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Thursday, November 2, 2017

Visit to Sonora FM, Palembang


A few days ago my family and I were in Palembang, South Sumatra. While on a social visit, we stopped by Sonona FM 102.6, one of several stations in the Sonora Network heard throughout Indonesia. As it happens one of our friends -- 'foster son' actually -- is an announcer at the station.

DJ Adi Putra
He gave us a little tour. I say 'little' because the station itself is quite small. It comprises a lobby with a 1960s desk console, turntable and telephone, portraits of past award-winning DJs and an early poster of Led Zeppelin. In another room, near a corner, sits their transmitter with lights aflutter. And, in an adjoining room lies their studio, with the most easily noticed equipment being fader/mixing console, headphones and microphone.

The transmitter is a low-power rig, sufficient to emit a signal over a 30 km radius. A handful of announcers spin mostly contemporary Western and Indonesian pop tunes.

The station takes listener music requests as well. And we duly made use of this service, requesting at least three or four Indonesia and Malaysian tunes made famous by M. Nasir, Hetti Koes Endang and the Indo-American group Debu.

All in all, it was a rather nice visit to one of the many radio stations in Palembang. One need only scan the horizon to see the numerous telecommunication masts around town to discover this. But, Sonora FM is the one that personally stands out.

Sonora FM radio mast near yellow structure



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