New Zealand’s oldest radio station narrowly avoided shutting down after finding itself without a home.
Radio Dunedin has been given until May next year to move out of its current premises, in ASB House, which it has occupied for the past 26 years.
Radio Dunedin president Gordon Paine said the station’s executive committee voted unanimously to enter into a partnership with Radio Aotearoa, an Auckland-based broadcaster, whom they were working with to keep the station on air.
Radio Aotearoa will set up a studio and supply equipment in Dunedin, and the two stations will share the same frequency and combine their music libraries.
The New Zealand radio industry was ‘‘a small place’’ and those who had heard of Radio Dunedin’s plight did not want to let the station go, Mr Paine said.
‘‘We're the oldest radio station in New Zealand ... and Radio Aotearoa didn't want to see that go.
‘‘I don't blame them. I don't want to see it go either.
‘‘It's something the city should be proud of.’’
Radio Dunedin was established in 1922, making it New Zealand’s first and oldest radio station.
Mr Paine said, for reasons unknown, MediaWorks had decided to reduce the space it was occupying in the building and the station would have to leave.
Radio Dunedin has an airtime lease arrangement with MediaWorks and uses some of its studios.
The media company first told the radio station of the proposal in March, before telling it around October it would have to be out in December.
After negotiations, the move-out date had been pushed to the end of May, with Radio Dunedin having since partnered with Radio Aotearoa.
Radio Dunedin would have had to consider other options had it not been able to secure equipment or a frequency, and would have been ‘‘more likely to shut down’’ without Radio Aotearoa, Mr Paine said.
‘‘There's nothing we can do to make [MediaWorks] keep us. It’s their floor and they've got their reasons, I assume.
‘‘We haven't stopped being in business but we're going to be up and running and stronger.’’
MediaWorks has been approached for comment.
