Building a Modern Broadcast Facility in a 152-Year Old House

Broadcast & Online Delivery

Chair:
Matthew Ballos, Walters-Storyk Design Group - Highland, NY, USA
Panelists:
Jimmy Buff, WKNY Radio - Kingston, NY, USA
Kale Kaposhilin, WKNY Radio - Kingston, NY, USA
John Storyk, Walters-Storyk Design Group - Highland, NY, USA

HOW WKNY RADIO IS TURNING A 152-YEAR-OLD OCTAGONAL HOUSE INTO A CUTTINg EDGE COMMUNITY SERVICE BROADCAST STUDIO 

In December 2017 Radio Station WKNY (Kingston, NY) announced plans to move from its long-time home to a brand new, cutting-edge broadcast center. On the air since December 1939, WKNY’s new home is singularly unique. Hexagonal in shape, the 152-year-old structure (circa 1866) has served a variety of purposes, from Tavern to (most recently) a Hair Salon. Jimmy Buff, Executive Director of the Radio Kingston Corp., which purchased the station in 2017, reports the building’s unique six-sided profile is particularly cool, as it “faces all parts of the city.” A Hudson Valley broadcast icon, Buff is exec director and an on-air personality at WKNY Radio, WSDG (Highland, NY) is a global broadcast facility, recording studio, teaching/production complex and performance venue architectural/acoustical design firm, retained to create the new station. Though tied in to the local power grid, WKNY is designed to function as an “all solar power” facility. The new complex will include a separate building, which will serve as a Community Center/video production studio for podcasts. WKNY Technical Director Kale Kaposhilin will cover all aspects of the station design process, and address a variety of issues including the challenges of constructing within a building with six sides, systems integration, and funding.