I see recently that Jim Sutton has started Nostalgia FM broadcasting in
west auckland.

This now makes three nostalgia LPFM stations broadcasting within west
Auckland alone.

We have an Unfortgettble music station in Blockhouse Bay on 106.9FM,
two suburbs over in Glen Eden Jim has his Nostalgia FM on 107.5, and
then three more suburbs over in Massey Unforgettable music on 107.1FM.

I have no issue with each of these stations or what they are trying to
achieve. However I must ask why these three stations can not work
together to add one quality nostalgia station in Waitakere City that
would add true value to their community.

I see evidence of LPFM stations working together and adding value to
each other through this forum, however I am unable to see why these
stations could not take the time to work together and thus produce one
quality broadcast for their community, and thus free up valuable
spectrum space for other providers.

I currently run GOfm 107dot1 in Titirangi which is very much a
community broadcaster, and must add that none of these stations detract
from our broadcast area and that thus this is not GOfm trying to free
up some spectrum for us to use.

By being a community broadcaster I also wish to add that we have no
intention of streaming our signal (eg: what's the value of someone in
Denmark listening?), or relaying our signal to anotther city (what's
the value of someone in Hamilton getting our community broadcast?).

GOfm used to be a two man band literally broadcasting from the spare
bedroom of our house. However we identified what a valuable resource
the radio spectrum is, and have now opened our broadcast space up to
the community, and now have over 30 local people involved in bringing a
a true community station to the people in Waitakere City.

We have also approached Spider FM in Avondale (which is our closest
broadcaster) with a view to forming a partnership that would add value
to both our communities, and have also promoted an event run by WCCR
(107.5FM) in Te Atatu.

Prove me me wrong but to me the ideals of LPFM are to establish
community broadcast stations to fill the gap left by the current
national networks, and not to add additional national or city wide
stations.

We are very much working towards this ideal and have established a
charitable trust being the 'Titirangi Community Radio Trust' which now
runs GOfm.

Thus in Auckland we continue to be frustrated by "one man bands" who
think it is 'cool' (no other explanation) to start their own LPFM
without considering other stations in their broadcast area (Jim
Sutton), or what value they are adding to their community.

I must encourage other stations to work together to add value to their
community and ask others within the LPFM community what they think of
this situation and similar (eg dance stations broadcasting in more than
one market).

Ourselves we welcome more regulation as the de-regulated market is
clearly not working to the ideal of adding true diversity to the NZ
radio spectrum as it was envisaged...

I welcome your feedback in respect to this and other format double ups
you may have in your commmuniy...

LET'S WORK TOGETHER PEOPLE!

PS: Is the nostalgia community not covered by Coast FM and also other
national networks? Is this true diversity and community involvement
(eg: do you have people from your community adding to your
broadcasts?)