How EMG Holding company has changed its location in Saint Petersburg
- 04.06.2019
At the end of 2018 the management of European Media Group Holding company decided to relocate the radio complex including 6 radio stations: Europa Plus, Dorozhnoye radio, STUDIO 21, Retro FM, Novoe radio and Eldoradio.
“We moved from an old building of Leningradskiy youth house which was in a very poor condition. Besides, the fragmentation of the complex hindered the work, for example, three server rooms were on different floors”, says Sergey Bolotin, Technical director of EMG in Saint Petersburg.
Holding decided to stick by Petrogradskiy Island and comfortably settled down on the whole fourth floor in a modern business center Grani.
Initially we started to deal with a project and discussed with Sergey and our colleagues all the details such as the implementation plan and timetable, the order of new equipment connection, alterations in path scheme of the complex, the style of the furniture etc.
Four stages of relocation can be pointed out though it has been almost an ongoing process:
- The first stage: preparing the server room and assembly of telecommunication cabinets. The SCS was installed. At the end of this stage the system was provided with uninterrupted power supply.
- The second stage began with preparing the studios and control rooms: we measured the rooms, manufactured, delivered and assembled technological furniture. Besides all new equipment was installed and the cables were laid.
- The studios were scheduled to relocate during the preventive work days but they were cancelled twice so we had to relocate them in turns and broadcast from the back-up studio.
- Relocation of the production studios.
“The particularity of the project is that we did not have an opportunity to install all the equipment before the launch as a part of it was used for broadcasting in the previous complex. The relocation of six radio stations involved resettling and upgrading six broadcast studios, four production studios and integration of three server rooms into a single one. It was necessary to take into account the settings and broadcasting nuances of each radio station. We actively use software Digispot II both at broadcasting and production studios”, says Alexandr Sukov, Senior engineer of TV and Media broadcast department at Tract Company.
The most eventful day was the relocation date of two radio stations: Eldoradio and Europa Plus. It was organized in a way to begin the broadcast from a new place by the end of the working week. Eldoradio moved in the afternoon and in the evening Europa Plus set off for a new place. For this purpose our engineers did their best to get ready for the broadcast so that at night from Saturday to Sunday all six radio stations were able to broadcast from a modern and comfortable place.
“There were no problems to deal with. I took my place and get it started”, says Eldoradio host Olga Schmeleva about Digispot II system.
The whole relocation process took only one week and all the works were done without any broadcast interruption. “We laid reserve and main optical channels. Satellite reception antenna and other transmission equipment were installed on the roof of the building. We partially upgraded the equipment and designed the space in a uniform style. Now we have a modern furniture and acoustic protection of rooms. We have been working with Tract company for ages. Since the time when Eldoradio has been the first radio station based on computer system. There are no complaints at all from our part as everything has been done promptly and on time”, says Sergey Bolotin, Technical director EMG in Saint Petersburg.
