ABOUT US

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"I rere kau mai te awa nui
mai te kahui maunga ki Tangaroa;
ko au te awa; ko te awa ko au"

"The river flows
from the mountains to the sea;
I am the river and the river is me"

Image of Whanganui River taken at Punakiwhetu

This whakatauki encapsulates the temporal and spiritual link that the Whanganui iwi have to the great and mysterious Whanganui river. The river is central to our identity, culture and well-being.

Brief History
We began training announcers on a government funded scheme in 1990 and Joe Reo (our first Manager) made his garage available and amassed a collection of very basic equipment to work on.

Te Reo Irirangi O Whanganui (Awa FM) officially opened its own premises and began broadcasting on the 17th of June 1991. In the opening address we were encouraged announcers to remain true to the mita (distinct dialect) of Whanganui iwi.

A year later we developed a link to our relatives in Ngati Rangi via a small unit in Ohakune. They were called Nga Iwi FM and the link lasted about 12 months.

We now broadcast throughout our rohe (tribal boundaries) as depicted in the map on this page.

Vision
Our vision is "To inform and entertain our audience of Whanganui"
The logo incorporates our three broadcasting frequencies;
100fm broadcasts through the city of Whanganui and approximately 50 Kms North and 20 Kms East and West.
91.2fm broadcasts around the Pipiriki and Central Plateau region, more specifically Raetihi, Ohakune and National Park.
93.5fm broadcasts in the Taumarunui area

These frequencies enable us to reach the majority of our iwi, Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi and into Ngati Rangi

Te Komiti Matua - The Executive Committee of AwaFM
Manager: Geoff Mariu
Chairman :Keria Ponga
Secretary: Dardanella Mete Kingi-Mato
Treasurer: Mariana Waitai
Other Directors
Nerissa Te Patu
Gloria Waa
Aria Reweti

TOI TU TE KUPU
TOI TU TE MANA
TOI TU TE WHENUA
TOI TU TE WHANGANUITANGA
TOI TU TE MATUA IWI
.....TIHEI MAURI ORA !