Radio Radio

Rip It Up, Issue 68, 1 March 1983, Page 12

Radio Radio

In a country where radioplay is nc :ven a consideration for most arusts, student radio has a particularly valuable role to play. The preaching is to the converted as often as not, but the university stations give local bands another medium, one that doesn't require people to make the effort of going to a gig, of buying a record. One that may well encourage people to do these things. "We're trying to lay our hands on as many local demo tapes as possible," says the boss of Canterbury's Radio U, Michael Higgins. "And we need copies of all independent singles. Bands who go out of their way to give us their records and tapes will get airplay." Bands like Ballon D'essai, who had their tapes playlisted on the station for months before they were put on record, know the value of that airplay. The station also played the first Dance Exponents demo. Radio U began in 1976 ,id Higgins has been involved with it since 1978. This will be his last year at university and he'll be completing it and running the station without the help of a bursary. The station plays a wide variety of music. And white middle-class boot boys ringing up and abusing the DJs for daring to play reggae won't change that. The station will hopefully give its usual boost to the local music scene. "Christchurch is just missing a couple of really good bands at the moment," Higgins says. One band he can see standing out as the year goes on is John Markie's new band, the Chance.

RB