Bob Dylan show sees Taranaki radio station tangled up in glory
Radio show host David Calder was "chuffed" that his episode on Bob Dylan was recognized at the NZ Radio Awards.
A lot of people were aghast when Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, but Taranaki radio presenter David Calder was not one of them.
He was such a fan of Dylan's award that he decided not to think twice and devoted an episode of his radio show in support of it, and that show has now been recognised in the New Zealand Radio Awards.
Access Radio Taranaki (ART) won 'Best Community Access Programmes: Best Music Programme in Any Language' at the awards in Auckland on Thursday night for an episode of the Folk Music Hour, hosted by Calder and produced by Chris Foreman.
Access Radio Taranaki station manager Alessandra Keighley said it was an honour to be present with all the larger commercial stations.
The winning show was titled the Nobel Dylan.
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Calder said many people were "pretty astounded" by Dylan's recognition, but he didn't agree with them.
Dylan's words in music had been more meaningful to many people than a lot of poets, he said.
He said winning the award was "really neat".
"I was chuffed for the station, chuffed for folk music, I was chuffed for Dylan, who's made some great stuff."
Dylan's music is "still relevant in many ways", he said.
"I was chuffed for Taranaki as well. We've got a superb community radio station."
He said his favourite part of the show was the cooperation between himself as a broadcaster and Chris Foreman as an engineer.
"We can do quite significant things on radio these days."
ART is one of twelve access radio stations nationwide in which the community create their own broadcasts.
The other finalists in the category were Space Station Kiwi from Otago Access Radio, and Jalsa Dip Chick Moments from Plains FM in Canterbury.
Station manager Alessandra Keighley said it was the first time they had entered a show in the awards, and they "had absolutely no idea" how the episode would go.
"We've never sort of measured ourselves against the industry," she said.
She said Calder was able to relate Dylan's career to the New Zealand folk music traditions.
It was a time when the impact of music was life changing and world changing, she said.
She said that just because everyone can make their own shows on Access Radio, "it doesn't mean that there's not absolute quality radio being produced.
"It felt magnificent to be there and to be acknowledged.
"We were made tremendously welcome."
The station is funded by NZ On Air, grants and local sponsors. Keighley founded it in 2010 with her late husband Daniel.
"I think once you become an access person, you could never go into the other model."
She said she had seen a lot of people grow through being able to communicate on access radio.
"Their stories are being heard and received.
"We are reaching people."
She said she was "totally honoured to do what I do and to serve our community in such a way, and to find that they love it.
"It's a taonga that belongs to Taranaki."
The station will celebrate its seventh birthday with an open day on Saturday.
- Stuff
