1575 kHz AMCommunity Access Radio

Contents:Introduction to Toroa Radio................................................................4History................................................................................................5Society membership..........................................................................6Key people.......................................................................................10

Trust.............................................................................................10Society Committee.......................................................................10Staff:.............................................................................................11

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Introduction to Toroa RadioToroa Radio is Dunedin’s Community Access radio station. Community Access radio is not-for profit radio by, for and about the local community. There are eleven Access stations (including Toroa Radio) all over New Zealand.All Access stations operate along slightly different lines, but they share the same approach. Generally speaking they do not employ announcers – instead, the majority of broadcast content is made by their local community, and is about issues, interests and cultures relevant in that particular community.The station has three full-time staff, and is governed by a charitable trust – The Hills Radio Trust. It is supported by the Otago Community Broadcasters’ Society, which exists as a members’ society and fundraising arm.Toroa Radio can be heard throughout the Otago region on 1575 kHz AM, and live and on-demand through the website www.toroaradio.co.nz.

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History

1990: The Otago Community Broadcasters’ Society is founded to further community broadcasting in Dunedin and Otago. Initially, the Society leases airtime from Radio 1 (the student station) and Radio New Zealand during hours when those stations had no other programmes.

1993: The station gains its current frequency (1575 kHz AM) along with the name Hills AM 1575.

1999: The Hills Radio Trust is formed to govern the station, a role previously filled by the Otago Community Broadcasters’ Society. The Society remains in existence, becoming a support organisation for members, and organising fundraising and social events.

2000: Having moved premises several times in the interim, the station shifts to Dunedin Community House in Moray Place. The manager at that time (and since 1992) is Ros Rice.

2007: Ros leaves, and is replaced briefly by Grant Millman. Grant leaves in September 2007, and is replaced by Hugh Dingwall who is the current manager.

2008: The station changes its name to Toroa Radio. This was done because the prospect of FM broadcasting required a name that didn't have “AM” in it. “Toroa Radio” was chosen because Community Access radio is supposed to be closely tied to the place it comes from and the toroa (Royal Albatrosses) at Taiaroa Heads are more unique to Dunedin than hills are.

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Society membershipThe Otago Community Broadcasters’ Society has 83 current members. These range from Associate Members, who volunteer their time to fill what would otherwise be “downtime” filled with automated music, to private individuals, to social service and community organisations. All of these members will benefit from the transition to FM, but particularly issue-focused organisations and individuals who will receive much wider publicity for their individual causes on FM.Members include:

Artsenta A shared creative space for users of the mental health system. Artsenta make a fortnightly 1 hour show called Artwaves.

ASCO The Advisory and Support Centre of Otago assist people (particularly low-income earners and people suffering from mental illness) to learn life skills, and to set and meet goals. ASCO make a show called ASCO Rox For Us and U 2 every Tuesday morning at 10.

Baha’i Faith Dunedin

We have two programmes dealing with the Baha’i faith. One is broadcast every Tuesday from 5-6pm, and the other is monthly on Saturdays at 11.30am.

The Buddhist Youth Association

We have three shows from the Buddhist Youth Association at 8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. These shows comprise lectures on Buddhism and advice for people attempting meditation in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

The Salvation Army’s Bridge Programme

The Bridge Programme is the Salvation Army’s drug and alcohol addiction programme. The Bridge make a show called Bridging The Gap every Thursday at 3pm, in which members of the current Bridge programme talk about their experiences of addiction, and their journeys to sobriety.

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Marvin Hubbard Marvin is an ex-patriot American from California and a member of the Quaker faith. He makes an hour long programme every Tuesday at 11 am. His show Community Or Chaos focuses on a range of social and political issues, generally related to the environment or social justice.

Theo Boekel A Dutch man based in Christchurch who makes Dutch-language radio for the New Zealand Dutch community. His show Echo Radio is broadcast every Sunday at 5pm.

New Zealand College of Midwives

Two midwives from the Dunedin branch of the NZ College of Midwives make a fortnightly half hour show about pregnancy, birth and early parenting. The Handy ½ Hour with Midwives is broadcast every second Thursday at 1.30pm.

CCS Disability Action

A group of CCS clients come in to broadcast an hour of music, chat and news about CCS activities every Friday morning at 11.

Council of Social Services Dunedin

DCOSS exists to support not-for-profit and social-service organisations through advocacy, resources and training opportunities. Their show features a half-hour interview with a representative of one of the social service organisations around Dunedin every week.

Dunedin Public Libraries

This is a half hour weekly show, which promotes upcoming events at the various libraries and showcases music from their collection.

Community Care Trust

The CCT is an organisation which helps adults with intellectual disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder to live full and independent lives. Six CCT clients make programmes with us, in five regular shows. These are: Bruce's Bash, a weekly hour on Friday mornings at 10am; Mike & Ross’s Country Show, a fortnightly hour on Friday afternoons at 4; The Monster Mash, on alternate Fridays at 4; Matt's Show, a weekly hour at 5pm on Fridays; and Phil’s Trucking Show at 6pm every second Friday.

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Dunedin Budget Advisory Service

This organisation exists to give free assistance to people who are having financial difficulties. They make a fortnightly hour-long show about budgeting on Wednesdays at 10am.

Dunedin Methodist Mission

The Methodist Mission serve as the central organising point for an ecumenical weekly half hour from the Dunedin Inner City churches. Radio Church is broadcast every Sunday at 8.30, and serves (amongst other things) as a church service for housebound people.

Marchell Linzey Marchell (a.k.a. Captain Cornflakes) makes an hour-long children's radio show every Wednesday night at 5. Space Station Kiwi is sponsored by DOC and the DCC, and features interviews from the aquarium, botanical gardens, albatross colony and library (to name but a few) as well as children's songs and stories.

Supporting Families Otago (formerly the Schizophrenia Fellowship)

Supporting Families runs a programme called the Tapestry Clubhouse for clients, who suffer from severe mental illness - often schizophrenia. The Clubhouse programme is unique in that members fill most staff roles within the Clubhouse, and members decide Clubhouse activities. Tapestry Clubhouse makes an hour-long radio show every second Thursday at 1.30 pm.

Toastmasters Otago

Toastmasters are an organisation who teach public speaking skills. They make a half-hour show every second Tuesday at 1 pm, sharing speaking tips and promoting upcoming Toastmasters events.

Stuey “Wolfman” Mitchell

Stuey has been a part of the Dunedin music scene for eons. He uses his weekly half-hour (7.30pm on Tuesdays) to play songs from undiscovered artists who have sent their music in to him.

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Otago/Southland Society of Authors

Vanda Symon is the author of the very successful crime novel Overkill. She makes an hour-long show on behalf of the Society of Authors at 12pm on the second Wednesday of the month. Write On features interviews with local, national and international authors about their current projects and the process of writing.

Approach Community Learning Centre

Approach is a learning and literacy centre for adults. They have made a number of one-off shows with the station as a way of giving their students projects that involve writing, reading and public speaking.

Volunteering Otago

Volunteering Otago has made a number of shows of varying lengths with young volunteers who have come through their Youth Volunteering programme. These shows provided the young volunteers with an opportunity to talk about the kinds of things they had been doing, and share some of their favourite music.

Schools A number of high schools use Toroa Radio to achieve English or Media Studies units for their students. These include Logan Park, Queens and Otago Girls. We also have shows from primary schools, who treat their shows more like class projects. Primary and intermediate schools who do this with us regularly include Ravensbourne School, St Leonards School, Rotary Park School and Dunedin North Intermediate.

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Key people

TrustThe Trustees in the Hills Radio Trust are:

• Pieter van de Klundert – Chairpvdk@xtra.net.nz

• Stuart McLauchlan – Treasurer

• Brian St. John

• Sonia van de Klundert

• Barry Dorking

• Ian Loughran – Society Representative

• Russell Campbell – Society Representative

Society CommitteeThe Committee of the Otago Community Broadcasters Society is:

• Louise Booth – Chairlbooth@dcc.govt.nz

• Aaron Knotts – Deputy Chair

• Jacob Fisher – Treasurer

• Ian Loughran – Trust Representative

• Russell Campbell – Trust Representative

• Sasha Rowhani

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Staff:• Hugh Dingwall – Station Manager

manager@toroaradio.co.nz

• Renée Dingwall – Office Manager

• Geoff Barkman – Studio Engineer

Current Funders:Toroa Radio gratefully acknowledges the support we currently receive from the organisations below:

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TOROA RADIOCommunity Access Radio

Dunedin Community House301 Moray Place

Dunedin

(03) 471-6161www.toroaradio.co.nz