CAN you imagine a radio station recording its music program in a bustling restaurant, amid the diners and shuttling waiters and waitresses?

　　For the first time ever, FM971, a music station of Shenzhen Broadcasting Station, moved its recording studio into a local restaurant. On Friday night FM971 paid a visit to D.E. Thai Cuisine Coffee & More, in Dongmen.

　　Sitting in front of the control panel, Xiao Mei, the female DJ, introduced a new album by Taiwan pop diva Chang Hui-mei and ran interviews given by Chang and another Taiwan singer, Jay Chow.

　　The soundtrack was broadcast yesterday afternoon in a FM971’s column Pop Music from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

　　Amazingly, a radio DJ also became a performer in front of all the people in the restaurant. She played to the crowd, speaking spiritedly and intimately by turns. Sometimes she even danced, immersed in the music, with her eyes closed.

　　“Oh, I’ve never seen a music DJ working,” said a diner, without tearing his eyes from Xiao Mei.

　　Several other guests said this was quite an unexpected and amazing event.

　　Xia Bin, the director of FM971, told the Shenzhen Daily he was planning to do more programs out of the station studio, to give more variety to the working style of the program. “We cover a population of about 30 million people around the whole Pearl River Delta area, and we estimate that we have about 12 million listeners,” said Xia.

　　What he did not say, of course, is that he is targeting a new niche market in advertising.