Big Medium Wave Changes in Auckland
A major broadcasting shake-up will start in Auckland New Zealand in mid-April, as a project gets underway to start dismantling the 2 RNZ transmission masts at Henderson in West Auckland. The northern and southern masts are 91 and 70 years old respectively. In all, 15 radio stations rely on them for their AM services.
There are 8 on the 122 metre high northern mast in Sellwood Road – Radio Waatea on 603 kHz, Humm 702, BBC World Service 810, Chinese Voices 936, Newstalk ZB 1080, Rhema 1251, Radio Tarana 1386 and Radio Samoa 1593, and 7 on the 153 metre high southern mast at Lincoln Road – 531PI on 531kHz, RNZ National 756, Parliament/Sanctuary 882, APNA 990, Ake 1179, Gold Sport AM 1332 and Sport Nation 1476.
Since Friday morning, BBC World Service 810 has been broadcasting a message each hour announcing that after 35 years on the Auckland airwaves, they will close down at midnight NZT (1200 UTC). Press reports indicate that a total of 6 stations will be leaving the Auckland AM band to enable transmissions to be eventually trimmed back from 2 masts to one. Besides BBC World Service, press reports have identified others departing AM as Pacific Media Network’s 531pi, Gold Sport 1332 and Sport Nation 1476. I anticipate these closures on the northern mast will enable RNZ National 756, Parliament/Sanctuary 882 to be transferred from the southern mast, pending the planned construction of a new single mast at the northern site.
At this stage the sixth planned AM departure has yet to be confirmed, but my guess is that it could be either APNA 990 or Ake 1179. We do know that 531pi is to be allocated an alternative FM frequency for 5 years (previously protected for a possible RNZ Youth Network).
RNZ has made the call to dismantle both masts and rebuild a new one on the northern site – this would meet RNZ’s transmission needs, including the vital emergency broadcasting functions, said RNZ chief technology officer Mark Bullen. He said “RNZ has a primary responsibility to prudently use its funding to create public media content for audiences. That means we need to ensure all infrastructure investment is affordable while also providing the best value to New Zealanders. RNZ is not established as an infrastructure provider to other broadcasters who have independently secured AM licences from the Crown”.
Work on decommissioning the ageing infrastructure and building the new mast in Selwood Road Henderson starts later this month. RNZ will eventually sell the commercially valuable southern site in Lincoln Road, Henderson after removal of the mast. In recent years RNZ had tested an alternative new South Auckland transmission site at Awhitu on the shores of the Manukau Harbour, but this appears to have been flagged due to budget cuts by the Coalition Government.
Bryan Clark
Broadcast News Editor – ‘NZ DX Times’
