ZM Whangarei
| Company type | Radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Whangārei , New Zealand |
Area served | Whangārei, New Zealand |
| Owner | New Zealand Media and Entertainment |
94.8ZM Whangarei (initially known as 93ZM) is a contemporary hit radio station broadcasting in Whangārei, New Zealand. It forms part of the ZM network, which is owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment.
History
The ZM brand commenced operations in Whangārei in 1995, originally transmitting on 93.1 MHz under the name 93ZM, and was managed by Radio New Zealand. During this period, local ZM stations also operated in Wellington and Christchurch, whereas Auckland's 1ZM had been rebranded to Classic Hits FM back in 1987.
In July 1996, the New Zealand Government divested Radio New Zealand's commercial division—including the ZM stations—to The Radio Network, a company jointly owned by APN News & Media and Clear Channel Communications. This transaction facilitated the growth of the ZM network.
By 1997, The Radio Network had launched a new local outlet in Auckland (91ZM), re-establishing its presence there. That same year, 93ZM transitioned into a networked station with content originating from Auckland studios; however, locally recorded voice breaks were still provided for Whangārei listeners. The breakfast program remained locally produced until 1998, after which it was moved to Hamilton to create a show for 89.8ZM Waikato, which was subsequently broadcast back to Whangārei.
In 2000, ZM unified its programming into a single nationwide feed, discontinuing both the Waikato breakfast show and localized voice breaks; presenters identified the station simply as ZM.
Several frequency changes occurred thereafter: in 2005, the station shifted from 93.1 to 93.2 MHz; the following year, it exchanged frequencies with Radio Hauraki and adopted 95.1 MHz as 95.1ZM. Due to government-mandated frequency adjustments in 2010, ZM Whangārei settled on its current frequency of 94.8 MHz.
Past Local Programming
- Breakfast 6 am–10 am
- 1995–1998: Jaala Dyer, Sandy Antipas, Dave Smart
- 1998–1999: Programmed from Hamilton
- From 2000: Networked from Auckland/Wellington
- Daytime 10 am–3 pm
- 1995–1997: Mike Chapman, Jason Winstanley, Andrew Szusterman
- From 1997: Networked from Auckland
- Drive 3 pm–7 pm
- 1995–1997: Trudi McRae, Dave Smart
- From 1997: Networked from Auckland
- Nights 7 pm–Midnight
- 1995–1997: Dallas Gurney
- From 1997: Networked from Auckland