Classic Hits FM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Broadcast area | 26 markets in New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Slogan | "80's, 90's and Whatever" |
| Frequency | See Below |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| Owner | The Radio Network |
| Website | classichits.co.nz |
Classic Hits is an Adult Contemporary music radio network broadcasting in 26 markets throughout New Zealand, targeting 25 - 55 year olds. It's a family focussed radio network with some of New Zealand's most experienced broadcasters on air and behind the scenes. It currently has around 381,000 listeners nationwide, and is the number 1 rating music network in New Zealand.
[edit] Classic Hits Nationwide Network
Each Classic Hits station in the network broadcasts a live local breakfast show from the centre in which it is based and for the rest of the day picks up the network feed from Auckland with the ability to do local breakouts when necessary. The network announcers broadcast the Auckland and Network shows simultaneously.
The station line up is:
| The Classic Breakfast | Monday - Friday 6am - 10am | Local Breakfast Show with Nationwide News every 30 minutes followed by Local News, Weather and Cancellations read out by a local presenter. |
| Daytime | Monday - Friday 10am - 2pm | Murray Lindsay |
| Big Drive Home | Monday - Friday 2pm - 7pm | Mark Bunting |
| Nightclub | Sunday - Thursday 7pm - 12am | Dave Smart |
| Friday Night Fever | Friday 7pm - 12am | Friday Night party show featuring tracks from the 70's and 80's. |
| Jukebox Saturday Night | Saturday 6pm - 12am | Saturday Night commercial free party show |
| That's The Story | Sunday 7am - 8am | Childrens Storybook Show |
[edit] Classic Hits Radio Northland
Classic Hits Radio Northland is covered over the Northland Region using four frequencies, 96.0FM in Whangarei, 96.8FM in the Bay of Islands, 97.2 in the Mid North and 97.6 in the Far North.
Breakfast Show consists of Craig Robertson and Jax van Buuren.
[edit] Classic Hits 97.4FM Auckland
Classic Hits 97.4 is the flagship of the brand the network announcers are based here and produce a separate local show for Aucklanders simultaneously with the nationwide show.
Classic Breakfast show is produced exclusively for Auckland by Andrew Dickens, Jacque Tucker and Justin Brown.
[edit] Classic Hits 98.6 ZHFM Waikato
Originally Waikato's 1ZH this station became part of Classic Hits during the 1990's when Classic Hits was formed.
Breakfast show is hosted by Heemi Hill and joined by Heemi is Ric D, Nigel Yalden and Annette Hilton
[edit] Classic Hits Radio Forestland 96.4FM Tokoroa
Part of the Classic Hits Community Radio Network, breakfast show is hosted by Johnny Dryden.
[edit] Classic Hits King Country Radio 1512AM Taumarunui
Also part of the Community Radio Network breakfast is hosted by Laura Drummond
[edit] Classic Hits 95BOP FM Bay of Plenty
Breakfast with BK and the Breakfast Team (Brian Kelly), Kaz Henderson and Andrew Love
[edit] Classic Hits 97.5 FM Rotorua
Breakfast hosted by Darryl Mallett
[edit] Classic Hits Lakeland 96.7 FM Taupo
Breakfast hosted by Mike Roke
[edit] Classic Hits 90.9 ZGFM Gisbourne
Originally known as Gisbournes 2ZG prior to being branded as Classic Hits. Breakfast hosted by Luke Valentine.
[edit] Classic Hits 90FM Taranaki
Breakfast with Barney (Brent Procter), Charlotte Butler and Heelan Tompkins.
[edit] Classic Hits 89.5FM Bay City Radio Hawkes Bay
Features The Martin Good Morning show with Martin Good, Mark Bramley and Ross Holden.
[edit] Classic Hits 97.8 ZAFM Manawatu
Originally known as 2ZA, breakfast is hosted by Lisa Beatson
[edit] Classic Hits River City 89.6FM Wanganui
Breakfast hosted by Greg Lincoln
[edit] Classic Hits 92.7 Kapiti FM
Breakfast host by Phil Costello
[edit] Classic Hits 90FM Wellington
Wellington's Classic Hits features The Classic Breakfast with Roy Andrews, Will Johnston and Cohen.
[edit] Classic Hits 89.8 and 90.4FM Nelson
Features the Classic Breakfast with Kent (Kent Robertson) and Bundy (Craig Hanford).
[edit] Classic Hits Radio Marlborough 96.9FM
Breakfast show hosted by Glenn Kirby
[edit] Classic Hits Scenicland FM Greymouth
[edit] Classic Hits 97.7 FM Christchurch
Prior to being rebranded with the Classic Hits name this station was known as B98FM playing an oldies music format. When the station took on the Classic Hits name it continued to play the same oldies music format using its own separate slogan Good Time Oldies Classic Hits B98 until the late 90's. This was the only Classic Hits station to not have it's local programming reduced to 4 hours in 1998 and remained live and local 24 hours a day until 2002 and operating separate to the rest of the Classic Hits network. In 2003 the station began reducing local content to just during the day and as announcers have left even further now to a point where the breakfast show is the only local part as with other Classic Hits stations.
Todays current breakfast show is hosted by Dave Fitzgerald and Patrina Roche.
[edit] Classic Hits 92.5 ZEFM Ashburton
Originally 3ZE this station belongs to part of the Classic Hits Community Radio Network. Breakfast hosted by Josh van Berkel.
[edit] Classic Hits 99FM Timaru
Originally known as Radio Caroline this station joined the Classic Hits network later in 1996. Breakfast hosted by Stace Heasley
[edit] Classic Hits 98.4 Waitaki FM Oamaru
Breakfast with Sarah van der Kley and Mike Plant
[edit] Classic Hits Southern Lakes Central Otago
The newest member of the Classic Hits Network this station only started in 2005. The station covers Queenstown on 90.4FM, Wanaka on 96.2FM and Alexandra on 99.9FM. Breakfast hosted by Ferg and Grant.
[edit] Classic Hits 89.4 FM Dunedin
Originally known as 4ZB and then ZB-FM when the station switched to FM in 1990. Breakfast is hosted by Trev Hill and Crystal Sadgrove.
[edit] Classic Hits 98.8 ZAFM Southland
Originally Southland's 4ZA, John (Boggy) McDowall has hosted a local breakfast show on this station since the 1980's and has been with the station since 1979. The breakfast show still features Bertie Budgie reading out birthday calls every day and Boggy is joined by Tracy Kilkelly, Malcolm Gayfer and Lee Piper.
[edit] History
During the 1990's, Radio New Zealand split many of their traditional local stations which broadcast on AM and FM into two. The FM frequency was rebranded as Classic Hits FM, while the AM become Newstalk ZB. This saw the Classic Hits FM brand rolled out across New Zealand.
Many of the local stations adapted their traditional heritage name into the Classic Hits name, such as Bay City Radio in Napier, which become Classic Hits Bay City Radio. The station still incorporates the original name in its branding - now "Classic Hits 89.5 Bay City Radio". Classic Hits also took over many of the Community Radio Network (CRN) frequencies from smaller markets during the late 90s too, this was done in an effort to streamline the company's brands from a programming perspective. Doing this gave Classic Hits more frequencies and in turn, more broadcast area than any other station in New Zealand. Originally Classic Hits was live and local in every region throughout the day but during the evenings, overnight and on Sundays a network Night Show from Auckland was played instead. In 1998 Classic Hits was reduced to just 4 hours of local programming during the Breakfast show in all regions except Christchurch. Christchurch remained local but as announcers left their shows were replaced with the network product.
In July 1996, the New Zealand Government sold off the commercial arm of Radio New Zealand which included among others, the Classic Hits brand. The Radio Network (TRN) is the current owner and they've just celebrated their 10th birthday.
[edit] Slogans
Classic Hits has used the following slogans over the years.
1993 - 1998: A Better Music Mix <followed by the local frequency>
1998 - 2005: Hits of the 70's, 80's, 90's and Today
2005 - present: 80's, 90's and Whatever!
[edit] Frequency
| City/Town | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | 96.0FM 97.2FM 97.6FM | |
| Auckland | 97.4FM | |
| Waikato | 98.6FM | |
| Tauranga | 95.0FM | |
| Rotorua | 97.5FM 90.9FM | |
| Taupo | 96.7FM | |
| Tokoroa | 96.4FM | |
| Taumarunui | 1512AM & 99.9FM | |
| Gisborne | 90.9FM | |
| Taranaki | 90.0FM 90.7FM 99.6FM | |
| Hawkes Bay | 89.5FM | |
| Wanganui | 89.6FM | |
| Manawatu | 97.8FM | |
| Kapiti Coast | 92.7FM | |
| Wairarapa | 90.1FM | |
| Wellington | 90.0FM | |
| Nelson | 89.8FM & 1269AM | |
| Marlborough | 96.9FM 1584AM | |
| Greymouth | 91.1FM 93.1FM 97.3FM 90.9FM 90.5FM | |
| Christchurch | 97.7FM | |
| Ashburton | 92.5FM | |
| Timaru | 94.7FM 98.7FM | |
| Twizel | 1485AM | |
| Oamaru | 98.4FM | |
| Central Otago | 90.4FM 99.9FM 96.2FM | |
| Dunedin | 89.4FM | |
| Southland | 98.8FM 90.4FM | |
