There are several steps that you need to take, while seeking suitable premises for a community radio station. These steps apply, whether you are seeking to buy, lease or simply rent the premises from where you will be operating the community radio station. In trying to find suitable premises for a community radio station, you will need to:
Work out how much space you need
How many square feet (or square meters) of space will you need for your community radio station? How much space do you need for the studios? How much space do you need for the offices? Will you be operating open plan or enclosed offices? How much space do you require for other amenities – including the space you need to keep the broadcasting and transmission equipment? Those are the relevant questions to ask yourself at this stage.
Be clear on the type of premises you need
Do you, for instance, need space in the central business district? Or would space in the outskirts of your city do? Do you need to operate from a stand-alone building? Or can you operate from an apartment-style building (where you share the building with other organizations)? Do you need a ‘prime’ location? Or can you operate the community radio station from a ‘less-than-prime’ location? These are the important considerations here.
Search for vacant premises around
Once you have a clear idea on the size and type of premises you need, you can embark on the actual search. You can use a search engine at this stage. Or you can call and engage a realtor to help you get the space you need for the community radio station. You can also walk/drive around, looking for ‘vacant premises’ signposts… Searching for the space is likely to be a time consuming affair. If you are working elsewhere, you may need to ask for some time off-work, to search for the premises. If, for instance, you work for a company like Nordstrom, you may need to visit the Mynordstrom login page, sign in, and navigate to the work schedules section. Then, after logging in at the Mynordstromsign in page, you can proceed to request for time off work: that being the time you spend looking for premises to house the community radio station you wish to set up.
Contact the relevant people
Once you identify premises that you consider ideal for the community radio station, you need to contact the people who are selling, leasing or renting it out. You can then proceed to organize a meeting with the people, to discuss the possibility of you buying, leasing or renting the premises for your community radio station.
Pay for the premises
The next step here is to pay for the premises. Depending on the developer you are dealing with, you may be required to pay for the premises in cash, using a check, through a bank wire transfer… and so on. The amount to be paid will naturally vary, depending on the size and location of the premises, and also depending on the terms you are acquiring the space on (whether you are buying, leasing or renting it).
Prepare the premises to host a community radio station
Having acquired the premises, you need to prepare them to host a community radio station. This will entail partitioning the space, sound-proofing it, branding it… and so on. Then you can install the broadcasting equipment, hire people, and get the radio station on air.