Nile Radio Productions calls on White Mark

The project involved rebuilding the existing Nile Radio Productions facilities, which are housed in buildings within the Media City complex on the outskirts of Cairo. Radio on-air and pre-production studios were created for Nagoom FM and its English language sister station Nile FM.

The brief also required White Mark to design two recording studios that will be used to create original music content for the stations and develop local talent. The company plans to set up a production, management and publishing arm to further facilitate this creative development and these studios form the basis of its production hub.

‘As NRP was redeveloping their premises, this was a major undertaking that required detailed coordination, design, build supervision and technical infrastructure from the outset,’ said David Bell, MD of White Mark. ‘Careful consideration had to be given to the detailed supervision of the Egyptian building company which was unfamiliar with the techniques required for this specialist project work. Scheduling also became a central issue as the two on-air stations had to continue broadcasting throughout the construction and have access to their commercial pre-production facilities. The new buildings are a significant improvement on the previous complex and detailed discussions were held as to the form the new rooms should take.’

‘Nile Radio Production and Music Studios have been a long awaited dream for all of us to realise,’ said Hala Hegazi, MD and group COO of NRP. ‘We are all extremely excited about finally having the studios completed, and to have had the whole operation built by the expertise of White Mark and Langdale Technical is really where the value of the studios is magnified. We are optimistic that the studios will become a milestone in our business legacy and will deliver our expectations and beyond in Egypt and the entire region.’

‘Needless to say, the team of producers on board feel that this is a huge breakthrough in their working track record and career portfolios,’ added Rami Mohsen, NRP’s production director. ‘To be able to work and train and manage such world class studios and the technology that comes with them is a massive addition to all of us. This could not have come at a better time in our industry’s business path as our main direction is to focus on radio production and music label releases in 2012 and beyond. We are all truly excited and feel privileged to be part of this world class launch.’

The two radio studios share common facilities with the on-air rooms both facing a shared studio. Also shared are the machine room and office and reception spaces. White Mark also designed a pre-production suite, which both stations use.

Much of the equipment was migrated from NRP’s former facilities and was re-installed by Langdale Technical, which handled the technical installation for all four studios. Set up of the facilities was handled by Jeff Marcedo, White Mark’s newly appointed agent for India and the Middle East.

On the music side, NRP now has a main recording studio that houses a 48-channel SSL Duality, Pro Tools and an extensive range of analogue and outboard equipment. It also has a small production room equipped with Pro Tools and an Avid 24-channel C|24 control surface. Both rooms feature ATC and Adams monitoring.

‘The new facilities are truly world class and it has been a joy to be part of NRP’s project to empower local talent and bring it to the home audience,’ concluded Mr Bell. ‘The challenge of working with local contractors at the level of quality required for the facility to become what it is now should not be underestimated, but the excitement of the changes in the country provided a very relevant backdrop to the creation of a suite of rooms of which Egypt can be very proud.’

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