Radio Southland On Air Since 1992

Radio Southland celebrates 30 years on air in 2022, and station manager Darren Ludlow reflects on how things have changed in that time.

When news went digital I think many people in the media thought radio might disappear, but in fact quite the opposite has happened – thanks to podcasts and internet streaming.

Darren said Radio Southland has always been about the opportunity for people who are interested in sharing their message.

It is still, and always has been, a genuine community radio station – the 50+ volunteers who help shape its foundation are not ‘radio announcers’ but “people that sound like Southlanders.”

A broadcaster for over 30 years, Darren came into the mix about 12 or 13 years ago, and still wakes up every day doing what he loves.

He’d had enough of commercial radio and felt it was disconnected, but through community radio he has seen some remarkable growth in recent years.

“The digital sector was our growth opportunity,” – podcasting is up 300%.  With help from New Zealand On Air, he said it has been hugely valuable to be able to show the funders how well received they are.

The way radio engages with its audience has also changed.  In the old days everyone used to ring the commercial radio station to win prizes, nowadays that has been replaced with social media to connect.  It has also allowed people to have a look behind the scenes and see what they do.

But what has surprised Darren the most is that many older people have found a way to still keep up with the changing technology.

“With podcasts I assumed it was not something that older listeners are into.   But they are our biggest and most successful shows with a target audience of 70+.  So don’t tell me they don’t know how to use the internet.”

Moving forward, the station transmitter will have to be replaced in the next 12 months, at a cost of $40,000, and he thinks that might be the last time they actually need to do that.

There are still plenty more groups in the community that didn’t have a voice, such as Te Reo and Pacifica, and the Indian community was also under represented.

Radio Southland is part of the Access Radio Network, and a member of the Community Access Media Alliance (CAMA).