Recall Radio Moving On

An interview with Wayne Salmon from Recall Radio 88.4 who is leaving Hamilton for Stewart Island today.

Wayne Salmon says he always had a "passion for music". After leaving high school in the 60s he formed a rock band and over the years he has assembled an immense collection of music – as many as 3000 records and close to 1000 CDs – most of which have been given to the Lions for their upcoming fundraising sale in anticipation of his move to the deep south.

Wayne’s first experience in broadcasting came in 1984 when he marched into the ZNCR student radio station in the town of Lismore in the north of New South Wales, Australia. Claiming to have broadcasting experience to get his foot in the door, he says his first few broadcasts were terrifying but he soon got the hang of it and ended up really enjoying it.

Then about 5 years ago when he was living in Oparau, a small town south of Raglan on the Kawhia Harbour, Wayne spotted an ad in 'the Loot' (a Waikato trade and exchange paper) for a "low power radio transmitter suitable for sports functions". He bought the transmitter - apparently the seller was controversial Edge shock jock Ian Stables - and started broadcasting music from his collection on 100.5 FM under the name Recall Radio. His second transmitter, which he still uses, was purchased in Kawhia.

At the same time as Napster and other internet media-sharing software was allowing people around the world to share their favourite music, Wayne had found a simple, fun way to do the same thing, "I felt like I wanted to share [my music] and that was my way to share it". He discovered the advantages of having a computer in his studio about 2 years ago, using it for automated playlists, obtaining and managing music and editing and mixing such as making stings (industry shorthand for station IDs).

When Wayne made the move to Hamilton seeking work about 2 years ago, eventually getting a job as a projectionist at Village 7, Recall moved with him. Initially he maintained two small studios, broadcasting from Oparau in the weekends and from the house he rented in Frankton on weekdays.

Not long after he made Hamilton his permanent base Wayne says he received a less-than-friendly visit from the “radio police” - representatives of the Ministry for Economic Development. “When he pulled the plug the guy said ‘there go your two listeners’” says Wayne with a laugh. They informed him that the 100.5 FM frequency he was transmitting on was reserved for “police surveillance” and suggested he use 88.4 FM – which has been the Recall frequency ever since. They also told him he was only allowed a 0.3 watt signal strength, rather than the 10.5 watts he had been using which would mean he would be lucky if his neighbours could receive his broadcast, let alone his listeners around the city.

Attempting to satisfy the bureaucrats Wayne dropped his signal to 5 watts but a complaint from a neighbour prompted a second visit by the Ministry. This time he dropped his signal to 2 watts and has continued broadcasting without incident ever since.

Asked if he felt the Ministry’s cynical view of his project was justified, Wayne defends Recall saying that they were “one of the first radio stations in Hamilton to play dance music”, thus serving a niche market that no other Waikato broadcast has yet filled. He also points to Recall’s fledgling efforts to replay community radio shows from other stations, attempting to expose them to different audiences. Both ‘Under the Radar’, a political comentary and music show that goes out live on Raglan Community Radio on Thursdays and ‘Unrepentant’, a kiwi music show broadcast Fiday nights on Hamilton Community Radio were replayed in different time slots on Recall. He also drew attention to the fact that a number of keen young people were given an opportunity to try their hand at radio and share their musical tastes without the costs and other barriers of other existing stations.

Recall officially ended it’s Hamilton tenure in style on Thursday 20 May. “We were really pissed in the studio and the monitor [a stereo amplifier used in the studio to check the broadcast is working] crapped out” laughs Wayne. They continued broadcasting sporadically until the following Wednesday when they brought down the 8 metre antenna pole and packed up the studio for the move.

Wayne is both sad about leaving Hamilton and excited about the next phase of Recall, which will continue as the first local radio station on Stewart Island and one of the southernmost radio broadcasts in the world. He states proudly that “Recall plays some of the most up-to-date dance music around” although he’ll probably be playing more ‘golden oldies’ than dance music on Stewart Island, at least at first. Asked for final comments he laughs again and says, “I just hope someone was listening all this time”.

Plans are afoot to launch a new micro-power 'IndyRadio' station in Hamilton, using the now vacant 88.4 FM. For more info email imc-aotearoa-waikato@indymedia.org or strypey@indymedia.org.