A wide spectrum of perspectives is at the heart of community broadcaster OAR FM.
Since beginning as the Otago Community Broadcasters’ Society in 1990, it has helped countless groups and individuals let their voices be heard on the airwaves.
Now it is celebrating a new home at 43 Princes St, and a new digital broadcasting system.
The relocation of the station as part of the move of Dunedin Community House from Moray Pl to Princes St was a chance to futureproof its studios.
Station manager Lesley Paris said the upgrade reinforced the station’s long-term dedication to Dunedin’s diverse local communities.
With a budget of about $280,000, the project included replacing ageing equipment with state-of-the-art technology.
She recently had the honour of making the transition from broadcasting from Moray Pl to the new studios in Princes St.
‘‘It was an amazing moment. I got to flick the switch, which was actually clicking a mouse. . .It was pretty special.’’
Ms Paris said more than 190 local volunteers were now receiving hands-on training with the new system.
The training had already been a ‘‘really positive’’ experience for many, she said. ‘‘People are just so excited.’’
The station’s eldest broadcaster, Lou McConnell, who hosts Jazz Cafe, a ‘‘senior gentleman in his 80s’’, picked up the new system immediately, Ms Paris said.
The station’s youngest broadcaster, 9-year-old Ajax Banstola, who hosts Factbeast, was ‘‘beaming the whole time’’ as he recorded his first show at Princes St.
Station owner The Hills Radio Trust contributed about $60,000 to the project.
Other contributors included the Otago Community Trust, which provided a grant of $90,000; NZ On Air, which provided $69,000 from its capital expenditure fund; and the Alexander McMillan Trust, which granted $22,000.
The Aotearoa Gaming Trust gave $15,000 and the Otago Community Broadcasters’ Society granted $2200.
The station was also grateful for other contributions by members of the community.
‘‘The Rotary Dunedin Harbour group bought us some of our acoustic treatments in our new studio.’’
The station was also in the process of selling off equipment from the Moray Pl site to help pay bills.
Ms Paris thanked everyone in the community for their support during the transition to the new location and installation of the new equipment.
‘‘The coolest thing now is that we are here and we can get back to filling all our radio slots and training more people.
‘‘And that is the work we love doing, actually being a radio station.’’
