Port FM

Port FM
Broadcast area South Canterbury, New Zealand
Format Adult hits
Class Terrestrial/Internet
Webcast Webcast
Website Official website

Port FM is a local radio station based in Timaru, New Zealand broadcasting throughout South Canterbury and the MacKenzie Country. It also operates as a network with sister-stations in Ashburton and Oamaru known as 'Port FM Local'. Port FM's music genre is contemporary rock and pop, normally from the 1990s onwards, however with some 1970s and 1980s music thrown into the mix. The main (Timaru based) station is used as a network feed for Port FM Local in Ashburton and Oamaru during breakfast, nights and weekends.[1]

Port FM has been privately owned by businessman and radio entrepreneur Brent Birchfield since 1995. The network now operates in Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru, and has previously operated on the West Coast in Greymouth. Port FM is now one of a few independent radio stations not controlled by New Zealand Media and Entertainment or MediaWorks New Zealand. It does however have close ties with MediaWorks: it sources its news bulletins from Radio Live and provides advertising sales and services to other MediaWorks stations in the region (The Edge, The Rock and The Sound), which are operated locally by Port FM under a franchise arrangement with MediaWorks.[1]

The flagship Port FM network is based in Timaru and can be heard throughout South Canterbury and the MacKenzie Country. Since 2006, two other stations owned by Port FM in Ashburton and Oamaru have been renamed Port FM Local. They were originally known as Fox FM (Ashburton) and Whitestone 100FM (Oamaru), broadcasting locally during the day and at nights relaying the Port FM feed programme from Timaru. Port FM is also available on channel 424 on Vodafone New Zealand.[1]

Programmes

The current breakfast programme is The Region's Big Breakfast With OJ and Sam. This is followed by a network daytime show, and a network drive show with James Valentine. The night line-up includes the two-hour Keepin' It Kiwi music show and a two-hour rock music segment. Saturday programming includes a sports breakfast show, the syndicated United States show Retro Pop Reunion with Joe Cortez, and an automated Automated Party Mix. The Sunday line-up includes a daytime show with James Valentine, and the station is automated at most other times.[2]

On Sunday mornings Port FM broadcasts The Great Big Kids Show with Suzy Cato.[3] On Sunday afternoons it broadcasts the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, an internationally syndicated US radio program created and hosted by American radio personality Rick Dees. The countdown show is designed for Hot AC stations and is distributed by Radio Express. The countdown used to reach most parts of the country through More FM and independent radio networks.[4]

Stations

This maps shows the distribution of Port FM frequencies.

Port FM Timaru

Port FM Timaru broadcasts in South Canterbury on 97.9 FM, in Timaru on 93.1 FM, in Waimate on 93.1 FM, in Fairlie on 95.0 FM and in Twizel on 93.4 FM. It is also available in Omarama on 91.2 FM, and in Otematata on 92.7 FM.

Port FM Ashburton

Port FM Ashburton broadcasts in Ashburton on 94.9 FM, 98.9 FM and 106.1 FM. It began as Fox FM in 1995, and claims to broadcast from "the hills to the sea", from "Bridge to Bridge and Beyond" and from Rakaia to Rangitata and beyond.[5] In mid-2006 it was rebranded as 'Mid Canterbury's Port FM Local'. Some local broadcasts from Ashburton remain. In mid-2010, the station regained its local breakfast show, which was first hosted by Dave Nicholas then by Bex Carr. The local show was dropped at the end of 2013 but host Bex Carr continues on the station with a local Mid Canterbury 10 - 2 pm show.[6]

Port FM Oamaru

Whitestone 100 FM was Port FM's local radio station in Oamaru broadcasting on 100FM and 96FM. It began broadcasting in 1994. In 2002 the station ended with 100FM relaunched as Waitaki's Solid Gold 100 FM, broadcasting a local breakfast and the Solid Gold network during the day, while 96FM broadcast The Edge network. 100FM has since been relaunched as 'Waitaki's Port FM Local' carrying local and Port FM Timaru programming. In Mid 2010 the local 10am-2pm show was removed to make way for a local North Otago breakfast show to return for the first time in almost 10 years. The local show in Oamaru and the Waitaki valley was hosted by Marc Cookson and later Anton Roswell. It was changed again in 2012 to make way for a Timaru regional show.

MediaWorks affiliates

Port FM operates affiliate stations for the three radio networks owned by MediaWorks New Zealand.

The Edge, a youth-oriented hit music station, broadcasting in Ashburton on 93.3 FM, Timaru on 95.5 FM, Twizel on 99.8 FM, and Oamaru on 96.0 FM.

The Sound, broadcasting in Westport on 95.7 FM, Greymouth on 94.7 FM, Hokitika on 91.9 FM, Ashburton on 95.7 FM, Timaru on 97.1 FM, Oamaru on 99.2 FM, and Twizel on 100.6 FM.

The Rock, broadcasting in Ashburton on 97.3 FM, Timaru on 91.5 FM, Oamaru on 104.8 FM, and Twizel on 104.6 FM.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ashburton East Business". 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Port FM". 1 June 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Tune In". tgbks.enter.co.nz. Treehut Limited. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Durkee, Rob. American Top 40: The Countdown of the Century. ISBN 0-02-864895-1. New York City: Schirmer Books, 1999. Accessed 10 December 2007.
  5. ↑ "Ashburton East Business". 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "Reporter Guest DJ at Port FM Ashburton". 1 June 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2014.

External links

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