Radio Otago
Encyclopedia
Radio Otago was a radio
company that operated a group of local radio stations in radio markets around New Zealand
from the 1970s to the late 1990s. Radio Otago was started in 1971 when Dunedin station 4XO
was started, 4XO was originally branded as Radio Otago 4XO.
During the 1980s and 1990s Radio Otago expanded their operations by starting up stations around Otago and the rest of New Zealand, and also by purchasing existing stations.
The company sold its seven North Island
stations in 1997 to Energy Enterprises and funds from the sale were used to purchase C93 FM Limited
allowing Radio Otago to compete in the Christchurch
market. In 1999, Radio Pacific/Energy Enterprises merged with Radio Otago and with the two companies coming together this formed RadioWorks.
92 MORE FM in Napier
was operated as a franchised station, this station became Hawkes Bay's 92FM and later was replaced with network station Solid Gold
, Classic Rock 92FM in Tauranga also was replaced with Solid Gold. Classic Gold 1548 in Rotorua was closed down and the station was used as a second frequency for Lakes 96FM, and today is used for BSport
(later known as LiveSport). The other stations Kis FM, Lakes 96FM, Hot 93 and Star FM were all rebranded as More FM
in 2004/2005 when RadioWorks rebranded the majority of their heritage stations as More FM.
Today Radio Dunedin, Big River Radio and Radio Wanaka are the only stations still operating under their heritage name. Radio Wanaka was sold to a different operator. 4XO, Fifeshire FM, Radio Central, Resort Radio and Foveaux FM were all rebranded as More FM in 2004/05 after RadioWorks rebranded most of their heritage stations as More FM. Fifeshire Classic was closed down by RadioWorks in 1999 and replaced with Solid Gold.
Easy Listening i94FM was a franchised station and after this franchise agreement ended the station was rebranded as Lite FM, prior to this Lite FM had been based from Dunedin and networked to Invercargill. Lite FM in Dunedin and Invercargill were replaced with Solid Gold following the merger of Radio Otago and RadioWorks. Lite FM remained in Christchurch and was rebranded as The Breeze
in 2004 after RadioWorks rebranded all their Easy Listening stations as The Breeze.
93Rox in Dunedin was rebranded as C93FM originally separate from the Christchurch station and networked to Invercargill as C91FM. C93FM was later networked from Christchurch with the Southland station now branded as C93FM despite broadcasting on 90.8FM. Following the merger, C93FM in Dunedin and Invercargill was replaced with network station The Rock
, C93FM continued to broadcast in Christchurch but now with a change of format to Adult Contemporary and The Rock launched in Christchurch on a separate frequency. The change of format for C93 was not popular and the station was shut down in 2001 and replaced with Solid Gold.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
company that operated a group of local radio stations in radio markets around New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from the 1970s to the late 1990s. Radio Otago was started in 1971 when Dunedin station 4XO
4XO
Radio 4XO was a local radio station in Dunedin, New Zealand which began in October 1971 as one of the first privately-owned commercial radio stations in the country. The callsign/station identity 4XO was assigned because 4 meant the area south of Canterbury, the X meant private and O stood for the...
was started, 4XO was originally branded as Radio Otago 4XO.
During the 1980s and 1990s Radio Otago expanded their operations by starting up stations around Otago and the rest of New Zealand, and also by purchasing existing stations.
The company sold its seven North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
stations in 1997 to Energy Enterprises and funds from the sale were used to purchase C93 FM Limited
C93FM
C93FM was a New Zealand radio station based in Christchurch.C93FM broadcast on 92.9 FM and, after it merged with Radio Avon, also broadcast on 1260 AM. C93FM has had several music formats during its time on the air...
allowing Radio Otago to compete in the Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
market. In 1999, Radio Pacific/Energy Enterprises merged with Radio Otago and with the two companies coming together this formed RadioWorks.
North Island stations
These stations were sold to Energy Enterprises in 1997.- Classic Rock 92FMClassic Rock 92FMClassic Rock 92FM was a radio station in Tauranga, New Zealand, on 92.5FM until it was replaced with Solid Gold in 1997....
Tauranga - Kis FM Taupo
- 96FMLakes 96FMLakes 96FM was a radio station in Rotorua. The station was started in 1988 as Lake City 96FM broadcasting on 95.9FM with the call sign 1HOT. In the early nineties the station became known as Rotorua's 96FM and in 1998 Lakes 96FM. Also in 1998 Lakes 96FM began broadcasting on 1548AM after Classic...
Rotorua - Classic Gold 1548 Rotorua
- Hot 93 Hastings
- 92 MORE FMMore FMMORE FM is a New Zealand radio network playing adult contemporary music or Pop music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.MORE FM broadcasts in 22 centres throughout New Zealand with local programming in most markets between 6am and 1pm and networked programming the rest of the day...
Napier - Star FM Wanganui
92 MORE FM in Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
was operated as a franchised station, this station became Hawkes Bay's 92FM and later was replaced with network station Solid Gold
Solid Gold (radio)
Solid Gold FM is a New Zealand radio network owned by MediaWorks New Zealand and dedicated to the music of the 1960s and 1970s. It began broadcasting in late 1997...
, Classic Rock 92FM in Tauranga also was replaced with Solid Gold. Classic Gold 1548 in Rotorua was closed down and the station was used as a second frequency for Lakes 96FM, and today is used for BSport
BSport
LiveSPORT is a nationwide New Zealand sports talk and horse racing commentary radio network owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Nathan Rarere, Ian Smith and Dean Lonergan present the network's breakfast programme, James McConie and Richard Loe present morning talk programmes and New Zealand Racing...
(later known as LiveSport). The other stations Kis FM, Lakes 96FM, Hot 93 and Star FM were all rebranded as More FM
More FM
MORE FM is a New Zealand radio network playing adult contemporary music or Pop music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.MORE FM broadcasts in 22 centres throughout New Zealand with local programming in most markets between 6am and 1pm and networked programming the rest of the day...
in 2004/2005 when RadioWorks rebranded the majority of their heritage stations as More FM.
South Island stations
Prior to the sale of the company in 1999, Radio Otago operated the following stations:- Fifeshire FMFifeshire FMFifeshire FM was a New Zealand radio station owned by RadioWorks. The station broadcast on 93.0FM in Nelson, 92.0FM in Motueka & Takaka and 94.1FM in Murchison....
Nelson - Fireshire Classic Nelson - Replaced with Solid Gold
- Easy Listening i94FM Christchurch - Rebranded as Lite FM in 1998
- C93FMC93FMC93FM was a New Zealand radio station based in Christchurch.C93FM broadcast on 92.9 FM and, after it merged with Radio Avon, also broadcast on 1260 AM. C93FM has had several music formats during its time on the air...
- Lite FMLite FMIn 1999 Radio Otago was sold to The RadioWorks and the Invercargill and Dunedin stations were replaced with network station Solid Gold. Lite FM continued to broadcast in Christchuch and became part of Radioworks collection of local stations known as LocalWorks....
- 4XO4XORadio 4XO was a local radio station in Dunedin, New Zealand which began in October 1971 as one of the first privately-owned commercial radio stations in the country. The callsign/station identity 4XO was assigned because 4 meant the area south of Canterbury, the X meant private and O stood for the...
Dunedin - 93Rox93Rox93 Rox was a local Rock radio station in Dunedin, New Zealand that broadcast on 93.4 FM between 1992 and 1997. The station was started by Radio Otago and broadcast from Radio Otago House in Dunedin where local Dunedin station 4XO was based....
Dunedin - Rebranded as C93FM - Mosgiel FMMosgiel FMMosgiel FM started in 1994 as a local radio station for the Mosgiel and Taieri Plains area, just south of Dunedin, New Zealand. Breakfast shows were broadcast from studios behind the post office in Gordon Road, in central Mosgiel. Outside broadcasting hours Dunedin's 4XO was relayed...
(Closed down in 1997) - Radio DunedinRadio DunedinRadio Dunedin is a radio station, broadcasting from Dunedin on 1305 AM and 99.8 FM. It is rated number 1 for 'Share of Commercial Radio Listening in Dunedin' in the Radio Audience Measurement Survey....
- Radio Central Central Otago
- Radio Wanaka
- Resort RadioResort RadioResort Radio was a radio station in Queenstown on 99.2FM, 100.0FM and 1359AM. Originally this station was owned by Radio Otago until Radio Otago was sold to RadioWorks in 1999. During the nineties programming during the evenings and nights was a simulcast of Foveaux FM in Southland with Southland...
Queenstown - Big River RadioBig River RadioBig River Radio is a radio station in Balclutha, New Zealand broadcasting a local breakfast show. The 92.9 FM frequency covers central Balclutha, while the 93.7 FM frequency can be heard throughout the South Otago and Northern Southland area .The station was first started in 1992 as way of...
Balclutha - Foveaux FMFoveaux FMFoveaux FM was a local radio station in Invercargill New Zealand that began operating in around 1981. The station was started by a group of investors as 4XF Foveaux Radio, the station began broadcasting on 1224 AM...
Southland
Today Radio Dunedin, Big River Radio and Radio Wanaka are the only stations still operating under their heritage name. Radio Wanaka was sold to a different operator. 4XO, Fifeshire FM, Radio Central, Resort Radio and Foveaux FM were all rebranded as More FM in 2004/05 after RadioWorks rebranded most of their heritage stations as More FM. Fifeshire Classic was closed down by RadioWorks in 1999 and replaced with Solid Gold.
Easy Listening i94FM was a franchised station and after this franchise agreement ended the station was rebranded as Lite FM, prior to this Lite FM had been based from Dunedin and networked to Invercargill. Lite FM in Dunedin and Invercargill were replaced with Solid Gold following the merger of Radio Otago and RadioWorks. Lite FM remained in Christchurch and was rebranded as The Breeze
The Breeze (New Zealand)
The Breeze is a group of New Zealand easy-listening radio stations owned by RadioWorks, a MediaWorks New Zealand company. The Breeze plays easy-listening music from the 1970s to the present day, aimed at a 35–54 year old female audience...
in 2004 after RadioWorks rebranded all their Easy Listening stations as The Breeze.
93Rox in Dunedin was rebranded as C93FM originally separate from the Christchurch station and networked to Invercargill as C91FM. C93FM was later networked from Christchurch with the Southland station now branded as C93FM despite broadcasting on 90.8FM. Following the merger, C93FM in Dunedin and Invercargill was replaced with network station The Rock
The Rock (New Zealand)
The Rock is a New Zealand rock music radio station. It currently holds the #1 ratings spot out of the music stations nationwide. The station is known to broadcast material of a controversial nature, and The Rock has in the past had some issues with the Broadcasting Standards Authority with a number...
, C93FM continued to broadcast in Christchurch but now with a change of format to Adult Contemporary and The Rock launched in Christchurch on a separate frequency. The change of format for C93 was not popular and the station was shut down in 2001 and replaced with Solid Gold.