Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Malcolm McLaren had his fingers in many of the most important pies of late 20th century popular music. From The New York Dolls to The Sex Pistols, from Bow Wow Wow to Buffalo Gals, McLaren was there, usually courting controversy. McLaren died last week and in tribute American DJ and record producer DJ Premier put together a tribute mixtape. Featuring music from McLaren's own records and those of bands he produced and managed, along with typically self-aggrandizing interview excerpts, this is a great mix. Waiheke Radio will be playing DJ Premier's Malcom McLaren Tribute Mix Saturday 17 April at 9pm, just before our dance music show Up The Doof.

Waihekeans awoke this morning to see something they never thought they'd see on their beautiful, corporate globalisation-free Island paradise. As the dawn woke up the unsuspecting Island residents and the sun rose above the ridge of Blackpool Heights, three red signs with golden arches began to glisten in the Oneroa sunlight.

Residents will have been aware of the new development work currently underway in Oneroa but would never in a million years have imagined the full horror of what was to come. The Mcdonalds Golden Arches are moving into town.

As we speak there will, I'm sure, be a collective groan from parents across the Island and a 'yippee' from all the children themselves drooling at the thought of a local weekly 'Happy' Meal. 

There will also no-doubt be a protest action plan already in place from our more vocal Island protesters and we'll soon see direct action on a scale like we've 'never seen before', demonstrations that the Surfdale Cellphone Tower Protest Group can only dream of. This will be war!!

Questions need to be asked, especially of our Community Board. Did they really give permission for this?

We at Waiheke Radio can already feel our arteries glogging up!

Posted: 1/4/10

Congratulations to Waiheke Radio's very own Chris Walker for recently turning out Counting the Beat episode #100!!! Since the end of The Beach in 2008 Chris has been podcasting NZ music rarities, obscurities and new releases on the internet and on Waiheke Radio. The Counting the Beat podcast represents New Zealand on the Music Alliance Pact project and has been mentioned recently in The Guardian newspaper as well as being nationally recognized as one of the preeminent NZ music blogs and podcasts. 

Counting the Beat 100th Episode
Counting the Beat Podcast
How to put music blogs on the MAP (The Guardian, 15.03.2010)
Counting the Beat show page.

Counting the Beat on Waiheke Radio: Sat 3pm, Tue 10pm.

Each show page now has a player loaded up with the last week of your favourite Waiheke Radio shows.

Like this 1001 Songs show from Monday night.

See our Show Schedule for show listings.

It was a bit embarrassing (and quite stressful) when our transmitter covering Onetangi, Ostend and Palm Beach failed last Sunday, the day there was a tsunami warning. We had a whole series of failures triggered, it seems, by ants. Trying to repair a radio transmitter on Waiheke on a Sunday is problematic - where do you buy power supplies, recievers and back up batteries? Since we're all volunteers with jobs and families it's taken a couple of days to get all the equipment together and set up. But tonight, by torchlight, we re-commissioned the transmitter and we're once again broadcasting on 88.3fm. The signal needs a little adjustment, we'll get that sorted out in the next couple of days. Our apologies and thanks for your patience.