Raglan Community Radio 96.6FM first went to air on 5 November 1994 from a small room in the Raglan Area School gymnasium, operating on a six-month temporary licence with a very limited broadcast range.
Read more: Broadcasting from a cupboard in the school hallTo make these humble beginnings even more modest, the station could only broadcast while DJs were in the studio, meaning there was no radio at night and nothing on air if a DJ missed their shift. This all changed in 1996 with the purchase of a 10-disc CD changer. The last DJ of the day would load it with a selection of their favourite CDs, leaving it to play overnight. The Spotify generation might not believe it, but people were pretty pleased, as many parts of Raglan couldn’t pick up any other radio stations at all.
In April 1999, RCR moved downtown to number 4 Bow Street but was promptly taken off air after the Harbourview Hotel complained to the Ministry of Commerce about interference with their TV reception. The Ministry was also concerned that the station wasn’t broadcasting from the address listed on its licence and told the committee to sort out the paperwork. As a result, the station spent much of the year off air.
Raglan Community Radio finally found a permanent home in the town hall in August 2000, and this prominent location quickly led to a boom in DJ numbers. While there were often challenges behind the scenes, on air the station was entering a golden period with a full roster and a growing audience. The DJs were a wild, eclectic bunch, much like the community they represented.
The CD changer was retired in 2001 after station tech Andy Fendall developed an MP3 automation programme. Even bigger changes came in 2006 with the shift to 98.1FM after relocating the transmitter to Dreamview Farm. The station could now be heard as far as the divvy.
In 2010, the station faced a crisis that almost led to its closure. Instead, the committee devised a new strategy, involving the station’s first paid staff. This plan, which required a big funding boost, was successfully implemented, and Aaron Mooar was appointed Station Manager and Morning Show host in September 2012. Having permanent staff made the station far more stable, and volunteer numbers today rival the early 2000s heyday.
Since 2012, the main challenges have come from outside as the traditional media landscape has been disrupted by the internet. In 2019, the team realised the best way to keep serving the community was to become a multi-media entity. They launched their own podcast and news platform at raglanradio.com and began using social media as a key channel for sharing information with the community. This approach became crucial during the local COVID-19 outbreak in 2021, when the station became the main source of useful information throughout the crisis.
In 2024, Raglan Community Radio now offers six media streams, and to reflect this evolution, the organisation has changed its name to Raglan Community Media. On air, the station is still called Raglan Community Radio,
but the team are always looking for ways to improve and hope to add new
strings to their bow in the coming years. So stay tuned in, logged in—or maybe even join in! They’re always keen to hear from people interested in creating their own radio show or podcast. Visit raglanradio.com to learn more, or pop into the studio in the town hall and say hello.
