Former Black Fern Joins Auckland Top Music Station

PANUI PAPAHO/MEDIA RELEASE

Te 10 o nga ra o Whiringa-a-rangi 2002

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FORMER BLACK FERN JOINS AUCKLAND'S TOP MUSIC STATION

Champion rugby player and journalist Melodie Robinson has joined top- rating breakfast show hosts Robbie Rakete and Stacey Daniels at Auckland's only commercial Maori radio station - Mai FM 88.6.

Robinson, 29, has taken up the position of breakfast show newsreader for the Ngati Whatua-owned station.

She will continue to work as a rugby commentator for Sky Television - the first female in New Zealand - and as a sports producer for news website Xtra Sports.

Latest survey results show Mai FM's slot from 6am to 10am has a 10.2 per cent share of the commercial breakfast market in Auckland.

Producer Nik Brown says the popular show has also scored the consecutive number one music station breakfast position and is number one overall in the key 18 to 44-year-old demographic.

Brown says the breakfast crew led by Rakete has developed a special relationship with their listeners, and any changes have to be done with the listeners in mind.

Rakete has been working for the Grey Lynn-based station since it was launched a decade ago.

"Melodie's personality really suited the show and as well as being a brilliant journalist, sporting legend and a bit of a spunk, we think she's a pretty good newsreader.

"Best of all, she can give as good as she gets and she knows heaps of famous people which makes my job a lot easier."

Mai FM now has 172,700 different listeners each week - second only to Newstalk ZB - and is also in second place with a 12.4 per cent share of commercial radio listening in Auckland.

Mai FM is owned by Mai Media Limited which also operates music label Mai Music and national Maori language radio service, Ruia Mai.

ENDS

For more information, contact Mai Media communications manager Vanessa Bidois on 029 9777 838.

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