Christchurch [New Zealand] Earthquake - Radio Services Status 2

Access to the CBD radio studios of many Christchurch radio broadcasters continues to be denied by the civil defence authorities a week after the devasting earthquake hit this New Zealand city of 350,000.

Radio New Zealand, The Radio Network and Radioworks all have studios within the cordoned off zone and engineers are still working through city buildings to determine whether they are safe for temporary or permanent access and use.

NewstalkZB is now carrying its news coverage across 1017,1098 and 1503 AM and 106.5 AM [replacing Hauraki Amp'd], RDU 98.5 has returned to the air from temporary studios whilst Tahu 90.5 now refers to Christchurch as Quake City and has been heard carrying iwi network programs.

Local community access Plains FM has studios at the Christchurch Polytech campus and is now using its transmitter to broadcast the BBC World Service from London as an emergency measure.

Radio Ferrymead 1413AM in the badly hit Ferrymead area was silent during its usual weekend schedule, and destroyed or damaged local LPFM stations now include One-Eyed FM [Aranui], Beachbreak FM [South New Brighton] and The Wave [Sumner].

Power Hits Radio 87.8 in St Albans and Akaroa FM have both been carrying earthquake coverage from the emergency nationwide local network anchored by Classic Gold FM in Invercargill in association with Splash FM on Waiheke Island.

The status of new community station Compass FM 104.9 FM in Rangiora is unclear, it had been testing recently and its studios and facilities are available but don't appear to be utilised at present for some reason.

A full listing of Christchurch area AM and FM stations is online at www.radioheritage.com and is regularly being updated. It's at the home page under the header 'Christchurch Earthquake 2011'.

Please support fund raising for the Helping Rebuild Christchurch project, part of the Kiwi Radio Campaign, with donations by Paypal welcome at www.radioheritage.com.

Radio Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage at www.radioheritage.com. It hosts the PAL mediumwave and shortwave Radio Guides, New Zealand Low Power FM Radio Guide and is the country editor for the Pacific region for the World Radio TV Handbook.

(Media Release, Radio Heritage Foundation, www.radioheritage.com )

Christchurch Earthquake Radio Status

Christchurch Earthquake New Zealand - Radio Broadcasting Status

A major 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand on February 22 2011 with nearly 400 killed or missing and most of the CBD of this city of 350,000 ruined.

A complete list of AM and FM radio services in Christchurch with updates on their current status is now available.

Many studios are located in the CBD, are damaged and no longer accessible and several locally based stations [such as Plains FM] are no longer broadcasting.

Main transmitter sites are operational, but several local low power FM stations in the eastern suburbs of Aranui, South New Brighton and Sumner have all sustained damage and are silent.

Other local LPFM stations such as Power Hits 87.7 FM have been broadcasting emergency accommodation messages for the St Albans/Mairehau community and offers to help stations have come from other local stations as far away as Wellington and Queenstown.

Volcano Radio 88.5 FM in Lyttelton returned to the air shortly after the quake and has been broadcasting community messages and information since.

The detailed list is available for download from www.radioheritage.com and is located at the homepage under the header 'Christchurch Earthquake 2011'.

Donations towards the 'Helping Rebuild Christchurch' project which was launched only the day before the earthquake as part of the Kiwi Radio Campaign are also welcomed through Paypal at the website or can be mailed to the Radio Heritage Foundation, PO Box 20024, Newtown, Wellington 6242. Donations are tax deductible.

The Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage.

We host the PAL Mediumwave and Shortwave Radio Guides, the New Zealand Low Power FM Radio Guide and maintain Pacific country directory listings for the World Radio TV Handbook.

Our latest radio heritage radio documentary about the FM radio dial in Bacolod City, Philippines can be downloaded from the Mailbox audio page for February 21 at Radio New Zealand International www.rnzi.com.
The second in this series is scheduled for broadcast March 7.

Our global website is www.radioheritage.net. Thank you for supporting our ongoing operational costs through Paypal donations.

(Media Release,Radio Heritage Foundation, www.radioheritage.com)