Radio Marlborough
| Company type | Radio broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Fate | Rebranded as The Hits Marlborough in 2014 |
| Headquarters | Blenheim , New Zealand |
Radio Marlborough was a radio broadcaster located in Blenheim, New Zealand.
Initially launched in 1965 by Radio New Zealand—known at the time as the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation—the station operated under the call sign 2ZE on 1540AM. Following adjustments to New Zealand’s AM frequency allocations in 1978, it transitioned to 1539AM and adopted the name Radio Marlborough.
A relay transmitter serving Picton was introduced in 1981 on 1539AM with the identifier 2ZF, which later shifted to 1584AM in 1993. FM transmission commenced for Radio Marlborough in 1991 on the frequency 96.9FM.
In July 1996, the New Zealand Government divested Radio Marlborough alongside Radio New Zealand’s commercial division to The Radio Network, a subsidiary jointly owned by APN News & Media and Clear Channel Communications, operating under the Australian Radio Network umbrella.
By 1998, The Radio Network integrated smaller regional stations into the Community Radio Network. This structure preserved locally produced breakfast shows while centralizing other programming from Taupo.
The Community Radio Network was discontinued in 2000, with member stations merging into the Classic Hits FM network. At this point, Radio Marlborough was renamed Classic Hits Radio Marlborough, continuing local breakfast broadcasts but sourcing additional content from Auckland studios.
Starting in 2001, the Blenheim-based 1539AM frequency aired Radio Sport programming targeted at Marlborough listeners. Meanwhile, Picton maintained broadcasts on 1584AM until reverting to 1539AM in 2010; concurrently, Radio Sport transitioned to 98.5FM in Blenheim. Classic Hits ceased transmission on Picton’s AM frequency in March 2012.
On 28 April 2014, all Classic Hits stations were rebranded as The Hits, launching a networked breakfast show hosted by Polly Gillespie and Grant Kareama. Former local breakfast presenters moved to daytime time slots. After Polly and Grant left in 2017, South Island stations reinstated local breakfast programming. Scott Radovanovich hosted shows for both Nelson and Marlborough until 2018. Currently, The Hits Marlborough airs a localized daytime segment presented by Breffni O’Rourke from Nelson.