masts, 4KQ/SENQ use the back mast (seen in the distance) & the active guy wire.
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Inside Seven’s Martin Place newsroom as police seize video of John Barilaro’s run in with a camera man.
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You mean 7?
That’s Channel 10 Brisbane in the background which is close to Channel 7.
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And then there is the little ABC hut (which is just transmission/tower) just opposite 10, and further down the road past 7, you have QTQ9. Most cars driving up the mountain to the lookout would come up the other side and turn around at the lookout roundabout, so most of the cars up at the TV end of the mountain (which is much quieter) are network employees and motorcyclists/cyclists.
The differences in station designs are quite obvious as you drive past too (aside from branding). 9 is very much like a compound with massive fences and big brick buildings, while 7 has much more of an office type of vibe with big plate glass windows all around. The envy of Brisbane TV stations would have to be ABC though at Southbank.
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I wonder if Channel 10 still have their “Convention Centre” which was in the main building but couldn’t be accessed to the TV Operations side. Had portrait pictures of their News, Weather and Sport presenters along the staircase.
Went there for some exhibition in the late 90s.
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The ABC have never broadcast from the mountain either, have they? While the free leases on Coot-tha might have saved the commercial networks at the time you’d think the ABC would be the ones laughing now. No antequated facilities out of town, and even with all the dramas about the Toowong studios (a site which I’m sure sold for good money given the redevelopment potential) they’ve ended up the best-placed of the Brisbane stations.
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I once asked the question of a tech at BTQ that had been there from day one about locating the studio at the transmitter and he said the 1950’s microwave links were very unreliable and expensive and that’s why there was a preference for the studio and transmitter to be co-sited.
ABC have never owned a studio at Mt Coot-tha but leased space and a news presentation studio at TVQ-10 after their exodus from Toowong. The women from TVQ and ABC did not hit it off where some facilities where shared - ABC girls called the 10 Newsroom “The playboy mansion” possibly due to the young age of the girls there and the 10 girls called the ABC women the “ABC Aunties”. Not surprising that there was a cultural clash.
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I can only imagine the cultural clash between ABC and Channel 10 presenters/reporters!
Interesting you mention the microwave issue, I guess a bigger thing back in the 50s/60s when it all began. Though coming from Melbourne where all the stations were located away from the transmitters (as indeed they were in many places), I guess I’m curious how they did it there? I presume stations like GTV, HSV, ABV all had microwaves from day one to get the signal up to Mt Dandenong? Obviously a bit further out of town there than Coot-tha was here, but still the same issues would have been in play?
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I guess transmitter location would have been a factor too - Mt Dandenong is a long way from the Melbourne CBD and Essendon(where the film footage was airfreighted to/from) whereas Mt Cootha was only 10 mins from the CBD in far off less congested times. Also public transport was a bit ordinary in the 1950’s and everyone owned a car anyway, so having to drive up a hill to a studio was not a big impost.
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AFAIK, the closest ABC ever came to broadcasting from that site was when they relocated to 10’s basement across the road when they abandoned Toowong. And although their building is amazing and in a great spot - it is susceptible to flooding which isn’t great. I think earlier this year the building was sandbagged and in 2011 the building site was extensively flooded. But yes, they have the flexibility to do whatever the want really, while the rest are hamstrung by that pesky $1 lease deal.
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I do recall reading that the 2011 floods delayed the ABC Southbank Brisbane fitout because they realised the main switchboard had to be relocated high in the building to get above future flood levels - the original planned location may have been on the ground floor.
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