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AES Pacific Northwest Section Meeting Report - June 26, 1997

Tour of KIRO, KIRO-FM and KNWX Radio Station Studios

Digital camera photos of the tour - eight GIFs, approx 50KB each.
On June 26, 1997, two dozen attendees were treated to a tour of the studios for radio stations KIRO, KIRO-FM and KNWX in Seattle. Host was Buzz Anderson, Chief Engineer. The facility, conceived and executed by Anderson, was custom built into what used to be an insurance building. Due to swift business deals, the station had to be designed and constructed in a short time. The requirements were prodigious, since KIRO is a market leading news/talk and Mariners baseball station, KIRO-FM a talk station and KNW X all news. The number of STLs, phone lines, ISDN and so on were more than a standard music station.

Visitors began outside the building, and after everyone introduced themselves, Buzz showed the 250 kW emergency generator. Going inside, the basement equipment room contained the main racks of control and processing equipment, such as the RCS digital audi o automation system, routers, loggers, and an Australian stick-bug - the mascot, whose terrarium is mounted in rack 2. Many phone lines were in evidence, and much wire for every conceivable transmission mode - ISDN, telco, digital audio, computer, etc. Ca ble trays featured a 4 inch wide copper strap running throughout the tray system for grounding. An adjacent basement area lay directly under the first floor studios, allowing all cabling to drop directly down to cable trays, and immediately to the nearby main equipment racks.

Next we went upstairs to the main studios and production suites. All custom cabinetry held desks and equipment, and the 4 control rooms were available for the 3 stations, with 1 reserved primarily for Mariners baseball broadcasts. The top floor held all a dministrative offices and was not visited.

Adjourning to the basement lunchroom, attendees had light refreshments, then fielded a Q and A session with Buzz. He stated that he would soon be changing jobs, to be chief engineer at crosstown radio rival KOMO. He related many perspectives of the local radio business, and held high regard for the friendliness of the local radio engineers.

Section Chair Dan Mortensen finally conducted Section business. Nominations for next year's Section officers were presented. These were nominated by the present officers and committee. Raul Gonzalez was nominated for one of the 4 open committee positions. No other nominations were made. The nominations are therefore as follows:

Chair: David Scheirman
Vice Chair: Rick Chinn
Treasurer: Allen Goldstein
Secretary: Gary Louie
Committee: Terry Denbrook, Raul Gonzalez, Aurika Hays, Dan Mortensen, Skip Pizzi (4 positions open)
(Returning Committee, last year of a 2 year term: Barry James, Steve Macatee, Bob Moses, Rick Smargiassi)

Ballots will be mailed out to members, where write-ins may be made.

Report by Gary Louie, PNW Secretary, 206-543-1218