4ZB
| Company type | Radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Headquarters | Dunedin , New Zealand |
| Products | Radio broadcasting |
4ZB operated as an adult contemporary radio station based in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Early years
Established in 1937 by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service, 4ZB originally broadcast on 1040AM, taking its name from its callsign. The ZB series of stations covered New Zealand’s principal centers: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Although mainly focused on local content, some network programs such as Aunt Daisy were aired until 1963. Following New Zealand’s adjustment of AM frequency spacing from 10 kHz to 9 kHz in 1978, the station moved to 1044AM. During the 1970s, the broadcast range extended to Central Otago (640AM, callsign 4YW) and Queenstown (1120AM, callsign 4YQ), with these frequencies later modified to 639AM and 1134AM respectively in 1978. These channels combined programming from National Radio and 4ZB before eventually transitioning solely to RNZ National prior to their closure in April 2019.
Switch to FM
In September 1990, the station adopted FM broadcasting on 89.4FM under the name ZBFM while retaining its AM frequency as a simulcast platform called 4ZB The Talk of Dunedin. Both stations shared a morning show; after breakfast, the AM channel focused on talkback segments, community updates, and easy listening music.
Rebranding as Classic Hits 89FM
The year 1993 saw Radio New Zealand rebrand its established stations under the Classic Hits banner, with 4ZB becoming Classic Hits 89FM. Simultaneously, the AM frequency formerly known as 4ZB The Talk of Dunedin was repurposed for Newstalk ZB, continuing some local news and talkback features. In 2001, the FM station’s identity was slightly revised to Classic Hits 89.4.
Change of ownership and reduction in local programming
In July 1996, the commercial division of Radio New Zealand—including Classic Hits stations—was sold by the New Zealand Government to The Radio Network, a subsidiary jointly owned by APN News & Media and Clear Channel Communications, operating under the umbrella of the Australian Radio Network. By 1998, Classic Hits 89FM had curtailed local programming to a four-hour window each morning (6–10 am), with Auckland-based national shows filling remaining time slots. In 2012, the breakfast show duration was further reduced to three hours across all Classic Hits stations, and weekend local broadcasts were discontinued.
Rebranding as The Hits
On 28 April 2014, all stations within the Classic Hits network were renamed The Hits. A centralized breakfast program hosted by Polly Gillespie and Grant Kareama was launched network-wide, with previous breakfast hosts reassigned to a mid-morning to afternoon slot from 9am to 3pm. However, Dunedin maintained its own local breakfast show featuring Callum Procter and Patrina Roche while adopting networked content after 9am.