The Yak – Alive & Kicking
Daniel Holland, Waikato Times
©The Yak 2011.
Radio Heritage Foundation Digital Collection
Anyone tuning into Wintec’s student radio station Max FM this morning might have heard something a little bit different.
The station is relaunching itself as The Yak FM 107.1 today with a new musical lineup.
The student radio station is moving away from its previous focus on rock and is now broadening its range of music.
It now splits its airtime between a range of music and a host of specialist shows such as High Voltage which plays rock, Urban Beats which plays urban music and Talking Smack which is a talk show on kick boxing and martial arts.
The new focus and rebranding of the station are the brainchild of radio tutor and station manager Blair Dowling.
“The Yak FM is part of Kiwi culture, that Flight of the Conchords, have a laugh, and give it a go culture.”
It has taken him five years to get the station to this point. It previously had no computers and no production studio, and Mr Dowling was very excited to see its launch.
The station is running a promotion entitled “Show Us Your Yak” in which people can send photos to The Yak FM’s Facebook page, tag themselves and win prizes including an iPod Touch.
The station is run primarily by Certificate in Radio Broadcasting students and anyone is welcome to get in contact with the station if they want to host a show.
Certificate in Radio Broadcasting student Casey, 18, said the station “caters for everyone and plays things that people want to hear but often don’t get to”.
Daniel Holland is a Wintec journalism student.
© Waikato Times May 9, 2011.
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