From left, announcers Evan Turbott, Rob Golsby, Christine Giddens with station manager Tony Rhind. They and 30 volunteers will be relocating in February 2025 to the dance studio in the Historic Village. Photo / Brydie Thompson
After 40 years, Village Radio and its extensive music library, which includes 142,000 tracks, 55,000 titles from over 10,000 artists, is on the move.
“We will move into the dance floor behind the record shop a few metres away while they renovate,” station manager Tony Rhind said.
“The building has been classified as an earthquake risk.”
Village Radio moved into the premises on April 13, 1984, and broadcasts from the first floor of the historic Town Board building.
“We’re a self-funded 30-volunteer organisation. So that’s one of our challenges over the next little while,” Rhind said.
The upcoming move is not far from their current location, but the large number of records, memorabilia, classic radios and transmitters will necessitate considerable hands and funds for the relocation.
“We have to pay for removals to move this stuff over there, possibly the crane companies to move it out,” Rhind said.
“Plus external storage cost because we don’t think all that stuff will fit in the new place.”
Walking into the station’s studio space at the Historic Village feels like entering a living museum. It includes a 75-year-old Collins Transmitter, one of the only ones left in operation worldwide.
“It is switched off right now. No one is allowed to operate it without an engineer here,” Rhind said.
The station airs on 1368AM and is live-streamed online at villageradio.co.nz from 8am to 5pm.
“We broadcast to the fringes of Tauranga,” he said.
When SunLive visited the studio, announcer Evan Turbott spun classics such as Pretty Little Angel Eyes from Curtis Lee in the booth.
“All the tracks are made up of LPs, 45s, 78s and CDs,” he said.
The audio console Turbott sat behind for his set was from 1940 and belonged to one of the New Zealand broadcasting stations.
“It’s all old-time stuff, and the transmitter takes several minutes to warm up in the other room,” he said.
Running Studio One requires a fair amount of multitasking, as you must do about three different tasks simultaneously.
“You have to do one-armed thinking, queue your records, and see about three tracks in advance ready to play,” Turbott said.
Volunteers come from all walks of life, said panel operation and announcer Rob Golsby.
Some have musical backgrounds, and others just have a passion for music and enthusiasm to learn, he said.
Golsby became involved with the station after reading about Village Radio and its 40th anniversary in The Weekend Sun.
“I was a bit curious about the Historic Village radio. You hear it on the loudspeaker when you walk through the village.
“You can hear it on the speaker outside. But the story just really got me thinking.
“This is a bit of a match made in heaven for me, bringing music together but also helping people.”
When it first went to the air, it only broadcast on Sundays and public holidays, and only in 2004 the station switched to playing weekdays 2004, Golsby said.
“It’s pretty humbling for all the history.”
Creating a successful radio broadcast requires an art form and skill, and it is essential to listen to how a playlist flows.
Announcer Christine Giddins said listening to a song’s first and last seconds helps greatly with how each song complements the other.
“Too abrupt a change is not very nice,” Giddins said.
Village Radio has two audio booths, one more classic with analogue tapes and vinyl records and the one Giddins set up while SunLive visited.
“Some people are intimidated by all the vinyl and don’t want to do that,” she said.
The station is a treasure trove of antique radios, and one room doubles as a museum. Its official name is Tauranga Village Radio Museum Incorporated.
The station is looking for new volunteers and would love to hear from anyone interested in engineering and the technical aspects of radio.
Anyone wishing to donate or individuals wanting to volunteer can email the station at info@villageradio.co.nz.
Rhind is looking for anyone who wants to help with the relocation, tentatively scheduled for February 2025.
“We’re just waiting for the go,” he said.
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