Studio for TV station
THE headquarters of Fiji Television Corporation Ltd was expected to be built in January of 1987. This, according to an article The Fiji Times on September 6,1986.
It was revealed that the work would be done on Flagstaff Park.
Members of the Fiji TV board met the day before the article was published and gave approval of the proposed design of its studio, created by Adrian Sofield Architect Ltd.
John Hall, 37, was also appointed as the general manager of the national television provider.
With reference to a statement from that meeting, Lynton Taylor who was the board chairman at the time stated the appointment was for a duration of three years.
Mr Taylor said the selection was done after being advertised in New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji where Mr Hall was chosen from among 50 other applicants.
The article said he was an unanimous choice.
There were few applications from Fiji where he was hoping to appoint the upcoming general manager for the company’s executive positions.
An additional factor during Mr Hall’s selection was his knowledge and experience in television sales which would be beneficial for Fiji while it was still in its start-up period.
At the time, Mr Hall was married with three children and worked as the station manager for GLV8, a TV8, an entertainment television channel that was serving 570,000 people from Central Victoria.
“I am looking forward to the challenge of helping to give Fiji a television service which will operate as a successful business, be responsive to Fiji society and lead to an increased national awareness,” said Mr Hall in a written statement.
He was also helping Mr Taylor during an audition for talents on Viti Levu the week before the article was published and was to take responsibility from then onwards.
Mr Taylor said Adrian Sofield who was the principal of the architecture company had designed the independent colour television studio from Auckland University.
These constructions works were said to depend on the leasing arrangements at the site, Flagstaff Park.
The article said The Fiji Times understood the Suva City Council asked for $300,000 for compensation as surrendering the six-acre piece of land where the studio was to be built.
My Taylor said tenders were called from building contractors within a three-week period with the hope that work would begin in the early weeks of January.
He said that studio was planned to match geographical aspects or features of the site with wings on either side of the main foyer following a ridge line shaping a V shaped design.
Additional features of the building included a technical wing that would have the newsroom, studio, control room and workshop under it.
A separate block would be for administration having a computer room and an office.
The building materials were to blend along with the landscaping while having little to no maintenance work.
The article concluded that a satellite dish would be installed in the east side of the main block.