Rotorua gets two new radio stations

by Alison Brown alison.brown@dailypost.co.nz
Rotorua's radio listeners will see changes up and down the dial with two new stations set to enter the local market.

From July, Coast, a radio station belonging to The Radio Network, will broadcast on 96.7FM, a frequency currently used by rival station The Breeze.

The takeover follows the successful bid by The Radio Network for two Rotorua commercial frequencies when they came up for auction in May.

The other frequency, 89.6FM, will be used by Flava, a radio station popular with under-35s, replacing Gospel FM.

Flava's breakfast show features Stacey Morrison who will broadcast the show from Rotorua for several weeks after its local launch, the date for which won't be known for another two weeks.

The two extra frequencies will see The Radio Network expand its stable of stations in Rotorua from six to eight. General manager Aaron Gillions declined to reveal exactly how much the Radio Network spent on buying the two frequencies, which his company will hold for 27 years.

"It's a substantial investment," he said.

"It's always been our intention to bring TRN's eight brands to Rotorua and the latest auction has allowed us to do that."

Coast features artists like Neil Diamond, Dionne Warwick and Frank Sinatra and is targeted at the babyboomer generation, while Flava plays mostly hip hop and rhythm and blues music and is popular with the under-35 age group.

Mr Gillions said he expected both stations to be hits.

Meanwhile, rival network The Radioworks is in the process of sorting out another frequency for The Breeze.

Operations manager Paul Hickey said The Breeze had only secured a short-term license for the 96.7FM frequency. Some "re-shuffling" of frequencies was likely but details were still to be finalised.

"We're still working through that process," Mr Hickey said. "We've had a wonderful reaction from people pleased to hear Mike Baird back on air and the Breeze is definitely here to stay."

The Radioworks launched The Breeze in May, with Mike Baird hosting the local breakfast show.

Rotorua has 15 commercial radio frequencies but only two came up for auction in May.