The rumour mill has been rife with stories of Big FM being in trouble, tonight it is dark. Any info?

Is this vindication for the consolidators that stand alone radio can’t survive or has radio had its day?

Will it be left to the LPFM broadcasters to reflect the community?

NZ Herald Article

The Genual User License for FM has been released and in conjunction with the Lazy Lounge and Waiheke Radio we have developed a plan for Splash FM to move to 87.6 and the Lazy Lounge will move to 88.0 and Waiheke Radio will remain on 88.3.

This press release from Waiheke Radio will be in this weeks Gulf News

Local Radio Frequencies to Change

Waiheke radio stations are this week changing frequencies following a review of broadcasting regulations.

Community radio station Waiheke Radio will retain its existing frequencies, 88.3 and 107.4fm. Onetangi radio station Splash FM will broadcast on 87.6fm and 107fm in Ostend. Waiheke Wireless, operated by the Lazy Lounge in Oneroa, will shift to 88.0fm.

Waiheke Radio’s Chris Walker explained that the changes will be positive for listeners of all three stations as the new regulations have allowed the stations to have greater separation between frequencies, reducing the risk of interference.

The change also means all three stations may cover areas that they didn’t before. “People who haven’t been able to pick up a station should try again on the new frequencies”, said Chris Walker.

Radio regulations restrict all three Waiheke stations to broadcasting on low power FM frequencies. Reception will be improved by use of an aerial. Inexpensive wire aerials are available at many electronic goods stores.

 David Robinson, (Senior Planning Engineer, Radio Spectrum Planning and Policy, Ministry of Economic Development) released this today. It is curiously scant considering the process.

LPFM June 2010

Katy Soljak joins Paul Haines, Jett Powers and The Dust and Ian Simpson for Acousic Cafe at Nourish this Friday the 18th.

Splash FM began broadcasting over 2 years ago on 88.2 MHz from Onetangi on Waiheke Island. Splash FM , along with Waiheke Wireless from the Lazy Lounge moved to 88.1 to make room for Waiheke Radio to use 88.3 from Seaview Rd. Now with the new GURL (General User Radio License) pending there is a real possibility that Waiheke Radio will lose 88.3. New frequencies will be made available and Splash FM will likely change frequency. In the meantime we will stay on 88.1 with our new mast and antenna so stay tuned.

Fitness Life magazine, NZ’s best selling health & fitness magazine joins Splash FM this month.

2010 heralds the start of a new decade and the end of one that had promised so much. Where is my hover board, flying car, Cherry 2000, replicator, transporter or even a scutter or two.

2010 is bringing a few projects to Splash FM. We are now broadcasting in Ostend on 107.0 and the streaming feed is all upgraded. A new aerial mast has arrived today, a new transmitter from England last week, news bulletins from INN in the deep south, new station imaging from Nelson and a new gig guide.

So keep tuned in for more updates.

Splash FM would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

To help celebrate the day we will be playing 6 hours of  Christmas music including some old classics along with something for the young ones and all commercial free.

Splash FM’s first test broadcast on 88,2 MHz was on the 22nd of December 2007. Two years on we are still running and still experimenting.

Thanks to those of you that have popped in and  had a listen and we look forward to even more in 2010. We shifted frequency to 88. 1 in 2008 to make room for Waiheke Radio. Today you can get Splash FM on 88.1 in Onetangi and on 107.00 from Ostend as well as live on the web.