RADIO HAS GONE high-tech in Barbados.

One of ten established FM radio stations, Mix 96 took a quantum leap and put its studio in full view of shoppers on the first floor of Sheraton Mall in Christ Church.

To celebrate its sixth anniversary Mix 96 recently opened a new glass-enclosed facility, allowing the public to view most of the station's operations and disc jockeys at work.

The radio station moved house from Bay Street and has rebranded its image to capture the attention of a youthful audience.

"We are the same as we were yesterday. There is no change in our format, no change in our structure or our personalities. The only change we have today is a change in our name from Mix FM to Mix 96, and a change in our logo from the yellow brand to the new blue and silver," managing director Scott Weatherhead told BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY.

Ever since Mix first went on the air, he said, he'd wanted to have the studio in the mall to grab people's attention, and "Mix is about to transform into a very serious and significant medium for advertisers in the 19-to-40 age group".

Weatherhead said he was the brain behind the new facility's digital format.

On the investment, he said: "I wouldn't put a figure on it. We have not even added it up; a few hundred thousand."