Christchurch Earthquake Local Community Radio Struggling

Low power local FM community radio stations in Christchurch are struggling to stay on the air and serve their local neighbourhoods with emergency and welfare support.

The eastern suburbs have already lost one local FM station. Johnny Miller, operator of One-Eyed 107.1 FM in Hampshire Street, Aranui tells us his equipment is damaged beyond repair and his studio and house now unliveable. He doesn't know if his local community station can ever return to the air.

Beachbreak FM located at South New Brighton School is reported off the air because there is no power and their antenna hadn't been fixed since falling in the September 4 earthquake. However, if they can get a generator and help fixing up an antenna, they may be able to get the station broadcasting to the Brighton area and into Redcliffs and Sumner with local messages and information.

The status of Burwood Community Radio 88.2 FM about 1km away from QEII Park is unknown as is the status of The Wave 88.3 FM located at the All Saints Church in Sumner.

The brightest news comes from the earthquake epicentre Lyttelton, where local Volcano Radio 88.5 FM was able to return to the air with local messages and upbeat music within a few hours and continues with regular local updates.

In the St Albans & Mairehau area, Power Hits FM 87.8 kept broadcasting with a generator and now has full power and its signal reaches into parts of the eastern suburbs.

Nearby, Oak FM 107.7 at St Albans School remains silent. The studios are in a two story school building and until its cleared by engineers can't be used. It has full power and could be activated immediately to provide welfare and community announcements for the area.

The current status of Rapid FM 88.1 at Waimairi School is unknown, and Radio Redwood 87.9 FM is on the air but with automated programming.

Whilst major radio networks are covering the city with AM and FM signals, their own local studios are within the CBD cordon and their broad coverage generally isn't local neighbourhood or suburb based. Local community access radio Plains FM 96.9 is currently silent. Reports from the eastern suburbs indicate a news and information void as power remains off with no TV or internet coverage and limited mobile coverage.

This information is supplied by the Radio Heritage Foundation, a registered non-profit organization that maintain New Zealand's only regularly updated guide to local Low Power FM radio stations at their website www.radioheritage.net. Please support our Helping Rebuild Christchurch Project as part of the Kiwi Radio Campaign. Full details at our website. Contact info@radioheritage.net

ENDS

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