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WBFO completes conversion to state-of-the-art digital system
By KELLI BOCOCK-NATALE
Reporter Contributor
WBFO 88.7 FM has completed a project to convert its analog broadcast facilities to a state-of-the-art digital system, and renovate its studios in Allen Hall on the South Campus.
The WBFO studio in Allen Hall before the digitization project.
PHOTO: KARA SWEET
WBFO, the National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate operated by UB, was one of only 15 public radio stations nationwide to receive a grant in 2002 from the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) of the U. S. Department of Commerce to install a digital system.
The installation and rehabilitation project, which cost $275,000, also was supported by grants from the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation of Jamestown, the Cameron Baird Foundation, the Johnson Foundation of Jamestown and by member support. Funds provided by the three foundations enabled WBFO to meet the required amount of matching funds under the terms of the PTFP award.
With the completion of the digitization project, the obsolete analog system has been replaced with a Logitek system that is used in approximately 500 of the 11,000 radio stations in the nation.
PHOTO: KARA SWEET
"This has been the most significant technical improvement in the 44-year history of the station," said Carole Smith Petro, associate vice president and WBFO general manager. "These upgrades to our broadcast-delivery systems will allow us to take full advantage of digital, satellite and Internet capabilities, and place us in the technical forefront of both commercial and public radio stations across the nation."
David Benders, WBFO program director, notes that the digitization of the studios "provides WBFO with the unique opportunity to harness technology to provide a clearer, more reliable signal and greater flexibility in both the production and airing of programs."
"This upgrade also ensures that we will meet the high standards for sound quality that are expected of NPR affiliates."
The installation of the Logitek system, which is used in approximately 500 of the 11,000 radio stations in the nation, includes rehabilitation of two control rooms, two studios, the newsroom and the central control/wire room.
The new control boards replace an obsolete analog system that increasingly was difficult to operate and repair. In addition, thousands of feet of copper wire have been replaced by fiber optic cable, thus eliminating a major source of error and transmission obstacles that can cause interruptions in radio service and fuzziness in its sound.
In addition to improving WBFO's sound, the digital upgrade provides a more direct link to satellite programming from NPR and facilitates online streaming of programs and telephone interviews. The new system also makes it easier to produce material off-site and gives WBFO access to a wider range of editors and producers.
WBFO is Western New York's only FM NPR station. It reaches an audience of almost 100,000 people through its main signal in Buffalo and through repeater stations WUBJ 88.1 FM in Jamestown and WOLN 91.3 FM in Olean. WBFO offers a depth of programming not available elsewhere in the community, including NPR/PRI news and entertainment programs, local and regional news, public and cultural affairs programming, and jazz and blues.
The station has played an important role in the evolution of NPR over the last several decades. It was among the 10 charter members of NPR when it was founded in 1970. Programming developed at WBFO in the 1960s became the model for NPR's "All Things Considered," and a number of public radio luminaries began their professional careers at the station, among them Terry Gross, (B.A. '72, Ed.M. '75) and Ira Flatow (B.S. '71).