\u201c95bFM has been part of Auckland\u2019s creative culture for 60 years,\u201d general manager Tom Tremewan said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a big moment for the station and for everyone who has contributed to its history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tremewan told the Herald: \u201cI can\u2019t comment on anything from the university\u2019s perspective, but we think K Rd is the most suitable alternative for us … we see K Rd as a natural, new home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The station is owned by the Auckland University Students Association (Ausa) and is run through a trust. The station leases its current space from the association.<\/p>\n
In a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon, Ausa, the university and 95bFM said: \u201cThe existing 1960s Student Union buildings, in which bFM is located, are no longer suitable and a joint decision has been made to move … The new location is close to campus and in the heart of one of Auckland\u2019s most important cultural areas. The relocation will be managed by bFM in stages to ensure broadcast continuity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crowds relax as they listen to performances during a 95bFM Summer Series. Photo \/ Rosabel Tan<\/p>\n
95bFM launched on an AM frequency in 1969 as a capping stunt \u2013 it was originally broadcast from a boat on the Hauraki Gulf, playing its content illegally on speakers around the university.<\/p>\n
According to the latest GFK radio survey, it has 36,700 listeners in Auckland.<\/p>\n
It has been the breeding ground for many of New Zealand\u2019s top broadcasters and media personalities, including Heath, Wells, Havoc, Ryan, Lush, McCarthy, Graeme Hill, Wallace Chapman, Russell Brown, Rhys Darby, Jaquie Brown, Gemma Gracewood, Paul Casserly and Rebecca Wright.<\/p>\n
Tremewan said 95bFM had played \u201can outsized role in Aotearoa New Zealand\u2019s musical and cultural landscape\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe station has long been a first point of airplay and support for emerging local artists, with AudioCulture noting that 95bFM was the first station to play Sister Underground\u2019s In The Neighbourhood, OMC\u2019s We R The OMC, The Hard Way\u2019s Hip Hop Holiday, and tracks by Dam Native, Sulata, Urban Disturbance, Ermehn and Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n
And, he said: \u201cOn 95bFM\u2019s airwaves and the wider Student Radio Network, early airplay and support has helped build audiences for artists who would go on to become some of our most important musical voices, such as Fat Freddy\u2019s Drop, Bic Runga, Shihad, Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Beths, Princess Chelsea, Scribe, Fazerdaze, Home Brew, Tiny Ruins, The Clean, Reb Fountain, The Chills, Vera Ellen, Troy Kingi, The Mint Chicks, Chris Knox, Delaney Davidson, Dimmer, Team Dynamite and many, many more.\u201d<\/p>\n
95bFM general manager Tom Tremewan at the Auckland University office in 2023, when the station was selling part of its archive of vinyl records to raise money. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray <\/p>\n
In 2023, the station sold some of its international record collection.<\/p>\n
At the time, Tremewan said the decision was made due to a \u201cnumber of significant financial reasons\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo continue to last a bit longer into the future, we have little choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tremewan said in a statement today that 95bFM remained committed to broadcasting its FM frequency, while continuing to grow its digital platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur future is not digital instead of radio,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is digital as well as radio. We\u2019re committed to staying on air, but we\u2019re also building the digital infrastructure we need to reach new audiences, support local music, strengthen student radio\u2019s public-interest role, and continue evolving as a modern independent media organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said 95bFM has always been \u201cmore than bricks and mortar\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe station will continue to be the training ground for the next generation of broadcasters and rangatahi who want to learn about broadcasting, media, music or journalism. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also one of the remaining refuges for those who simply want to find kinship in a creative community. Our purpose does not change because we are moving a 10-minute walk up the road.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tremewan said the move would be carefully planned. <\/p>\n
The specific location on K Rd has yet to be announced \u2013 but there would be a public-facing aspect, Tremewan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, this isn\u2019t a simple \u2018pack everything into boxes and plug it back in somewhere else\u2019 kind of move,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we\u2019re a live broadcast operation, the relocation has to happen in phases so we can protect our transmission, minimise downtime, and safely move 95bFM without breaking the station in the process. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe plan is to manage the relocation in stages so we can keep broadcasting while the station is moved, rebuilt, tested and settled into its new home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The technical transition was being led by Rick Huntington \u2013 better known to generations of 95bFM listeners as Rick Breeze \u2013 the station\u2019s long-serving technical director and engineer, and a 42-year veteran of the station.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther student radio stations, including RDU and Radio Active, have already been through major station moves and have come out the other end bigger, better, stronger, and more resilient,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be done, and it will be done. 95bFM has moved through every possible version of media chaos over the last 60 years. This is another big one, but it is not bigger than us.\u201d <\/p>\n
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand\u2019s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201c95bFM has been part of Auckland\u2019s creative culture for 60 years,\u201d general manager Tom Tremewan said in a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":459861,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[51074,233384,74,15408,51,39181,156,71,1345,2936,1073,2683,111,139,69,90,62822,65190,4965,13655,9631,223,1528,1955,102,1530],"class_list":["post-459860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-51074","tag-95bfm","tag-after","tag-almost","tag-auckland","tag-campus","tag-entertainment","tag-from","tag-home","tag-insider","tag-media","tag-move","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-on","tag-parting","tag-physically","tag-radio","tag-station","tag-student","tag-the","tag-university","tag-ways","tag-with","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}