RNZI Airs New Radio Heritage Documentary Earthquake Radio

Join us from Monday, June 13 2011 as we bring you the inside story on Radio New Brighton 102.1 FM, the emergency radio station for earthquake hit Christchurch, to be broadcast on the Mailbox program from Radio New Zealand International.

This unique documentary includes on-air sound grabs, interviews with the people who set up the station, volunteer announcers, and local residents. We usually research and write about radio stories, this time we were in the heart of the story ourselves.

You can listen directly via shortwave radio from RNZI in New Zealand, or audio on demand [for the following month] with full details of current broadcast frequencies [both DRM and analog] and times possible for your area as well as audio downloads at www.rnzi.com.

The report also backgrounds how the earthquake on February 22 2011 affected local radio stations, how they responded to the loss of their studios and yet still maintained 24/7 service, and broke the biggest news story in New Zealand for decades.

You'll also learn about JOYZ2U 77.2 FM and other disaster recovery FM stations set up in Japan after their earthquake, tsunami and nuclear triple hit just two days before Radio New Brighton went to air.

How the radio community in the two countries responded to the earthquakes has many similarities, but there are also key differences in how civil defence and local authorities regarded these emergency local radio stations. In one country they were ignored, in the other fully supported.

So join us from Monday, June 13 2011 as we explore these two recent examples of earthquake radio on the Mailbox program from Radio New Zealand International [www.rnzi.com].

You can also use our fully up to date guide to contemporary AM radio in Japan and New Zealand with free access to our PAL Radio Guides at our global website www.radioheritage.com.

Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage across the Asia and Pacific region. Our website is www.radioheritage.com. To be removed from this mailing list send a return email with 'au revoir' in the subject line.

We currently have an urgent need for donations towards our operating costs as the donor base in New Zealand has been devastated by calls for earthquake relief. If you can help us, please make a donation today at our website www.radioheritage.com.

(Media Release, Radio Heritage Foundation, www.radioheritage.com , June 11 2011)

Christchurch Radio 'Returns to Normal"

The Radio Heritage Foundation says the local radio dial in Christchurch [New Zealand] is almost back to the situation it was before the massive earthquake of February 22 2011 which disrupted many services.
All radio station brands from the main broadcasting networks [Radioworks, The Radio Network, Radio New Zealand and Rhema Broadcasting Group] are on air with normal programs and no reported technical issues. Access to some local studios in the CBD continues to be an issue but the stations have been working around this problem for over two months now.
Community access stations Plains FM and Compass FM are basically operating their usual schedules along with most other independent stations in the city, although again, some studio facilities remain off-limits in the CBD, with Pulzar FM amongst the worst affected.
The eastern suburbs of the city have seen the return of local low power FM stations The Wave FM from Sumner and Burwood Community Radio, and Beachbreak FM at South New Brighton is close to returning to the airwaves.
Invercargill based Classic Gold now has a low power station located at New Brighton replacing the high powered emergency mobile station we initiated and which they operated as Radio New Brighton 102.1 FM for two months from outside the Central New Brighton School" says foundation chairman David Ricquish.
From this week, students at the fringe CBD based NZ Broadcasting School have also launched C96 FM using a high powered transmitter covering the city. The station is dedicated to the rebuilding of Christchurch and has a fund raising target of $NZ50,000 [$US30,000] to support local businesses and the community.
"Radio proved it was able to respond quickly to local needs after the earthquake, although it did require bringing in additional resources from out of the city in the initial weeks, including a totally new local station for the eastern suburbs" says Ricquish.
"It's clear that if a similar event should occur again, radio resources in the city would again be stretched, probably beyond breaking point. The value of having self-sufficient local community radio stations across the metro area has been driven home by the February earthquake, and they must be accorded greater value in future planning'.
The Radio Heritage Foundation was saddened to see the demolition of the original Radio Broadcasting Company [3YA] studios and building in Christchurch in recent days, another casualty of the earthquake and damage caused to many older buildings.
The Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage and its global website is www.radioheritage.com.
Another of its 'Helping Rebuild Christchurch' projects involves restoring the original 3ZB radio studio and transmitter building in New Brighton in time for its 75th anniversary in 2012.

Contact: info@radioheritage.net

Media Release
Radio Heritage Foundation
www.radioheritage.com
May 3 2011

Christchurch Radio Status #4

Access to check the status of CBD radio studios of many Christchurch radio broadcasters is gradually taking place 17 days after the devasting earthquake hit this New Zealand city of 350,000.

Radio New Zealand, The Radio Network and Radioworks all have studios within this zone and engineers are still working through some city buildings to determine whether they are safe for temporary or permanent access and use. Considerable damage to some buildings housing the studios is likely.

NewstalkZB has been carrying its news coverage across 1017,1098 and 1503 AM and 106.5 AM [replacing Hauraki Amp'd]. Their main mast at Orohuia has reportedly sunk in the ground from liquifaction. Another Newstalk ZB frequency audible in western parts of the city is 873AM from Ashburton, 50 miles south.

Other Auckland based network programs heard on Christchurch area transmitters include Niu FM [Pacific Island languages], and those of RBG Rhema Broadcasting Group.

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 Maori language iwi network programs. Pulzar 105.7 FM which lost its studios in the September 2010 earthquake is broadcasting automated music programs.

Local community access Plains FM has studios at the Christchurch Polytech campus in the CBD and this zone will be opened up for access on Monday March 14. It continues using its transmitter to broadcast the BBC World Service from London as an emergency measure.

Radio Ferrymead 1413AM returns again for the period March 11-14 with automated programs and reduced live broadcasts on March 12-13. Volcano Radio 88.5 in Lyttelton continues amazing service to the shattered port area with music and local community and emergency announcements.

Destroyed or damaged local LPFM stations now include One-Eyed FM [Aranui], Beachbreak FM [South New Brighton] and The Wave [Sumner] whilst Burwood Community Radio near badly damaged QEII Park is reportedly silent but may be able to return on air shortly. Power supply is fragile. LPFM stations in Redwood, Bishopdale, Wigram, Kaiapoi, and Akaroa are all operating.

The Radio Heritage Foundation, in association with Classic Gold Radio Winton, is finalizing plans to bring a fully equipped mobile radio studio to broadcast directly from New Brighton in the coming days. Live and local broadcasts to the worst hit suburbs start on March 14. Donations of funds to cover operational costs are urgently needed at www.radioheritage.com.

Power Hits Radio 87.8 in St Albans and Akaroa FM [both Christchurch City] have been carrying earthquake coverage from the emergency nationwide local network anchored by Classic Gold Radio Winton, near Invercargill, in association with The Flea in Auckland and Splash FM on Waiheke Island.

The full network taking this feed is Classic Gold Radio [Winton], Classic Gold Radio [Invercargill], Radio Cromwell, Radio Mosgiel [Dunedin], Radio Twizel, Power Hits Radio [Christchurch], Akaroa FM [Christchurch], Hutt FM 106.1 [Wellington], Rag FM [Raglan], The Flea 88.2 Devonport/107 Takapuna [Auckland] and six hours daily streaming via the Mader Radio Network [USA].

Compass FM 104.9 FM in Rangiora has now started broadcasting on full power with a strong signal into the city carrying North Canterbury earthquake relief information, messages and music. Their signal reaches from Hanmer Springs in the north to Ashburton in the south.

Radio New Zealand Sound Archives are located in the off-limits Radio NZ studio building and operations are currently suspended. The audio and other heritage collections housed there are understood to have survived with relatively minor damage.

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.

Background - Since the earthquake on February 22, the death toll is expected to be over 200, most of the CBD may be demolished because even modern high rise buildings are now on unstable ground, and some 10,000 homes may be demolished and whole suburbs replaced with
parkland, forests and wetland. About 20-25% of the city population has self-evacuated. It is estimated the rebuilding will take 10-15 years.
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. In association with Classic Gold Radio it is bringing a mobile FM radio station into Christchurch to begin emergency welfare broadcasting on March 14.

(Media Release ,Radio Heritage Foundation , www.radioheritage.com ,March 11 2011)

Christchurch Radio Status #3

Christchurch [New Zealand] Radio Services Status #3

Access to the CBD radio studios of many Christchurch radio broadcasters continues to be denied by the civil defence authorities 10 days 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. Considerable damage to buildings housing the studios is likely.

NewstalkZB has been carrying its news coverage across 1017,1098 and 1503 AM and 106.5 AM [replacing Hauraki Amp'd]. Their main mast at Orohuia has reportedly sunk in the ground from liquifaction and they are radiating a much weaker signal from a long wire temporary aerial.

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. Pulzar 105.7 FM which lost its studios in the September 2010 earthquake is broadcasting automated music programs only.

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

Radio Ferrymead 1413AM is now back on air today with automated programming for the coming four days. They sustained moderate damage to studios and buildings. Volcano Radio 88.5 in Lyttelton continues amazing service to the shattered port area with music and local community and emergency announcements.

Destroyed or damaged local LPFM stations now include One-Eyed FM [Aranui], Beachbreak FM [South New Brighton] and The Wave [Sumner] whilst Burwood Community Radio near badly damaged QEII Park is reportedly silent.

The Radio Heritage Foundation, in association with Classic Gold Radio, is currently working on plans to bring a fully equipped mobile radio studio to broadcast directly from New Brighton to the nearby eastern suburbs in the coming days. Donations of funds and help on the ground would be greatly appreciated.

Power Hits Radio 87.8 in St Albans and Akaroa FM [both Christchurch City] have been carrying earthquake coverage from the emergency nationwide local network anchored by Classic Gold Radio in Winton, near Invercargill, in association with The Flea in Auckland and Splash FM on Waiheke Island.

The full network taking this feed is Classic Gold Radio [Winton], Classic Gold Radio [Invercargill], Radio Cromwell, Radio Mosgiel [Dunedin], Radio Twizel, Power Hits Radio [Christchurch], Akaroa FM [Christchurch], Hutt FM 106.1 [Wellington], Rag FM [Raglan], The Flea 88.2 Devonport/107 Takapuna [Auckland] and six hours daily streaming via the Mader Radio Network [USA].

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.

Radio New Zealand Sound Archives are located in the off-limits Radio NZ studio building and operations are currently suspended. The status of the audio and other heritage collections housed there is unknown.

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 .March 4 2011)

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)