JOHN LAWS IN STUDIO 2UE - 15TH APRIL 1997

Home video on a Sony handy cam recorded on Tuesday 15th April 1997 at the old 2UE Studios, 176 Pacific Hwy, Greenwich.
Leading out of the 11am news, for 10 mins, then later into the closer theme and Midday News.
You can see Mr Laws from the panel operators, Studio D point of view, looking into Studio C - the set up was before the use of digital with 80s analogue studios from Paul Kirk and the use of tape audio cartridges.
The advantage of analogue was being able to physically handle the audio output media and bar mechanical failure, you could always substitute another machine and carry on, when a computer fails, a reboot leaves gaps of wide open air space, making it obvious that something has really gone wrong.
As an audio operator/producer you really had to focus and work the console to get the various items to air and press every commercial button live, so it was a tight show, while computerised automation is a breeze and more convenient overall, it's too easy to get 'lazy' and not pay attention to what's going on in the studio while searching Google. The most browsing you could hope for in 1997 was a TV monitor or at best a Newspaper.
You'll hear a mechanically induced electronic delay function go in and go out - as part of this video and you can see the panel operator guide the Network stations in and out of commercial breaks, sometimes at short notice, while Mr Laws does his thing.
This is great from the point of view it's just another day in the office and the daily grind of live radio and a broadcast era long gone.
Plus at the end here you'll see the original Golden Microphone, at the time only Prince had one similar.
Laws' Original Golden Mic is a Sennheiser MD422 which he is using at 2SM. It was presented on his 40th Anniversary.
The New one is a Neumann TLM-103 serial Number JL-0001 with his signature front and back in red and a special Neumann Red badge. It was presented in April 2003 for his 50th anniversary by Brian Henderson (former newsreader Channel 9) It has pride of place in his office
Laws Studio C console was donated to the National film and sound archives for a display along with the main 2UE Newsbooth desk and a number of other pieces from 176 Pacific Hwy Greenwich, after the studio demolition in 2005 and subsequent move to 170 Pacific Hwy, Greenwich.
2UE's Studio 2, where Laws operated from has a custom Gold surface Klotz DCII console with John Laws signature on it.
Rumour has it Kyle Sandilands Golden Mic doubles as a suppository device !