Radio New Zealand Plays Santa

Radio New Zealand Plays Santa

Radio New Zealand will deliver the children of New Zealand exciting online entertainment this Christmas with another addition to its audio-on-demand services.

Radio New Zealand announced today that a new website service - Storytime Treasure Chest – will be launched on Saturday 22nd December – just in time for Christmas.

Storytime Treasure Chest is a collection of some of the very best children’s stories produced over the years by Radio New Zealand. While parents will recognise some old childhood favourites, the Storytime Treasure Chest is not just archival material, it includes a mix of well known classics, contemporary New Zealand stories and newly commissioned work.

Announcing the launch of Storytime Treasure Chest, Radio New Zealand Chief Executive, Peter Cavanagh, emphasised the importance of delivering public service broadcasting to all ages, wherever, whenever, and however they want to receive it.

“ Radio New Zealand’s role is not just about quality programming, it’s also about access for our younger listeners, about recognizing the new ways this audience listens to us, and about maximizing the potential of new technologies.

“This is something parents have been requesting for some time. It gives them some real assistance in guiding their children’s creative and imaginative processes without the threat of commercial pressures. It’s as much about creative options for parents as it is about stories for children.”

Storytime Treasure Chest includes exciting new material like the latest series of stories from Apirana Taylor. Sky Stories was specially commissioned for Radio New Zealand and will not even have been to air before going into the Treasure Chest.

The first Treasure Chest collection of 20 episodes will feature Bob Kerr’s five-part story, The Paper Wars, and Diana Noonan’s gripping, ghostly thriller, A Whistle From the Blunder.

Radio New Zealand Executive Drama Producer, Adam Macaualy, feels the potential for future online development is enormous.

“As Storytime Treasure Chest grows the website will evolve to include useful links to, and more information about actors, writers and publishers. We even have plans to include some online activities and interactive components. As the collection develops, parents and children will be able to listen again and again to the best from the past and the present. “

Radio New Zealand National’s regular Saturday and Sunday morning Storytime programme will continue but stories will now be accessible all day every day by logging on to the Radio New Zealand website www.radionz.co.nz and by following easy links to the Storytime Treasure Chest.

Launch date for Storytime Treasure Chest is Saturday 22nd December 2007.

ENDS