After a week of rumours, management has confirmed Tauranga's locally owned radio station BOP FM is in liquidation.
Managing director Jarra Borman confirmed the step, and the New Zealand Companies Office website showed BOP FM went into liquidation on Thursday, January 27.
Mr Borman has 68 shares in the business and Crosby
Services, owned by Robert Crosby, has 32 shares. Diana Hellyer is also a company director.
Mr Borman said he was deeply saddened by the situation when the Bay of Plenty Times spoke with him yesterday. He had poured his heart and soul into the station and it was "a real shame" to see it end.
"Something really special was created with BOP FM," Mr Borman said.
"There was a real sense of community, we had an amazingly talented group of staff and together we created something pretty amazing."
Liquidation had been a "voluntary proceeding", though the decision to make that choice was beyond his control.
"I'm more saddened than anything else ... but we've achieved a number of the goals we set in the marketplace and I believe there is a real opportunity in the future for a radio station in the Tauranga market."
Mr Borman said the station's strength was that it was 100 per cent local, which meant it had a lot of flexibility and could get involved on a local level.
Since it was established in June 2009, the station had created some "pretty amazing events" for Bay people, and he thanked everyone involved for their support.
As of this morning, music continued to play on the 105.4 frequency, however the BOP FM studio space was silent and still. Computers remained on the desks but the working spaces were empty and nobody was in sight.
Mr Borman said an opportunity to continue the station existed and if anyone wanted to "come in, pick it up and carry it on," to contact him at jarra@bopfm.co.nz
BOP FM was launched in June 2009, broadcasting across the Bay from Whakatane to Tairua. The station has a target audience of 20 to 39-year-olds and plays top 40 music including reggae, dub, punk and ska, with dance music at night.
