Local radio plans to be on air year-round

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 538, 31 May 1994, Page 3

Local radio plans to be on air year-round

Thursday last week at 6am Peak FM Ruapehu-Taihape began broadcasting for the first time. The station is based in Ohakune, in studios in Goldfinch Street, and plans to broadcast to a year-round audience of 1 5,000 people in the Rangitikei and Ruapehu districts from Taihape to National Park including Ohakune, Waiouru and Raetihi. Initially they plan to be on air from 6am- 10am, rebroadcasting Wanganui 's Star FM signal after 10am.

During the ski season the station plans to extend its local broadcast to include 3-6pm. They plan to broadcast a blend of 'classic and contemporary music' , weather, news, sport, regional weather, community and visitor information for a target audience aged 2-54. "For the first time in the region' s history it will have a year-round commercial radio station 'live and local' ," said a station spokesperson.

Pan/a Mowat and Bryan Thomson finish of the breakfast session on Ohakune'e new radio station. Pania is the station's administration manager and will run the 3-6pm session which is due to start soon. Pania, a born-and-bred Raetihi-ite, completed a Christchurch Polytech broadcasting course a few years ago and has since worked in New Plymouth and Whakatane. Bryan is station manager and breakfast session announcer. He won the new broadcaster of the year award last year while working for More FM in Wellington. Absent from the photo is advertising representative Simone Pope.