Thursday 19 January 2012

Day 19 - Stockholm Syndrome

Tomorrow will probably be my last day working at the Lissner St site.

Those of us who were with the ABC when the cancer cluster was confirmed and we were herded out of the old site with one day's notice, know it was a stressful, emotional time for everyone.

Different departments found themselves scattered around Brisbane and what was originally supposed to be a stop-gap setup at Lissner St, became our home.

The first twelve months were extraordinary.

We started our five year stint there by broadcasting from shonky, leaking, minivans that had no soundproofing.


Our producers were in a donger next to us - we had no way of seeing each other and everytime it rained it was impossible to hear what a phone interviewee was saying.

And yet, we managed and in hindsight, that was actually a lot of fun.

The station was a construction site for the first year, and we named the on-air studio after the inimitable Robert "Aussie" Appolloni after he put it together in record time.

The building shook each time a big vehicle moved through the carpark, recording booths were always at a premium, guests could hear our every word as they sat on the red sofas in the green room - separated only by a divider.

But we have loved it here.

It became the dodgy "renovator's dream" that slowly becomes your home.

We went through the floods and the aftermath here, we have celebrated and commiserated, we have created wonderful programs day after day (IMHO).

It was the people that made this lacklustre facility work as a metro radio station and although we are all looking forward to our new home, we will miss this place.

2 comments:

  1. Those people I hope are coming with you and again you will make wonderful memories. Good luck to all on the move to bigger and hopefully better premises. Must take the slippery when wet sign though!

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