Mountain FM plan still alive

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 430, 31 March 1992, Page 3

Mountain FM plan still alive

Waimarino's commercial FM station is still in the pipe line despite the recent sale of Wanganui' Star FM to Radio Otago. The warrant to broadcast in the Waimarino is still held by Ron Jeffares, who proposed the Mountain FM station, which would be set up with share capital from local people. The station would broadcast from a local studio for a limited time, then link to Star FM.

Mr Jeffares said studies were now being made into sharing transmitter facilities with the new

Maori radio station, which is due to start broadcasting in the Waimarino in April.

He said there could be some economies for both stations if they shared some facilities

such as mast and aerial system. The two stations would otherwise be completely independent, he said. Mr Jeffares said there had been little support to the share issue idea (for setting up Mountain FM). He said he was very disappointed that New Zealand On Air, which spends the money raised from the broadcasting fee, would not make any contribution to the setting up of a station. NZ On Air had earlier tagged several thousand dollars to assist a radio link. "Although they had stated their intention to help they have refused point blank because it would be commercially successful," said Mr Jeffares. He said the group was looking at other ways to start up Mountain FM.