Access radio likely next year, says Mr Hunt

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 34

Access radio likely next year, says Mr Hunt

New Zealand’s first fulltime community access radio station should begin broadcasting in Christchurch early next year, said the Minister of Broadcasting, Mr Hunt, yesterday. An application would soon be made to the Broadcasting Tribunal for a warrant to run the station from the Media Studies Centre at Christchurch Polytechnic, he said. Mr Hunt, speaking at the official opening of the centre, said it was hoped to begin broadcasting in early 1987. “This must be seen as a major development in the use of the broadcast media within New Zealand, and a welcome addition to the outreach of adult and community education by the polytech-

nic,” he said. The Broadcasting Corporation and the Polytechnic Council had approved setting up a joint structure to plan and administer the station, and there would also be local involvement by the Independent Broadcasters’ Association, he said. Mr Hunt praised the role of Radio New Zealand and the Independent Broadcasters’ Association in developing the centre by providing tutors and valuable equipment. However, he regretted that the Radio Industry Bureau was in recess. “The polytechnic found great value in being able to deal with two normally competitive organisations through a body which worked for and supported those elements of broadcasting which were com-

mon to all, education being one,” he said. Mr Hunt said the access station would serve three functions. It would work as a distance learning facility for local education users, as a training station for the media studies centre, and as a community access station for Christchurch and Canterbury communities. Mr Brian Pauling, head of the media studies centre, said community access ran on a Wellington radio station, but only at week-ends. He believed the Broadcasting Tribunal would grant a warrant because the application had been well researched and the station would be soundly financed. All the costs of the station would be met by the community through subscriptions, sponsorship

and station fees, he said. The centre at present works an FM radio station, Radio One, for two-week periods at the end of its broadcasting courses. Yesterday was the end of the latest two-week broadcasting period. The station will resume normal transmission on July 14. Mr Pauling said the centre had, since 1984, offered two courses covering all aspects of broadcasting. Twice a year a pre-entry course was run, and there was one course of second-level training for people with up to 18 months’ experience in the industry. Community courses dealing with the media were run at week-ends and in the evenings, he said.