National Radio's bird song was under threat in 2005. File photo / Greg Bowker
National Radio's bird song was under threat in 2005. File photo / Greg Bowker
KEY POINTS:
Radio New Zealand's iconic birdcall is far from extinct with the station revealing plans today for "more birds".
As part of new corporate branding, listeners to the public service broadcaster will hear the bird calls more often, with better quality recordings and a spoken context for the birdsongs,according to a news release from Radio New Zealand.
The bird call, which currently heralds the hourly news bulletins during Morning Report on weekday mornings, has been used on RNZ's National Programme since 1974.
The bird calls were threatened with extinction in 2005 when the station discussed killing them off as part of wider re-vamp of the programming line-up.
But their preservation was ensured after a flood of listener emails demanding the bird calls stay.
Radio New Zealand say the changes to their logos include name changes for the National Radio and Concert FM - to be know as Radio New Zealand National and Radio New Zealand Concert - but not to the programmes or schedules for either station.
