Heather Roy's Diary
Theatre Of The Mind

The Boat that Rocked is a great film about taking the authorities on, breaking a government monopoly and introducing the population to rock music. It is inspirational and the radio rockers didn’t take themselves too seriously. It is the story of Radio Caroline, a UK radio station set up in 1964 who had to transmit from a former Danish ferry that was renamed MV Caroline in order escape the land based authorities.

New Zealand has its own Boat that Rocked story – that of Radio Hauraki. Like Radio Caroline that battle was with the government monopoly and the stories have become legendary. Radio Hauraki broadcast illegally from 1966 – 1970 and had to do so outside NZ waters from the Tiri.

The story that best describes the lengths those involved in setting up Radio Hauraki went to is this:

“On 28 January 1968 disaster struck as the Tiri attempted to negotiate its way into Whangaparapara Harbour on Great Barrier Island in foul weather. The ship ran aground on rocks, with Radio Hauraki disc jockey Derek King keeping listeners up-to-date with running commentary. The final broadcast from the Tiri was "Hauraki News: Hauraki crew is abandoning ship. This is Paul Lineham aboard the 'Tiri'. Good Night." followed by a station jingle, and then the sound of the ship's hull striking the rocks.”

In 1970 the government monopoly of broadcast frequencies was finally broken when the New Zealand Broadcast Authority allowed Radio Hauraki a broadcast license, after 1,111 days at sea. The Tiri II, the original Tiri being unrepairable after running aground at Great Barrier Island, then sailed back to Auckland playing Born Free.

The pioneering attitude of Hauraki’s Pirate Radio contrasts markedly with the tantrum throwing we have seen from the Otago University Students’ Association’s Radio One over the past week. In April OUSA contracted Deloitte to provide financial advice. This advice was sought because OUSA was, laudably, interested in ‘getting the transition to a voluntary association right’.

I have often said that this sort of responsible management is exactly the type of change that Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) should bring about. When student politicians realise that they cannot indefinitely rely on a stream on non-contestable funding they will reassess which of their services they need to provide and how to provide them.

Not all of the recipients of funding have responded to these home truths so charitably. As part of their advice Deloitte told OUSA that Radio One was of ‘little commercial value’ to the students’ association. OUSA has admitted that Radio One is among the least valued of its assets and has since stated that disestablishing Radio One is on the cards. Radio One manager Sean Norling has, rather than assessing how to make his station more viable, decided to commence a ‘week of silence’. Radio One has been purposely taken off the air to protest its potential closure.

Labour has attempted to wade, or stumble, into the issue by claiming that they could save Radio One by watering down the VSM Bill. In fact, what student services really need is certainty. Labour’s practice of filibustering an unrelated Bill that has bi-partisan support in order to delay the VSM Bill gives student associations no certainty whatsoever and makes it difficult to plan for the future.

Of course, students don’t have to be forced to own a radio station for student radio to exist. Radio Active used to be owned by the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association but had to be sold as, like many groups receiving free money, it became inefficient. Over 20 years later Radio Active has not disappeared off the airwaves, it has thrived with volunteer and non-commercial support. Similarly students are not forced to join the Auckland University Students’ Association, yet the Association manages to fund bFM quite successfully.

Whereas the Hauraki pioneers risked all to fight against the government’s stranglehold on broadcasting, Radio One’s management is throwing a tantrum because their government mandated stranglehold on student funds is being threatened. The broadcasters on the Tiri, like their counterparts on the MV Caroline fought for the right to compete freely and openly with other broadcasters. Radio One is fighting not to have to. Their conduct during the past week is an embarrassment to New Zealand’s broadcasting legacy. However, they still have time to redeem themselves. Just as Radio Active has functioned for two decades since having their student association apron strings cut, and just as bFM in Auckland has managed to survive without compulsory student funding, Radio One now has an opportunity to make themselves relevant to their target audience – students.

Lest We Forget – Homosexual Law Reform Act – 9 July 1986

Perhaps the most controversial law ever to be debated in the New Zealand parliament, the Homosexual Law Reform Bill which decriminalized male homosexuality, was passed on 9 July 1986. The bill was a members bill introduced by Labour MP Fran Wilde in 1985 and after substantial debate and fierce opposition from some quarters passed narrowly (49 ayes to 44 noes).

An initial vote originally set down for 2 July was delayed by George Gair who was concerned it may have failed as several supporters were unable to be in Wellington due to bad weather. A second part to the bill – to provide anti-discrimination law protections for lesbians and gay men - was defeated but later incorporated in to the New Zealand Human Rights Act 1993.

ENDS

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