"Ambient" noise broadcast on student station Radio One during the weekend was the sound of protest, as the independent media organisation rallies against a proposal by its owner, the Otago University Students' Association, to sell the station.
The student-owned station on Friday announced its intention to stop normal programming for a week in protest at the OUSA's move to sell the asset in the wake of financial concerns being raised by looming voluntary student membership cuts.
Radio One station manager Sean Norling said a continuous loop of ambient noise is being broadcast in place of normal programming.
A "public service announcement" informing listeners of the programming change and its reasons was periodically broadcast, he said.
OUSA president Logan Edgar said the protest and halt to programming was "not the most constructive" of moves.
"I don't think it is particularly helpful, but they are well within their rights to do so," Mr Edgar said.
Mr Norling said the decision to go off the air and suspend broadcasts did not equate to industrial action.
He differentiated the protest by workers from a strike, with the station's six employees scheduled to fulfil their normal duties this week, Mr Norling said.
"We'll still all be here going about our business; we just won't be broadcasting our normal programmes," Mr Norling said.
Radio One has about 70 volunteers, many of them DJs who broadcast their own shows at various times during the programming schedule, Mr Norling said.
"We've spoken to most of them [volunteers] and they've generally backed our stance, although some initially questioned the move.
"We have a really passionate team and it will be a huge loss for OUSA if the station is sold."
