Audionics has supplied three mixing consoles for the BBC World Service to be installed in the Balkan region. Over the last ten years the BBC World Service has been developing a series of overseas offices. In the mid 90’s small offices, with limited operational facilities, were established in Tirana (Albania), and Skopje (Macedonia). The increased activity in the region over the last few years has meant these offices have become increasingly significant. With the cessation of hostilities in Yugoslavia a small office has been opened in Pristina (Kosovo).

The custom built consoles, based around the ACE MkIV console design, will allow the BBC World Service to increase the technical quality of the local reports by standardising the facilities in their Balkan offices. The BBC has also introduced an FTP filing system and communications enhancements to the offices. The high quality ACE consoles have been specifically designed for ease of operation by non-technical staff. The electronics are remotely located in a 3U, 19” card frame with an external 2U power supply.

BBC Consulting and Projects Project Manager, Reg Butcher said “Audionics’ mixers have allowed our journalists to produce stories of a higher technical quality and to increase the number of local reports sent back to London. Audionics’ mixers have proven to be very reliable and the simple operational design makes them ideal for use by non technical staff located in remote parts of the world.” The mixers were fully tested and assembled in the UK before being transported to the Balkans. The mixers in Tirana and Pristina are now online and the Skopje office is planned for July.