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Short Term Kiwi Radio Memories
Celebrating over 75 Years of Popular Kiwi Radio
Short Term Kiwi Radio Memories
No, it's not what happens to people who over indulge during the
holiday season!
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3XB Radio U logo. February 1976.
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
Rather, the New Zealand broadcasting regulations in the 1970's and
early
80's, allowed 'short term' local radio stations to broadcast for a
limited time.
These so called 'short term' licences could be for as little as a few
hours on one day, or maybe for a week, sometimes longer.
They were issued to stop the lid exploding off the pot of growing
demand for new radio stations, and some of todays radio landscape was crafted by
these stations.
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3XG Radio Rhema, November 23 1974.
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
The Rhema Broadcasting Group [which now has 3 national networks and
more on the way] began with a simple one day broadcast in Christchurch. in
1974. Wellington followed for another day much later.
The university b-Net stations began with 'orientation' broadcasts to
new students for a week or so every year. These later became a series of
licences rolled over back to back over the student year to meet
listener demand.
The term 'b-Net' comes from the original Auckland University station
name 'Radio B', which, began even less elegantly as 'Radio Bosom'.
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1XB Radio Bosom 950AM, March 1975.
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
Radio Ribbet from Otago, Radio U from Canterbury and Radio Active from
Victoria [Wellington] are other examples of student stations that
lurched precariously onto the airwaves through a few days a year of approved
mayhem.
Maori Language Week in Wellington gave early impetus to todays Iwi
Radio networks with a short term licence issued for a few days broadcast.
Many others followed.
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1XH Te Reo o Aotearoa, 603AM Auckland. NZ Polynesian's Festival,
1978.
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
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Radio Sam 1170AM logo, Coromandel 1978.
© Greg Agnew Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
Regional commercial stations such as Radio Waikato [1XW] in Hamilton,
jumped on the summer market bandwagon, with short term stations like Radio
Sam [1XC] covering the Coromandel during January, reaching thousands of
Aucklanders and others on vacation in a radio dead zone.
Everyone from the Caravaners Association to Boy Scouts Jamborees, fund
raisers for restoration of a historic ship at Waiuku, farmers at the
early Fieldays at Mystery Creek, organizers of Air Displays and Street Car
Races, local town boosters, and anyone who could fill out a form and find a
transmitter, studio gear and someone who could switch on a microphone
got their time on air.
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4ZJ Jamboree Radio, Oamaru. 1320AM. January 1978.
© David Ricquish Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
At this holiday time of the year, when short term memory loss is
forgiven, we remember some of those early broadcasters, the fun they had, and
the good causes they supported.
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3XF Vintage Wireless, 1030AM. Ferrymead Open Day Extravaganza,
February 29 1976.
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
Do you have your own [hazy or otherwise] memories of short term radio
in the 1970's and 80's? Dig out the old cassette or reel to reel tapes of
those few hours or days of broadcast and share them with us. Dust off the old
photos, find the old promotional car stickers, and let's let the memories
linger a little longer.
Contact us today or send materials to Radio Heritage Foundation, PO
Box 14339, Wellington 6241, New Zealand.
As part of our 'Celebrating Over 85 Years of Popular Kiwi Radio'
campaign in 2007, we'll bring you more about these stations. For now, enjoy these
images from ephemeral 'short term' broadcasters that paved the way for Kiwi
radio today
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2YD Radio Yesteryear, 1260AM. Wellington 50th Jubilee Trade Fair,
May 5-21 1978.
© Keith Robinson Collection, Radio Heritage Foundation. |
^Top
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 "3XB Radio U logo")
 "3XG Radio Rhema QSL")
 "1XB Radio Bosom QSL")
 "1XH Te Reo o Aotearoa QSL")
 "Radio Sam logo")
 "4ZJ Jamboree Radio QSL")
 "3XF Vintage Wireless, 1030AM. Ferrymead QSL")
 "2YD Radio Yesteryear ad")
