Today FM (New Zealand)

Today FM
Broadcast area28 markets in New Zealand
Programming
FormatTalk radio
Ownership
OwnerMediaWorks New Zealand
History
First air date
21 March 2022; 2 years ago (2022-03-21)
Last air date
30 March 2023; 18 months ago (2023-03-30)
Links
Webcastwww.todayfm.co.nz/home/player.html
Websitetodayfm.co.nz

Today FM was a nationwide Auckland-based New Zealand talkback, news and sport radio network owned and operated by MediaWorks New Zealand. It was formed by the 2022 rebrand of Magic Talk and competed directly against NZME station Newstalk ZB. It was taken off air on 30 March 2023.[1]

History

[edit]

In November 2021, MediaWorks announced it would replace Magic Talk with a new talk radio network called Today FM.[2][3] Newshub's political editor at the time, Tova O'Brien, was announced as breakfast host,[4] with broadcasters Duncan Garner, Rachel Smalley, Polly Gillespie, Leah Panapa, Mark Richardson, Lloyd Burr, Wilhelmina Shrimpton, Nigel Yalden, Robett Hollis, Mark Dye, Carly Flynn, Nickson Clark, Dave Letele and Dominic Bowden in the lineup.[5][6][7]

The Today FM brand name has been used in other regions, such as 89.3 Today FM, which was founded as a local station in the Wairarapa by Paul Henry in 1991, and Today 92FM (later Today 99.8FM), which was a local station in Auckland in the 1990s.[8]

Today FM was launched on 21 March 2022 and commenced broadcasting on the former Magic Talk frequencies, plus 90.2 FM in Auckland (moving The Rock to 106.2 FM) and 95.3 FM in Christchurch (moving Mai FM to the low-power frequency of 106.8 FM). The first programme to be aired on the station was First Light, presented by Rachel Smalley.

The station was abruptly taken off air on 30 March 2023, just over a year after it launched. During the mid-morning show Duncan Garner Today, O'Brien and other Today FM staff came on air to announce they were being shuttered.[9] Garner and O'Brien went onto criticise station owners Mediaworks, before the show was replaced by music at 9:25 am that morning. At 5:12 pm, a pre-recorded announcement was aired, confirming the closure of Today FM.[10]

Staff were told the annual costs of producing the station were around $7.5 million, but that projected revenue would only "land at about $6-6.5 million".[11]

Specialty shows that aired on Today FM such as the Rural Exchange show and coverage of the Blackcaps cricket matches continued after the closure on the same frequencies. REX (Rural Exchange) ran at their normal times until they were moved to Magic on 17 April.[12] For the cricket, the New Zealand versus Sri Lanka game on 8 April 2023 was the final match covered.[13]

News bulletins

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News and sports bulletins were broadcast live every hour, on the hour, and produced in a shorter, snappier format with headline summaries as the major stories developed. The news was provided by the station's own newsroom with over 20 news and sports journalists, editors and correspondents.[14] Network newsreaders included Carly Flynn (breakfast) and Wilhelmina Shrimpton (drive), with Bridget Hastie, Geoff Bryan, Aroha Hathaway, Angie Skerrett, Brin Rudkin, KM Adams and Mel Homer.

Frequencies

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Today FM broadcast in 26 markets.[15] Most of Today FM's frequencies were reallocated to other MediaWorks radio stations.

Region/Place Frequency Replaced by[16] Consequential changes
Mid-Northland 100.7 The Breeze
Whangārei 90.8 The Breeze
Auckland 90.2 The Rock[17] The Rock 106.2: Channel X
702 AM Humm FM[18]
Waikato 100.2 Magic Magic 104.2: Channel X
Tauranga 100.6 Channel X
Rotorua 95.1 Channel X
Whakatāne 92.1 The Breeze[19]
Reporoa 98.0 Mai FM
Gisborne 94.9 The Breeze
Hawke's Bay 106.3 Channel X
Whanganui 96.0 Mai FM
Manawatū 93.8 The Sound[20] The Sound 94.6: Channel X
Kāpiti/Horowhenua 99.1 Channel X
Wairarapa 98.3 Channel X
Wellington 98.9 Magic[21] Magic 104.5: Channel X
1233 AM The Breeze[19]
Nelson 96.0 Channel X
Picton 92.3 The Rock
Blenheim 95.3 Channel X
Kaikōura 89.1 The Rock
Christchurch 95.3 George FM
738 AM The Breeze[19]
Timaru 105.9 Channel X
Mackenzie Country
(Tekapo and Twizel) 		91.0 The Rock
Oamaru 100.8 Channel X
Queenstown 91.2 Channel X
Alexandra 95.9 Magic
Dunedin 96.6 George FM
Southland 94.0 Channel X

References

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  1. ^ Clark-Dow, James Halpin and Emma (2023-03-30). "'They've f...ed us': Today FM staff go to the pub, station's fate due to be announced at 5pm". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  2. ^ "MediaWorks reveals plan to ditch Magic Talk, launch new talk brand". RNZ. 2021-11-25. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  3. ^ "MediaWork's new talk station Today FM to launch on March 21". Stuff. 2022-02-08. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  4. ^ "Tova O'Brien: The new face of talk radio". Newsroom. 2021-11-02. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  5. ^ "Duncan Garner joins new talk radio brand, 12 weeks after sudden departure from The AM Show". Stuff. 2021-11-04. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  6. ^ "Mark Richardson, Polly Gillespie join MediaWorks' unnamed talk radio station". Stuff. 2021-11-10. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  7. ^ "MediaWorks announces new talent for Today FM - Stoppress". StopPress. 2022-01-11. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  8. ^ "Radio Vault Auckland". Radio Vault. Internet Archive. 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  9. ^ "'People crying and shellshocked': Today FM presenters Duncan Garner, Tova O'Brien say farewell live on air". Stuff. 2023-03-29. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  10. ^ "Today FM abruptly axed, new station to launch on same frequency in April". Newshub. 2023-03-29. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  11. ^ "'I have let you down': Inside the fall of Today FM - why it really went so horribly wrong". NZ Herald. 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  12. ^ "New Zealand Radio | REX". Media Spy. 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  13. ^ "Final Cricket Commentary Sign-off on Former Today FM stations". MediaSpy. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  14. ^ "MediaWorks to bring news reporting back in-house". Stuff. 2021-10-19. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  15. ^ "Today FM Frequencies". Archived from the original on 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  16. ^ "Mediaworks Welcomes a New Music only Radio Station to the Whānau" (PDF). mediaworks.co.nz. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  17. ^ "The Rock Frequencies". therock.net.nz. Archived from the original on 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  18. ^ "Humm FM". hummfm.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  19. ^ a b c "The Breeze Frequencies". thebreeze.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  20. ^ "The Sound Frequencies". thesound.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  21. ^ "Magic Frequencies". magic.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
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