Hamilton in need of student radio station

Hamilton's Independent Broadcasting Community demands return of student radio

New Zealand’s fourth largest city is now without a student radio frequency.

A new campaign has been started today to pressure the Government to allocate a new student radio frequency for Hamilton. The city has effectively been without a high powered student radio station for more than a decade. The former student radio frequency was yesterday was allocated to Waikato Community Broadcasting Charitable Trust, who run Community Radio Hamilton, removing the possibility of student radio’s return to this frequency.

Cities as small as New Plymouth and Palmerston North currently have Government allocated high powered student radio FM frequencies. Although Hamilton is the fourth largest city in New Zealand, with an urban catchment in excess of 200,000, it has an estimated 40,000 tertiary students who remain without access to student radio.

The Independent Broadcasting Community (Hamilton) (Inc) (IBC), who have run the student radio station Contact FM on a low powered frequency since 2004, are spearheading this campaign to have a high powered student frequency allocated for the city.

Nick Johnston, Chairperson of the IBC said, “The Minister of Broadcasting needs to find a student radio frequency for the city to address this gap in the cultural infrastructure of Hamilton.”

ENDS