|
|||||||
Dancing to the UP FM Beat
Dancing to a wicked beat is a human activity that’s as old as humans themselves. For thousands of years man has used dance to come together with his community and as a way of escaping from the drudgery of daily living. While we might not be chasing sabre toothed tigers anymore, this love of dancing is still very much alive and kicking in many forms the world over with dance clubs representing the hubs of these growing communities. In an increasingly fragmented world, club regulars report a sense of being part of a family in which the DJ’s are no more important than the guests. Indeed when you search the various websites devoted to this dance and rave community there is a huge emphasis on extensive photo galleries and a strange absence of any sort of celebrity. Each and every participant gets their moment of celebrity and the burgeoning industry of radio stations, events and websites give them those opportunities. Dance radio station UP FM’s founder, Jarra Borman describes the difference. “Most commercial DJ’s want to be superstars, but not in the dance community. Here everyone is part of the whole and everyone has something to give.” Of course there are DJ’s in the dance community who have extensive and loyal followings. They bring in the big crowds. UP FM DJ Mike Smith who goes by the stage name of s_t_r_o_b_e and Nick Collings (of Criminal Records fame) are both mainstays of the industry but shy away from being held up as celebrities, preferring to mix in with the guests at events and avoiding the kind of star-profiling that you find in other industries. “I’m in some of the photos,” says Jarra. “But I’m just one of the people.” Despite the alternative nature of the industry as a whole there’s a great deal of professionalism supporting the growth. Auckland’s UP FM is the most listened to dance radio station in the country and Jarra brings a strong pedigree in radio. He worked with More FM for several years before getting involved with Auckland’s George FM. In 2002 with significant growth in the electronic music market, George FM established UP FM to cater to this niche of their existing audience. However, the growth in the industry meant that by 2004, UP FM was starting to compete with George and the fit no longer seemed so good. Jarra and co-worker/electronica musician Terry Blunt pulled together and bought the brand from George, setting off on their own journey requiring them to search out that ideal mix between community and commercialism. Jarra (now the sole owner of UP FM) explains the very deliberate move away from the traditional commercial model. “You pretty much lose your entire audience the moment you flick on your ads. Because we’re independent we have complete creative freedom to use many advertising mediums.” It’s this point that starts to highlight the difference between the big corporate radio stations and the independent players. UP FM has a more flexible approach to advertisers than the traditional commercial radio station. When you listen carefully you’ll notice more competitions and interactive embedded advertising that crops up in the programming itself, on banners on the website and in the many engaging text and online competitions. “We’ve found a balance that looks after the interests of both our audience and our advertisers,” says Jarra. But just when it’s all starting to sound very businesslike he reminds us that the point of UP FM is wider than commercial success. “We’re a community, not just a radio station. The whole concept is based around interacting with our listeners. We’re a focal point for people interested in the dance community,” he says. This interactivity has led to UP FM’s involvement with a wide range of events, starting with the Solar Series and more recently Autumn, Winter and Spring Series parties that take the events to a year round status. The website is a mainstay for dance fans and advertisers alike. Competitions use text and web environments to encourage participation. More interactive developments are on the way including the ability to text a message to UP FM that collects the personal details of the sender (if a registered member) on the way meaning even more opportunity for every member of the community top have their moment of notoriety. Jarra confirms that there are aggressive plans for the future. They have just purchased a frequency in Tauranga to expand the reach beyond Auckland. There are also extensive plans for the website which already offers a streaming service so listeners all round the world can listen in despite the limitations of frequency availability. Events continue to provide the opportunity to showcase the music and DJs along with creating another medium for advertisers to leverage their online and on air campaigns. But as always it all comes down to the right mix of people, venue, music and behind the scenes work. “The right group of people is vital,” says Jarra. “We work hard to get people to come to have some fun and show respect for others.” Right from the start UP FM have ventured into the great outdoors with their daytime event series. These events recognise that as time passes the existing audience moves into a different phase of life, and so families and children are welcome, perhaps even paving the way for the next generation of the dance community! In line with UP FM’s focus on community, they have been involved with several related health initiatives including a road safety campaign focussing on driving while impaired which won the 2006 Mayoral Community Safety Award. There’s also been an Auckland Hearing Association campaign offering special moulded ear plugs. “These campaigns have made a real difference to our community’s lives,” says Jarra. 
|
|
