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VBC upgrades to professional software and online streaming

Stacey Knott

News

1/10/2007





After seven months of iTunes and confinement to a low frequency, The VBC is getting professional and going digital. They recently switched from iTunes to professional software and will be streaming online by October 5.
Currently on 88.3 FM, Vic’s student radio station is limited to reaching listeners in Wellington city but the new development will see it initially reaching listeners throughout New Zealand and then internationally.
Users will be able to go straight to The VBC’s homepage and access the live streams through that. The website will also include podcasts of featured interviews and shows.
VBC Business and Production Director Douglas Tereu says the main benefits of streaming will be to gauge the listenership of the station. The VBC have been in negotiations with the University to have the station streamed for free on campus. Tereu says the website would be free for the University as it is national traffic.
The VBC has also approached the various University schools about putting speakers in public places such as the Quad and common rooms.
Before the official launch in November, Tereu says The VBC will include a chartroom for listeners to participate in while listening to their shows online, where they will be able to make requests, amongst other things, to the DJs. VBC TV is also in development which will be used to keep people updated on the station developments as well as providing light relief through humorous videos.
Streaming online will give The VBC better presence and with their new equipment they will be able to “edit films and do little promoting things over the internet,” and be interactive, incorporating images, film and pictures, says Tereu.
Steaming online has called for new professional software, and the station has just purchased Station Playlist Pro- software that will see the station going from small-fry iTunes users, to being on par with the big players. Though not the software professional radio stations are using in New Zealand, Station Playlist Pro has been used in New Zealand’s Radio Training School who recommended it to The VBC, and most radio stations do use something of a similar standard.
To celebrate the live streaming, The VBC is hosting a launch party on November 5 at San Francisco Bathhouse, with the media launch from 6-9pm for VBC DJ’s and media and from 9pm for the party.