Community rallies to save its station

STEP UP: Ray Stringfellow was especially pleased with the "new faces" that had come along to the meeting to support the station and hoped many of them would now get involved.

The people of Eketahuna have rallied behind an attempt to save their radio station in the wake of the premises it has been based in for years being sold.

At a public meeting this week, strong support for keeping the station on air resulted in a steering committee being set up to turn over every stone in an all-out effort to find a new building for the station to move into.

The passionate response shown by the townspeople, to the plight of the station, has delighted one of the station's founding fathers, Ray Stringfellow, who is also acting president of the Eketahuna Radio Society.

"It was an excellent meeting, very positive," he said.

Mr Stringfellow was especially pleased with the "new faces" that had come along to the meeting to support the station and he hoped many of them would now get involved with such tasks as helping to gather advertising or news, or even having on-air roles.

Among comments from those at the meeting was a reference to Radio Eketahuna being one of the town's taonga or treasures and the meeting was unanimous in its support for the station continuing to broadcast.

Norma Dunn, of Mauriceville, said the radio station was vital for Mauriceville.

"It's the only radio station I can pick up and it's a great little station.

"Joe Sweeny's programme on a Thursday afternoon is absolutely unique. I love it and I wouldn't miss it for anything," she said.

Eketahuna's representative on Tararua District Council, Warren Davidson, offered some hope to the meeting by suggesting the council might help the radio society with the task of finding a new home.

He said the way for Eketahuna people to get the council's attention on the radio station issue could be by injecting feedback on Radio Eketahuna into the draft long-term plan.

The station has until the end of June to move out of its rented building in Main St. The steering group will meet next week to discuss progress.