Latest news with #OARFM
Otago Daily Times
06-08-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
New show to explore Pacific voices, culture
Iree Chow hosts Pacifically Speaking on OAR FM. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Pacific communities in Dunedin can expect to hear more of their own stories on-air and online, thanks to the efforts of local woman Iree Chow. Ms Chow launches her radio show and podcast Pacifically Speaking on OAR FM today. A "proud Chuukese" from the Federated States of Micronesia and Chinese Solomon Islander, she relocated to Dunedin with her husband in 2023. After contributing to the radio station's coverage of Solomon Islands Language Week last year, Ms Chow saw the opportunity to develop a show that considered the wider experience of communities of Pacific people in Dunedin. "I really hope we can explore the vibrant diversity of the Pacific through personal narratives, cultural insights and conversations that uplift Pacific voices. "I'm really excited to platform some of communities we often don't get to hear from, across Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. They have such powerful stories," Ms Chow said. She hopes the programme will appeal to anyone wishing to learn about other cultures, including those with a shared experience of relocating to Dunedin from other countries. Pacifically Speaking is broadcast on Thursdays at 9am on 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from and other major platforms. A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at By Jeff Harford, Community liaison, OAR FM
Otago Daily Times
23-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Resident embraces radio to encourage involvement
Deborah Hull-Brown hosts Super City on OAR FM. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Deborah Hull-Brown is not shy about trying something new. At age 72, she has developed the skills to produce and host her own radio programme. Ms Hull-Brown moved from Auckland to Dunedin two years ago, following the death of her mother, whom she had cared for for eight years. Intent on engaging with a wide range of community groups and activities, the advocate for volunteering approached OAR FM with making an arts show in mind. The idea morphed into a broader programme, delivering content of interest to older listeners. Super City is aimed at encouraging others in the 60-plus age group to make the most of life. Through interviews and newsy updates, the show explores the interests, initiatives and supports available to super seniors in Dunedin. Ms Hull-Brown's own experience has turned her into a strong advocate for access radio. There was room for other seniors to follow her lead and step up to the mic, she said. "The staff at OAR are really gentle with someone like myself and they take the time to help you as much as you need, until you're confident." Super City is broadcast fortnightly on Mondays at 11am on 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from and other major platforms. Feedback and items of interest for older listeners can be emailed to dunedinsupercity@ By Jeff Harford, Community Liaison, OAR FM
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Youth voice put to podcast
OAR FM's Greater Green Island Youth Podcast hosts are (from left) Kaitiaki Norman-Pere, 13, Brianna Le, 22, Noah Scott, 23, and Ruby-Mae Inch, 13. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Young people in the Greater Green Island area now have a voice in local media. OAR FM's Greater Green Island Youth podcast was launched last month by members of the local Youth Action Group. The 16-member organisation is overseen by the team at the Greater Green Island Community Network. It was made possible through support from the Otago Community Trust as part of the Wheako Project, which aimed to address the needs of tamariki (children) and taiohi (youth) in the area. The members use the podcast to highlight initiatives they are working on and to call for others to help with projects. Greater Green Island Youth Podcast is broadcast fortnightly on Thursdays at 4pm on 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from and other major platforms. A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at By Jeff Harford Community Liaison, OAR FM
Otago Daily Times
11-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Sister-cities relationships explored in podcast
Nathan Woodfield hosts the Dunedin-Otaru Sister City Podcast on OAR FM. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A new radio show and podcast is exploring the rich cultural connection between Dunedin and its Japanese sister city, Otaru. The programme is hosted by Nathan Woodfield, secretary of Dunedin-Otaru Sister Cities Society. Growing up in Osaka, he lived there until age 10, when his parents returned to their New Zealand homeland. He subsequently returned to Japan to work in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, which is aimed at promoting grassroots international exchange between Japan and other nations. The first episode of the series featured a conversation with Bronwyn Thomson, a local high school teacher of Japanese language. Ms Thomson talked about her experience learning the language, and shared stories from her visits to Japan. In episode two, Mr Woodfield told his own story and covered some of the history of Otaru. He said he was looking forward to speaking with Dunedin locals who have a Japanese connection, and to people from Dunedin now living in Japan. The podcast will also promote local events, such as the Hiroshima-Nagasaki 80th Memorial Photo Exhibition to be held at the H.D. Skinner Annex, Tūhura Otago Museum, in August. "It's really special that from 10,000 kilometres away we can join in a global call for peace." Dunedin-Otaru Sister City Podcast is broadcast every fourth Monday at 6pm on 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from and other major platforms. A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at By Jeff Harford
Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Boosting coverage of creative sector
DCC Ara Toi Creative Partnerships advisers Sean Norling and Amie Taua host Ara Toi On Air on OAR FM. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Dunedin's creative sector is receiving greater coverage on OAR FM. Ara Toi On Air is a fortnightly programme dedicated to highlighting the dynamic arts scene in Otago. Hosted by Dunedin City Council Ara Toi Creative Partnerships advisers Sean Norling and Amie Taua, the radio programme and podcast opens a window to community arts projects across various disciplines, local practitioners, cultural events and the broader arts ecosystem. Each episode features interviews with local artists, or segments covering local arts projects. The show is further enriched by a broad selection of local music, showcasing the diverse talent and depth from the region. Recent episodes have included chats with Christine Keller about The Loom Room, with Jones Chin, publican of the Crown Hotel, and with Peter Porteous, organiser of the biennial Dunedin experimental music festival Lines of Flight. Creative Partnerships supports Dunedin creative practitioners with guidance, resources, and advocacy so they can do what they do best. The team develops and maintains relationships with external creative institutions and agencies, internal DCC teams, and the local creative communities. Ara Toi On Air is broadcast every second Thursday at noon on 105.4FM and 1575AM. Podcasts are available from and other major platforms. A full schedule of OAR FM programmes can be found at
