Most* broadcast engineering these days is just specialised IT. An IT person can learn broadcast, but they have to be willing to learn and have mentors. Your average IT person thrown in the deep end with no support around them is going to struggle.
*Not RF, obviously. In Aus, much RF gets subbed out to TXA/BAI anyway - especially in cap. cities and provincials. But SRN would have an above-average number of sites in very remote areas, and they’re renowned for not paying for things when they don’t have to…
If you can do broadcast RF work there is better money to be had working on 5G rollouts or defence contracting. BAI can pretty much charge what they want in regional areas - their regional teams are the only game in town in many places. WIN did a deal with BAI years ago but I doubt SRN would have the $$$$ to get BAI doing any of their work. Routine maintenance is pretty much extinct in commercial radio and TV, so many sites now await their fate when the money runs out completely
To start with, it’s not called Manual Arts any more, hasn’t been called that for eons if at all. At least in NSW.
I have taught basic soldiering skills in my Technology Mandatory classes in years 7 and 8, and other teachers in Science have also taught those skills. So that’s not to say it’s not being taught, it’s just not the done thing by many.
Also, there is no longer an elective Electronics subject, hasn’t been for years. It’s now Engineering Technology 7–10, of which you can specialise in electronics. There is also the Electrotechnology VET subject, where you can get a Cert II.
but this comes down to the popularity of the subject and the ability to find teachers who can, are willing and are treated with enough respect to get those subjects off the ground. So in short, don’t expect fresh talent to come through any time soon.
I noticed more “clever” campaigns on NewFM, along with their Robbie Williams Presents 7pm Tuesday announcement. Things which haven’t happened before at the station.
As for the AMs, I’ve heard a change of segments for Brent’s afternoon show, and more interviews/guests on the weekend shows. Not just wall-to-wall callers.
You’ve just made me realise how long it’s been since I did the Electronics course in high school
It looks like the current Industrial Technology 7–10 syllabus has an Electronics focus area, and that seems the closest to a standalone Electronics course I can find. The 2028 onwards syllabus renames it to ‘electronics industry’. Engineering Technology 7–10 starts from 2027 from what I can see?
Lots of choices. All school and teacher dependant as you said.
Regardless of the courses available, no one is going to step out of one of these and into a transmitter hut with a valve AM transmitter. (I hope they don’t)
Some radio equipment suppliers need to come up with a simple regional radio kit that replaces all the old legacy studio gear with an ethernet switch, touchscreen mixer and a PC/server/streamer that can be dropped into a studio and connected to an Internet service of some type. That gives local streaming and perhaps that can even be used to get to the transmitter where Internet is available at site. Syndication and networking program get there via Internet and a cloud service. A small USB type mixer could be an onsite backup. None of this stuff is rocket science now and would probably be able to be done for less than $10k per site in volume. The supplier could even do the install and commissioning with a crew that goes on the road.
SRN,ARN,ACE,ABC and SCA would all be markets for this setup as would some of the bigger community radio groups. Broadcasters should not be having to design this kit themselves.
Regional TV was done this way in the 60’s with an RCA TV kit that went pretty much everywhere.
Soldering was never something we did in High School even back in the 80s. I left grade 12 in 1983. It was something I learnt at home as part of my hobby. Growing up it was everything from mobile dj to ham radio and a stack of things interrelated. As an adult looking back I get scared with how things are soldered with SMD (Surface Mount Devices). Talking to alot of people today…. Soldering is seen as it’s own skill and SMD is. I’m ok with “through the board”. I must agree SMD is a special animal.
4GY’s FM translator is broadcasting a weird squiggly noise and a heightened white noise floor. Sadly not loud enough to blot out the RWNJs calling in. Not audible on AM.
SRN have made a further move with the times. Looking at their websites, I can see no more @gmail.com email addresses. Instead, regionals have @srn.com.au (or their @ local station website) email addresses. Much more professional.
