Attention! Acoustic consultant and design company Veale Associates is delighted to have joined forces with the British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS), refurbishing the 1980s broadcast facilities that have been supporting our troops serving abroad since 1943.

The Stevenage-based company has overhauled three studios, three production booths, a talk studio and a television studio with green screen for the BFBS as part of a refurbishment programme orchestrated by the charity which provides the invaluable service, the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), under its contract with the MOD.

The project included an extensive technical upgrade to broadcast hardware, power distribution, data connectivity and play out systems including upgrades incorporating touch screen controls across several systems. An easy to use clock and lighting system was installed to enable staff to see and select the different time zones for broadcasting to our troops overseas.

Commenting on the task, Veale Associates Head Consultant Eddie Veale said: “With SSVC being a charity, we had to work particularly hard in this instance to contain costs while ensuring sufficient resources to design professional studios to a tight budget. While studios need to look and feel impressive, they also need to remain flexible, operating 24/7. Our challenge was to make sure they can deliver optimum performances from a host of different users. At the same time they have to be built for the future to guarantee longevity so there is a lot of detail in the design and construction. I am proud that we achieved all of these aims for such a worthy cause."

John Sullivan, Head of Projects and Infrastructure at SSVC added: “Everyone is pleased with the final result. The refurbishment has given presenters a better working environment and a commonality with the studios they work from around the globe. We are particularly delighted to continue a long association with Veale Associates. The company’s flexibility in accommodating our requirements and changing timelines has been very much appreciated.”

BFBS currently broadcasts to 23 countries including some extremely remote destinations. The television service broadcasts the best of UK television over fifteen 24-hour channels to seventeen countries, across fifteen time zones and includes a service to HM Navy vessels.