New Zealand radio is providing some relief from all the stress during the crazy COVID–19 lockdown period, with some
great feature programmes being heard on various local independent stations.
This week back on 8th May 1970 was the release date of the last album released by The Beatles – Let It Be. Later this
year a new film documentary – The Beatles : Get Back – which features extensive, never–before–seen fully restored
footage of the legendary band's Let It Be recording sessions, along with the entire iconic rooftop concert on London's
Savile Row, directed by New Zealand’s Sir Peter Jackson – will be released by Disney Studios in the US and Canada on
September 4th, with more dates for the film's global release to follow including New Zealand.
Several local independent radio stations across New Zealand will be playing a special 1 hour programme to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the Let It Be album's release called Get Back To Let It Be. This special programme is distributed by
AB Soundbites from Hamilton, which also sends out a locally produced retro music chart show – The New Zealand Retro
Weekly Top 40 Countdown with Rob Walker, which is heard on around 30 local independent radio stations across the nation
every weekend.
Get Back To Let It Be is written, produced and presented by US radio host and Beatles fan Archer, who hosted a 2 hour
weekly Beatles radio show in 2008 and 2009 called The Beatles Basement, which ran in New Zealand on Radio 1XX – One
Double–X in the Eastern Bay Of Plenty. Archer also presented a special 50th Anniversary programme for the Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band album in 2017, and also for The White Album's 50th Anniversary in 2018 as well for as the 50th
Anniversary for the Abbey Road album in 2019, all of which were heard on several local independent radio stations across
New Zealand.
This 1 hour radio special is a behind the scenes journey through the recording sessions for Let It Be album, with
insights from The Beatles themselves, along with The Beatles’ famed producer, the late Sir George Martin, and others.
The show also contains alternative versions of some songs from the master tapes.
The Get Back To Let It Be Radio Special with Archer will run on the following local independent stations across New
Zealand and through their individual online streams :
Heads FM : 106.4FM – Mangawhai & Bream Bay (Lower Northland) ---- www.headsfm.co.nz Saturday 9th May : 12pm
East FM : 88.1FM & 107.1FM – Howick / East Auckland ---- www.eastfm.nz Sunday 10th May : 7pm (As part of the weekly East FM Documentary
Series)
Panmure FM : 107.0FM – Panmure (Auckland) ---- www.panmurefm.caster.fm Friday 8th May : 6pm & Repeated Saturday 9th May : 6pm
1XX - One Double–X : 90.5FM & 1242AM – Whakatane & Eastern Bay Of Plenty / 92.9FM – Ohope / 89.7FM – Whakatane CBD ---- www.1xx.co.nz Sunday 10th May : 11am
Central FM : 106.0FM, 105.2FM 99.4FM – Central & Southern Hawke’s Bay ---- www.centralfm.co.nz Thursday 7th May : 7pm & Repeated Sunday 10th May : 12pm
The Wireless : 1530AM – Hawke’s Bay Saturday 10th May : 10am
Coast Access Radio : 104.7FM – Kapiti & Horowhenua ---- www.coastaccessradio.org.nz Friday 8th May : 5pm
Beach FM : 106.3FM – Paraparaumu / Kapiti ---- www.beachfm.co.nz Friday 8th May : 8pm
Triple–X FM : 107.5FM – Paraparaumu / Kapiti ---- www.triplexfm.co.nz Saturday 9th May : 5pm
Hutt Radio : 88.3FM – Hutt Valley ---- www.huttradio.co.nz Saturday 9th May : 3pm & Repeated Monday 11th May : 6pm
Akaroa World Radio : 90.3FM & 90.9FM – Akaroa / Banks Peninsula ---www.akaroaradio.co.nz Sunday 10th May : 2pm
Compass FM : 104.9FM – Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Oxford, Rolleston, Darfield, Pegasus, Culverden / 103.7FM – Hamner Springs,
Cheviot, Kaikoura ---- www.compassfm.org.nz Sunday 10 May : 6pm
Radio Central : 91.9FM – Alexandra, Cromwell, Clyde, Manuherikia / 94.3FM – Tevoit Valley / 104.3FM – Maniototo / 96.0FM
– Queenstown & Wakatipu Basin / 88.0FM Millers Flat ---- www.radiocentral.nz Saturday 9th May : 7am
Classic Gold : 107.3FM – Alexandra / 88.0FM – Clyde ---- Streaming Online Via Tune In TBC
The Hawk : 89.5FM – Omakau (Central Otago) ---- www.thehawk.nz Saturday 9th May : 10am
Happy Days Radio : 88.3FM - Palmerston, Waikouaiti (East Otago), Clinton (South Otago) / Whitetone City Music : 106.7FM
- Oamaru (North Otago) ---- www.happydaysfm.co.nz Sunday 10th May : 3:15 & Repeated Wednesday 13th May : 6:15pm
Cave FM : 106.4FM – Gore ---- www.cavefm.co.nz Saturday 9th May : 7:30pm
The list of these local stations and website links to each station are also on http://www.absoundbites.co.nz/
And in these crazy COVID–19 times remember – Travel Local, Buy Local and LISTEN Local!