– Free Radio Workshop in Martinborough
Many of us probably believe that radio is a traditional and perhaps even old-fashioned medium which must be struggling in the increasingly technological age we live in. In fact, as Lucy Cooper, Southern Area Coordinator for Arrow FM says, radio has adapted very well to modern technologies and continues to thrive.
Arrow FM, broadcasting on 92.7FM across the Wairarapa and one of 12 Community Access Radio stations operating in New Zealand, is hosting a fun and interactive workshop event in Martinborough. The workshop will be held on 12th April at the Lion’s Den in Oxford Street from 12.30 – 4pm. Participants can experience how live radio works and learn how to create their own programme. They will learn how to share their culture, interest, activity or viewpoint with their community and make themselves heard.
The workshop will help attendees generate, explore and develop ideas for radio broadcast and hone their interviewing skills. A lively panel discussion will allow participants to meet some current broadcasters and ask them about their experience of working on Arrow FM and the benefits it brings.
At the end of the afternoon, attendees will be invited to submit their programme ideas to be considered for the Airtime Scholarship. This will support the development and broadcast of a one-hour show, broadcast monthly on Arrow FM for a year. It’s a great opportunity for someone new to, and perhaps uncertain about, the idea of broadcasting, to get their programme off the drawing board and onto the airwaves.
While Featherston and Masterton already have a base for Arrow FM, Martinborough currently does not. This workshop is also part of a drive to establish a Martinborough base for the station that will give this community greater access to the services and facilities available.
Access Radio aims to provide broadcasting facilities for the diverse cultures and special interest groups that make up our communities. Programmes are made by, for and about all the groups and individuals in the community who want to share their beliefs, issues, concerns, passions and interests with their own members and the wider community.
Examples of programmes currently running on Arrow FM include Cold Tea and Laundry Piles, which is a lighthearted, fun and informative programme run by Plunket. A monthly hour-long programme is run by SWALA (South Wairarapa Adult Learning Association). Like Minds Like Mine is a support group whose programme looks at mental health issues and shares stories. Recooper8 is a cleverly named arts programme, and several foreign language programmes are also running.
Access Radio’s approach is hands-on, informal and unfussy. Programmes must be fair, non-prejudicial, accepting of all and positive. As Lucy says, “radio, and especially community radio, taps into the fundamental resources most of us have of hearing and speaking, and is accessible to everyone”. It is about telling our collective story and doing it for ourselves.
For more information about Arrow FM’s free workshop, contact Lucy Cooper on 021 081 65617 or email her at lucy_e_cooper2003@yahoo.co.uk. Alternatively, contact Michael or Veronika at the Arrow FM studio in Masterton on 06 378 0255, or email quiver@arrowfm.co.nz.
