Two months ago, it was a different tune.
The independent radio station found itself without premises after the Queenstown-based owners of Play It Again records shut down Wanaka's only dedicated music store, from which the station had broadcast.
Yesterday, the DJ crew from Wanaka Beats moved their broadcasting equipment into a new studio above lakefront cafe Kai Whaka Pai, and plugged in for a launch party last night.
Wanaka businesswoman and DJ Sam Hudson started the independent radio station almost four years ago to broadcast from the Pembroke Mall premises of Play It Again, which she operated under a franchisee agreement.
Found on the FM radio dial at 107.3, Wanaka Beats broadcasts from a "low-powered" frequency, set aside for independent non-commercial radio stations by New Zealand On Air.
Until it was offered a new home above Kai Whaka Pai, Wanaka Beats had been broadcasting from various homes and locations around the resort, Ms Hudson said.
"We're hoping to provide an informal hub for the music community in Wanaka.
"We lost that to a certain extent when Play It Again was shut down," Ms Hudson said.
Touring DJs make regular stop-offs to visit and play sets at Wanaka Beats, which is manned by a regular crew of eight DJs who broadcast their nightly live shows, she said.
