NZ On Air Celebrates Kiwi Music Milestone

11 October 2001

Media Release

NZ On Air Celebrates Kiwi Music Milestone

NZ On Air marks a Kiwi music milestone this month when Kiwi Hit Disc #50 rocks the desks of radio programmers throughout the country. Eight years after NZ On Air launched Kiwi Hit Disc #1, hundreds of New Zealand artists, nearly one thousand Kiwi songs and countless radio hits have been promoted.

The Kiwi Hit Disc is a radio-only compilation CD of new songs by New Zealand artists that NZ On Air puts together every two months or so and sends out to every radio station - from the biggest to the smallest in the land.

To celebrate the release of the 50th Kiwi Hit Disc NZ On Air is hosting a special function in Auckland tonight. The Rt Hon Helen Clark, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage will attend and will present some special Kiwi Hit Disc milestone awards. There will also be guest performances by Kiwi Hit Disc # 50 artists Aaria, K’Lee, goodshirt and the feelers.

“It’s hard to believe we’re up to number 50 already, “ said NZ On Air chief executive, Jo Tyndall.

“The key to getting New Zealand music played on New Zealand radio is making the songs available to radio and making it as easy as possible for programmers to hear a selection of great New Zealand music and make their choices.

“After all, they can’t play it, if they don’t have it.

“There has never been any shortage of candidates for inclusion. It’s making the selection and having to leave some songs out that’s the really difficult part. The introduction of the Hit Disc pluggers, who get out, talk to programmers, and actively promote tracks to radio, has made a big difference, “ said Ms Tyndall.

“There’s more New Zealand music on commercial radio now, than at anytime in the last five years. It’s now up around 11% but three years ago it was just 5% and two years before that, it was barely 2%.

“Kiwi Hit Disc has been a big part of that five fold increase,” said Ms Tyndall.

ends

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