Iwi radio’s lockdown logistics
Staff of the region’s iwi radio station never considered downing their microphones during the lockdown.
Prior to the alert level being raised to four on March 25 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Te Korimako O Taranaki station manager Tipene O’Brien met with his team and planned their response.
O’Brien said it was never an option that the award-winning station would go off air. ‘‘We felt that people needed to hear us and to hear our messaging.’’
Prior to the lockdown coming into force, O’Brien met with staff from Taranaki District Health Board and Tui Ora, along with iwi representatives, to plan around what information needed to be shared with listeners.
‘‘Our role has really been a conduit to put those messages out on air.’’ This included hygiene measures and what to look out for in terms of Covid-19 symptoms.
In terms of the logistics, O’Brien said the first option was to set the broadcasting team up in their own homes to carry on with their shows.
The alternative was for a roster system to be put in place for each staff member to go into the Coronation Ave studio to run their programme from there.
O’Brien said the station, on frequency 94.8FM, was fortunate it had the right software and hardware to make home broadcasting possible. Like the other 20 iwi radio stations in Aotearoa, the station’s service is deemed essential.
‘‘Everyone is finding their own solutions,’’ O’Brien said of his counterparts.
He was aware some stations had similar arrangements in place, while others had staff broadcasting from their normal base.
Recordings from Te Korimako O Taranaki radio shows were being posted on Facebook and also repeated as part of the station’s weekend programming, in order to reach as wide an audience as possible, O’Brien said.