This sign, which basically functioned as a light box, was mounted over a studio door in the Caldecott Centre. Whilst the studio was being used, either for recording or transmission, the letters on the board would be lit up to prevent the door from being opened and interrupting the activity inside. This sign is significant for two reasons. One it points to recording and transmission practices before the arrival of technological advancements, especially in acoustics. In the past to maintain high quality recording , it was essential to sound proof the space and avoid both internal and external disturbances. It suggests a time before file sharing and delocalized recording has become possible with digital technologies. Second, the sign came from Singapore's broadcasting center in Caldecott Hill. Caldecott Hill was the site of both Singapore’s broadcasting history and the development of a residential suburb. A permanent Radio broadcasting station opened in 1937 and the tall 200ft mast served as a signal transmitting and receiving structure. After the occupation ended, broadcasting continued under Radio Malaya, which was renamed as Radio Singapura. In 1965, Radio Singapura and Television Singapura combined to form Radio and Television Singapore or RTS. In 1966 a 3.5 million studio complex at Caldecott Hill was completed. The four-level building was fitted with 2 million dollars’ worth of equipment. In the next decade, the premises saw more facilities including auditorium, recording studios, library and air conditioning, and the ability to support color Television services in 1974. RTS was named SBC in 1980 and Television programing flourished. The site of the Caldecott Broadcast Centre under MediaCorp Singapore was sold in December 2020 to PRE10, thus bringing to end decades of broadcasting from this place.
