ZM (New Zealand)
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| Broadcast area | 17 markets in New Zealand |
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| Slogan | Todays Hit Music |
| First air date | c.1973 |
| Format | Hit Music |
| Owner | The Radio Network |
| Website | zmonline.com |
ZM, or ZMFM is a radio network. ZM is part of The Radio Network of New Zealand. The network's slogan, "Today's Hit Music", reflects the network's chart-music playlist of pop, rock, hip hop and dance music. The network has stations in 17 markets in New Zealand and is also available online. It reaches around 360,000 listeners weekly and targets the 15-39 demographic.
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[edit] ZM History
ZM was originally formed as a government-owned rock radio station and its disc-jockeys have included controversial broadcaster Paul Holmes. It has its origins as a series of commercial AM radio stations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch (1ZM, 2ZM and 3ZM) and originally broadcast from 6am to midnight and was networked from dusk till dawn from the 1ZM studios with the ZM All Nighter. In 1983, with the approval by the Broadcasting Tribunal to allow two new private radio stations to be the first fully commercial FM stations in Auckland, 1ZM was forced to change its format to be an alternative commercial free station, largely to allow the new private stations (Magic 91 FM and Stereo 89 FM) to compete successfully for the mainstream contemporary hit radio audience. This was successful, as within 2-3 years 1ZM's market share dropped significantly as young listeners were attracted by the higher quality sound of the FM stations, despite the absence of commercials on 1ZM. 1ZM changed format in 1987 to "Classic Hits" to try to recover audience, but was still costing Radio NZ over $1 million per annum to operate as it was the only "commercial station" legally required to run no commercials! Subsequent liberalisation of the broadcasting warrant system (which was ultimately abolished in 1989/1990) saw Radio NZ win a licence to broadcast Classic Hits on FM in Auckland and broadcast commercials, with the 1251kHz AM frequency reverting to Christian broadcaster Radio Rhema. The ZM All Nighter network service ceased in 1989 as all ZM stations increasingly operated more independently.
Wellington's 2ZM was the first ZM network station to broadcast in FM from 1985 as ZMFM 91 (90.9), but did not cease to broadcast on AM until 1986 with the introduction of a second frequency on 93.5 to provide adequate FM coverage of the hilly Wellington region. Its AM frequency (1161 kHz) was reallocated to Maori station Te Upoko o Te Ika. Christchurch's 3ZM followed suit switching to FM in 1986 and ceasing AM broadcasting several months later (also surrendering its AM frequency for Maori broadcasting) on 1323kHz where Radio Liberty ran in the mid 1990's.
The first new ZM station was Whangarei's 93ZM, a totally local station at that point separate to ZM Wellington and Christchurch ZM's. Next came Dunedin's 96ZM and Palmerston North's 91ZM, both which used a computerised automation system to provide a local programme, recorded minutes before in Wellington and Christchurch respectively. This was followed by a similar station for Southland.
In 2000 ZM changed to a single network format, all ZM stations in smaller regions became part of this network based from Auckland the only regions not originally affected were Christchurch and Wellington where these stations remained local except during the evenings and overnight where ZM ran a nationwide night show. This change was not popular with the listeners and many listeners voted with their radio dials choosing to listen to alternative stations and causing a huge drop in ratings for ZM.
In 2001 more changes were made and this time saw Christchurch and Wellington integrated into the network. The Christchurch studio was closed all together with some announcers being moved to Auckland to produce a nationwide show for all of New Zealand. Wellington ZM remained local but the local breakfast show went nationwide broadcast from Wellington, at first some breakfast show content in Wellington varied to the rest of the country but by 2002 the ZM Morning Crew was a single show. The breakfast show on ZM still comes from the Wellington studio today.
In 2003 the amount of local content on ZM in Wellington was reduced to just during the week and after Drive-Time announcer Julian Burn left ZM Wellington he was not replaced but instead Stables show was networked into Wellington.
In 2005 the ZM Christchurch studio was reopened and now ZM is local in Christchurch between 10am and 3pm during the week. Content on ZM in Auckland also varies to the rest of the ZM Network. Today all ZM stations play the same songs in the same sequence even when a local show is being played in Christchurch and Wellington.
The most recent additions to the ZM Network were Nelson (replacing The Planet 97FM), Wanganui and South Canterbury in 2004.
[edit] Slogans
ZM has used the following slogans in the past:
1991 - 1994:
- Rock of the Nineties 91ZM
1994 - 1997:
- Just Great Music of the 80's and 90's
1997 - 2000:
- Just Great Music
2000 - Present:
- Today's Hit Music
[edit] ZM Music
ZM plays mostly pop, rock, dance music in the current Top 40. However since 2003 ZM has gone out of their usual format to break out random songs mainly to cater for the older ZM listeners, this is done in the form of the High School Hit where a favourite from the 1990's is played. Also everyday at midday ZM switches onto Shuffle and random songs from the 1990's as well as newer music is played, also many of these older tracks are played on Friday and Saturday nights. In the past many listeners have had the perception of ZM being a Teeny Bopper station playing only pop music young teenage listeners would enjoy, this mainly from listeners of The Rock, however today ZM regularly plays certain tracks from very popular rock bands such as AC/DC, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Bon Jovi and many more. Rival station The Edge plays similar Top 40 music but has more hip hop on their playlist where ZM has more dance music on their playlist and The Edge does not play the selection of older music that is played on ZM.
[edit] ZM Schedule
- Breakfast (6am - 10am)
- Hosts: Polly & Grant & "New hot Guy"
- Workday (10am - 3pm)
- Hosts: Sarah Gandy (Auckland & Network Regions)
- Simon O'Neill (Wellington)
- Bridget Howard (Christchurch)
- Drive (3pm - 7pm)
- Nights (7pm - 12am)
- The Control 20 Countdown with:
- Stu Tolan
- Jacqui Jensen
- Overnights (12am - 6am)
- Paul Stenhouse
- Jamie Valentine
- Friday Nights (10pm - 2:30am)
- General Lee mix show with DJ General Lee
- Saturday Morning Breakfast (7am - 11am)
- Hosts: Jason Reeves & Andrew Mulligan
- Saturday Afternoons (2pm - 5pm)
- The Stables Rump 30 countdown:
- Stables
- Saturday Nights (6pm - 6am)
- 200 songs commercial free and the General Lee mix show (10pm - 3am).
[edit] ZM Frequencies
| City/Town | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|
| Whangarei | 93.2FM | |
| Auckland | 91.0FM | |
| Waikato | 89.8FM | |
| Bay of Plenty | 89.8FM | |
| Rotorua | 98.3FM | |
| Gisborne | 107.4/107.7FM | |
| Taranaki | 98.8FM | |
| Hawke's Bay | 95.9FM | |
| Wanganui | 96.8FM | |
| Manawatu | 90.6FM | |
| Kapiti Coast | 91.1FM | |
| Wellington | 90.9FM & 93.5FM | |
| Blenheim | 90.5FM | |
| Nelson | 97.0FM | |
| Christchurch | 91.3FM | |
| Timaru | 96.3FM | |
| Dunedin | 95.8FM | |
| Southland | 95.6FM | |
