ZM Waikato
| Company type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Radio |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Hamilton , New Zealand |
Area served | Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country, Taupo, parts of Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty including Tauranga and Rotorua |
| Products | Radio broadcasting (pop, rock, hip hop, dance music) |
| Owner | New Zealand Media and Entertainment |
ZM Waikato (also identified as 89.8ZM) is a modern hit radio network based in Hamilton, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment. It transmits on FM and online platforms, catering to listeners aged 15 to 39 with a music selection that includes pop, rock, hip hop, and dance genres.
History
Originally an independent broadcaster named 898FM, the Waikato station eventually became part of an early iteration of The Breeze before its acquisition by The Radio Network led to its integration into the ZM network.
898FM and Kiwi FM
Established in 1984 on the 89.8FM frequency under the call sign 1JJJ, 898FM adopted a contemporary hit radio format. Its transmission from Mount Te Aroha provided New Zealand's most extensive FM coverage area, encompassing Waikato, the Coromandel Peninsula, King Country, Taupo, and sections of the Bay of Plenty including Tauranga and Rotorua.
In 1986, 898FM underwent rebranding to become 89.8 Kiwi FM, later shortened to Kiwi FM. This station was not connected to the subsequent Kiwi FM network that operated between 2005 and 2015.
The Breeze 89.8FM
Throughout the 1990s, the station experienced several changes in ownership. In 1993, Kiwi FM Waikato merged with Auckland’s 91FM and Radio Windy under the collective brand The Breeze. Operating as The Breeze on 89.8, the Waikato outlet featured a Hot Adult Contemporary format with the tagline "Not Too Heavy, Not Too Soft", whereas Wellington’s Breeze adopted an easy listening approach.
89.8ZM
By 1996, Prospect Media Limited held ownership of this station along with others such as Easy Listening i and Radio Hauraki. Later that year, Prospect Media was purchased by The Radio Network.
In early 1997, The Breeze stations in Auckland and Waikato ceased operations. Concurrently, ZM launched in Auckland as 91ZM Auckland on 91.0FM; at the same time, Waikato’s frequency at 89.8FM transitioned to 89.8ZM. Initially, programming was delivered from Auckland with local voice breaks pre-recorded to create the impression of a local broadcast. This network approach was also implemented in Invercargill and Dunedin.
In 1998, breakfast presenters Jaala Dyer and Sandy Antipas relocated from Whangarei to Hamilton to produce a locally focused morning show for Waikato that was also broadcast back to Whangarei; other programming continued to be sourced from Auckland.
By the year 2000, the local breakfast show was discontinued in favor of a single live breakfast program based in Auckland serving both Waikato and Whangarei stations. ZM standardized live voice breaks across most of its network.
While originally transmitting from Mount Te Aroha covering both Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, transmission sites were divided during the early 2000s between Ruru (east of Hamilton) and Kopukairua (Tauranga). This allowed for region-specific advertising and weather updates on the shared frequency of 89.8 MHz.
In 2010, the Bay of Plenty broadcast frequency changed from 89.8 FM to 89.4 FM.