For the first time, candidates for the Kāpiti mayoralty are to debate key topics live on radio.
Local radio Beach FM 106.3 has set aside 90 minutes of prime time for the debate to be broadcast on Sunday 19th September 2010 from 1pm.
The station’s General Manager, Grant Walker, says it coincides with the despatch of voting papers and will give electors a chance to compare candidate’s views.
All six candidates have agreed to participate. The moderator will be the station’s current affairs host, Nigel Hopkins and participants will be given the broad topics in advance.
“Since it was established 12 years ago, Beach FM has always provided significant coverage of local and national elections,” Mr Walker says, “and as usual this year we have the mayoral candidates being interviewed separately in our normal current affairs/community interview slots between 9am and Noon.
In addition we have been interviewing them separately in the Grey Power Hour at 7pm. However, we have also decided that a debate would be useful this time.”
The debate will be heard beyond the station’s normal Kāpiti and Horowhenua boundaries. As well as being broadcast on 106.3 it’ll be streamed live over the Internet to listeners throughout the world via Beach FM’s newly renovated website www.beacfm.co.nz.