Delivered
Radio Toranj coordinator Hero Modares, left, and Plains FM station manager Nicki Reece in the studio.
A radio show produced in Canterbury has become the first Farsi language program nominated for the NZ Radio Awards.
Radio Toranj, which is broadcast for 45 minutes every two weeks on Plains FM in Canterbury and is also available as a podcast, was nominated for Best Radio Program for Access at the 2022 NZ Radio Awards.
The show features contributions from Farsi-speaking presenters from all over New Zealand and the world. The Farsi language is mainly spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Radio Toranj coordinator Hero Modares said the show was created in 2017 as a way to provide information for New Zealand Newcomers. Staff from Ashburton, Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, as well as from abroad, report on everything from health, arts and culture to travel.
READ MORE:
* Pacific Music Awards: Jawsh685 wins three awards for hit song ‘Savage Love’
* Record Number of Finalists Announced for Pacific Music Awards
* International students in Canterbury broadcast their stories
“We want people to feel involved so they can settle happily in New Zealand, but also keep their cultural roots alive,” she said.
“Some great people have gone out of their way to improve the show over time, and it wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
Modares said she was thrilled that the show was nominated for the NZ Radio Awards.
“It was a nice surprise,” she says.
“I had to read the text ten times to fully digest it.”
She said the show was run by volunteers, and she spent about six hours editing, hosting, mixing and mastering each show.
Plains FM station manager Nicki Reece said the nomination was well deserved.
“They’ve put so much effort into the show for so many years. They’re all busy people doing things for the community on their own time,” she said.
“It’s a huge encouragement to reach a certain level of excellence and that’s what they’ve done.”
The NZ Radio Awards event in 2022 will be: livestream from Auckland on Thursday 21 July from 5pm.