A station for the future

By LIAM MAYO
Posted 6/28/22

LIBERTY, NY — It took a year of construction, but on June 23, Radio Catskill began broadcasting from its new location in Liberty.

Radio Catskill first hit the airwaves 30 years ago, on …

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A station for the future

Posted

LIBERTY, NY — It took a year of construction, but on June 23, Radio Catskill began broadcasting from its new location in Liberty.

Radio Catskill first hit the airwaves 30 years ago, on February 12, 1990. The station operated out of a two-story house on the banks of Lake Jefferson, powered by hydroelectricity from the lake’s dam.

The new building, donated to Radio Catskill by community member Barbara Martinsons, offered the station a chance to start from scratch with modern broadcasting technology. It was formerly the Catskill Harvest Market building on Route 52, and could be shaped by Radio Catskill into state-of-the-art studio space.

Some elements of the new studio have yet to be finalized. Delays in the supply chain and in construction have pushed back an anticipated move-date from May.

The station’s contract with its Jeffersonville building ran out at the beginning of June, said Radio Catskill general manager Tim Bruno. The building’s owners allowed the station to stay on the air through the end of June, giving Radio Catskill time to set up its broadcasting equipment at its new facility.

The new building offers Radio Catskill the tools to conduct its daily broadcasting operations better. Its new soundboards provide the station’s staff with a more intuitive workflow—though while they train with that system, they still find themselves reaching for knobs that are now levers.

The facility’s three studio rooms offer improvements both small—the arrangement of the main room allows guests to sit across from their hosts, rather than behind them—and large—the rooms themselves are soundproofed for a better recording and broadcasting experience.

The new facility is located within direct line of sight of the tower Radio Catskill uses for transmitting its signal, a marked improvement over the old system, said Bruno, where the signal bounced twice around the Hudson Valley before making it to the tower.

Besides improved broadcast capabilities, the new facility offers Radio Catskill opportunities for expanded community outreach.

The building has a space suitable for meetings and programs; a field outside could host live performances, with a transmission outlet on one side allowing for broadcast. A second building on the property is used for storage, and could serve for future expansion if necessary.

The station will have open houses on Saturday, July 23 and Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to show off its new facility.

Radio Catskill, WJFF, Liberty

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