Mixing
The Breeze (New Zealand radio station)
 | |
| Broadcast area | 20 Markets in New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Branding | The Breeze |
| Slogan | More Music, Less Talk |
| First air date | 1993 |
| Format | Music (Adult Contemporary) |
| Class | Terrestrial/Internet |
| Owner | MediaWorks New Zealand |
| Webcast | Auckland Christchurch Waikato Wellington |
| Website | www.thebreeze.co.nz |
The Breeze is a New Zealand radio network playing an adult contemporary format owned by MediaWorks New Zealand, playing music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and also current hits. Its target audience is 40 to 59 year olds.[1] The Breeze network broadcasts to 20 markets throughout New Zealand, with each station presenting a mixture of local and network shows.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Early years
1.2 Change of ownership
1.3 Expansion to other markets
1.4 Networking
1.5 Criticism
1.6 Format change
2 Stations
2.1 Network
2.2 Auckland
2.3 Waikato
2.4 Coromandel Peninsula
2.5 Tauranga
2.6 Rotorua
2.7 Hawke's Bay
2.8 Taranaki
2.9 Manawatu
2.10 Wairarapa
2.11 Kapiti Coast
2.12 Wellington
2.13 Nelson
2.14 Marlborough
2.15 Christchurch
2.16 South Canterbury
2.17 Dunedin
2.18 Queenstown
2.19 Central Otago
2.20 Southland
3 References
4 External links
History
Early years
The Breeze first started in Auckland, Waikato and Wellington in 1993, when owner Independent Broadcasting Company rebranded local stations 91FM (Auckland), Kiwi 898FM (Waikato) and Windy FM (Wellington) to The Breeze. The Auckland and Waikato stations previously played a Hit Music format and were changed to a Hot AC format using the slogan "Not Too Heavy, Not Too Soft". Wellington was different; Windy FM had been playing Classic Rock prior to rebranding, and changed to the Easy Listening format that would be used on future The Breeze stations.
All three The Breeze stations operated separately from each other, with local shows in each market.
Change of ownership
In 1995 The Breeze in Wellington was sold to the MORE FM Group, and in 1996 the parent company of The Breeze in Auckland and Waikato was sold to Prospect Limited.
At the end of 1996, Prospect Limited was sold to The Radio Network, and in 1997 The Radio Network closed down The Breeze in Auckland and Waikato. It then used these frequencies to start 91ZM in Auckland, and 89.8ZM in Waikato.
The Breeze continued to broadcast in Wellington, and by 2000 the station was owned by CanWest, along with MORE FM and Channel Z, CanWest then purchased RadioWorks, and in 2001 The Breeze became part of RadioWorks collection of local once off station known as LocalWorks. RadioWorks later became known as MediaWorks Radio.
Expansion to other markets
The Breeze made a return to Waikato in 2003 when local station Y 99.3 was rebranded as The Breeze, retaining Y99.3 local announcers but changing music format from adult contemporary to easy listening.
In 2004 MediaWorks decided to nationalize their local stations in each market: In regions where MediaWorks operated one local radio station, it was rebranded as MORE FM. If a second local station was operating in the region, that station became The Breeze.
Networking
Originally all The Breeze stations were local, with the exception of Dunedin, which was local during the daytime but took the Christchurch breakfast and night shows. In 2006 The Breeze was started in the Auckland market as a completely new station; Establishing a presence in Auckland allowed MediaWorks to later network The Breeze to other markets.
In April 2007 Dunedin and Palmerston North were the first two regions to replace local programming with network programming, reducing to a local breakfast show only. Queenstown also took a network night show and Waikato took a network daytime show. Creating a network allowed The Breeze to launch in other markets such as Hawke's Bay, Bay of Plenty and Southland.
In March 2009, a live networked breakfast show was introduced, presented from a second studio in Auckland. The networked breakfast could be heard in regions that previously had a local voice tracked breakfast show - regions with a live breakfast show were not affected. In 2010 the networked breakfast was replaced with the Auckland breakfast show, presented by The Two Robbies (Robbie Rakete and Robert Scott).
In 2015 The Breeze increased local programming with a local drive show introduced in the Waikato. The More FM local breakfast announcers in Dunedin and Hawke's Bay were moved to the local The Breeze stations in their respective markets.
In 2017, The Breeze Auckland moved away from a network product to become a fully local radio offering. All show day parts, including weekends and overnights, were now local to Auckland only - the only metro major radio brand offering this.
In 2018 The Breeze launched in Timaru, Oamaru, Ashburton, and the Mackenzie Country, increasing its local footprint with a local breakfast show broadcast to the regions.
Criticism
The Breeze has been severely criticized for not only its networking, but also with regard to the overall quality of its programming. New Zealand author, and former radio announcer/producer Glen Clifford has described the station's announcers as 'childish' and 'kids'. He also said that the station's music programming is 'prejudiced', playing songs such as Queen's 'Radio Gaga' at a much higher rotation than other stations that have adopted the same music format http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1808/S00096/radio-networking-killed-radio-not-music-tv-or-streaming.htm
Format change
Traditionally known as an easy listening radio station, The Breeze dropped this title in 2011, in line with many other stations globally. The Breeze in 2017 dropped 60's from its playlist. Positioned as "Your place to relax", with More Music, Less Talk.
Stations
Network
| City/Town | Frequencies | |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 93.4 MHz | |
| Waikato | 99.4 MHz | |
| Tauranga | 95.8 MHz | |
| Mercury Bay | 96.6 MHz | |
| Rotorua | 91.9 MHz | |
| Taupo | 100.8 MHz | |
| Gisborne | 106.7 MHz | |
| Hawke's Bay | 97.5 MHz | |
| Taranaki | 92.4 MHz | |
| Wanganui | 97.6 MHz | |
| Manawatu | 98.6 MHz | |
| Wairarapa | 99.9 MHz | |
| Kapiti Coast | 100.7 MHz | |
| Wellington | 94.1 MHz & 98.5 MHz | |
| Nelson | 97.6 MHz | |
| Marlborough | 89.7 MHz (Blenheim) 98.7 MHz (Picton) 97.1 MHz (Kaikoura) | |
| Christchurch | 94.5 MHz 95.9 MHz (Akaroa) | |
| South Canterbury | 89.9 MHz (Timaru) 106.1 MHz (Ashburton) 97.6 MHz (Oamaru) | |
| Dunedin | 98.2 MHz 100.1 MHz (Balclutha) | |
| Queenstown | 99.2 MHz (Queenstown) 96.8 MHz (Wanaka) | |
| Central Otago | 96.7 MHz | |
| Southland | 91.6 MHz | |
Networked programming on The Breeze originates from the Auckland and Wellington studios. The first network breakfast was show was The Two Robbies Breakfast Show as the show was originally presented by Robbie Rakete and Robert Scott. In 2015 Robert Scott moved to the Drive show and was initially replaced by Anna Thomas, before Jeanette Thomas joined the show in 2016.
In April 2016 the Wellington breakfast show presented by Steve Joll and Kath Bier became the network breakfast show presented from the Wellington studios until the end of 2018.
Starting from 2019 Kris Edwards now hosts the network show from the Auckland studios for markets that do not have local breakfast shows.
The workday show has been presented by Alison Leonard since 2011, previously this show was presented by Kerry Smith until she died in April 2011.
Robert Scott presents the Drive show and has done so since April 2015. Previously the show was presented by Mark Leishman, before he moved to newly created MediaWorks station Magic.
All regions take the networked night show which is presented by Tania Burgess.
Auckland
Launched on 12 June 2006 on the former Solid Gold FM frequency with Solid Gold moving to 93.8 MHz. The Auckland station was to replace the struggling Kiwi FM, Canwest's 100% NZ Music Station. However, the New Zealand Government has stepped in to give Kiwi FM another chance. With Kiwi FM given another frequency The Breeze launch was unaffected. The Auckland studio is where most network shows are produced some announcers produce a local show for Auckland, with voice breaks tailored to the Auckland audience, and separate voice breaks for those regions joined to The Breeze network. In 2016 a local Auckland only breakfast show was reinstated presented by Robert Rakete and Jeanette Thomas. The major change in 2017, The Breeze Auckland is local 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The only major metro radio brand in New Zealand to offer a full local offering.
Auckland Local Programming:
Breakfast presented by Robert Rakete and Jeanette Thomas followed by Alison Leonard between 10am–3pm, Robert Scott 3pm–7pm and Tania Burgess 7pm–12am.
Waikato
This station was originally Waikato's Y99.3 playing an Adult Contemporary Music Format. The station was changed to an Easy Listening format and relaunched as The Breeze in April 2003, this was the very first station to be rebranded as The Breeze. Originally all shows on this station were live and local, in April 2007 the local daytime show was replaced with a networked show and in August 2009 all other weekday shows except breakfast were replaced with networked shows. Weekend programming initially remained unaffected with the Waikato station continuing to run local shows from 6am to midnight on Saturday's and Sunday. In April 2014, an announcement was made that MediaWorks had hired Mark Bunting to work on the breakfast show, at the time Bunting was doing the breakfast show on Classic Hits Waikato.[2] Bunting did not start on the breakfast show until 2015 however. At the same time The Breeze Waikato reintroduced a local drive show with previous breakfast announcer Ronny Phillips filling this position until the end of 2015 with the drive show now being networked from Auckland.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by Stu Smith and Camille Guzzwell.
Coromandel Peninsula
The Breeze broadcasts in Thames on 90.8 MHz, Mercury Bay on 96.7 MHz, Pauanui/Tairua on 90.3 MHz and Whangamata on 99.5 MHz.
Tauranga
The Breeze launched in Tauranga around September 2007 on 96.1 MHz, a frequency previously used by Radio Pacific, (now 873 kHz), then by Radio Live, (now 1107 kHz). More recently it moved to 95.8 MHZ.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by Mark Eagle and Jolene James.
Rotorua
The Breeze launched in Rotorua in 2008 broadcasting temporarily on 96.7. Previously 96.7 had been used to broadcast Mai FM into Rotorua, RadioWorks purchased Mai FM in March 2008 and replaced Mai FM with The Breeze. However, when The Radio Network purchased the 96.7 MHz frequency in July, it switched frequency to 91.9 MHz, formerly used by Radio Live.
Hawke's Bay
Commenced broadcasting 6 August 2007, on 97.5 MHz, the frequency previously used by Radio Pacific (now 549 kHz), then by Radio Live (now 106.3FM). The station originally generated its own pre-recorded local morning show, this was replaced with the networked breakfast in 2009. In 2015 a live and local breakfast was introduced when More FM Hawkes Bay announcers Kevin Wagg and Megan Banks moved to The Breeze. In April 2017, Martin Good moved from The Hits to The Breeze taking the breakfast show instantly to one of the top performing shows in the market. In September 2018, Good's former co-host from The Hits, Sarah, also moved to The Breeze Breakfast. Coincidentally, former breeze breakfast co-host, Megan Banks, made the move to NZME (after a nearly 18 month break from breakfast radio) to replace Sarah on the hits Hawkes Bay breakfast show.
Local Programming: Weekday Breakfast presented by Martin Good and Sarah Van der Kley.
Taranaki
The Breeze originally launched in Taranaki in February 2008 broadcasting on 100.4 MHz, a frequency not previously used by any other station, however after less than six months on the air this frequency was taken over by student station The Most FM. The Breeze was relaunched on 92.3 MHz, a frequency that ironically was previously occupied by The Most FM. Before switching to a live networked breakfast in March 2009.
Manawatu
This station was originally Manawatu's Magic 98.6FM. It was relaunched as The Breeze in 2004 when RadioWorks rebranded all their Easy Listening stations as The Breeze.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by Chris Burn (Burnzee).
Wairarapa
The Breeze began transmission across the Wairarapa from the Popoiti transmitter southeast of Greytown and northeast of Martinborough in March 2010. It originally broadcast on 99.8 MHz, a frequency which had been previously been used by More FM Wairarapa's Martinborough infill (which moved to 105.5 MHz). In October 2010, the frequency was altered slightly to 99.9 MHz as part of the nationwide realignment of FM frequencies.
Kapiti Coast
The Breeze began transmission across the Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua regions in late 2004. This occurred when RadioWorks replaced all of their local stations with the More FM brand. Subsequently, local station 90.2 2XX FM was rebranded as More FM, however as there was already a local More FM station in existence on 99.6 MHz, that frequency became The Breeze 99.6.
Wellington
Wellington is the home of the very first The Breeze radio station under the Easy Listening format. The history of this station dates back to the 1970s as Radio Windy and later Windy FM when the station switched to FM. Radio Windy changed formats several times from Easy Listening to Adult Contemporary to Classic Rock before changing back to Easy Listening when the station became The Breeze in 1993. The format of The Breeze in Wellington was then rolled out to other stations in 2003 and 2004, however The Breeze in Wellington was not networked to any other station at that time.
Prior to 2009 the Wellington took no network programming. Until 2015 the station ran a local lineup from 6am–7pm however the drive show is now networked from Auckland with Stu Smith moving to Hamilton to host The Breeze Waikato breakfast show. The local Wellington breakfast show with Steve Joll & Kath Bier became the network breakfast show into selected regions from April 2016 until December 2018. From 2019 the show reverted back to being a local show for Wellington.
Local Programming: Steve Joll and Kath Bier present a local breakfast show. Sue White presents the local workday show from 10am–3pm (From the Christchurch Studios). Weekend programming between 6am–6pm is local.
Nelson
The Breeze launched in Nelson in March 2008 broadcasting on 97.8 MHz. Previously this frequency was used to broadcast Radio Pacific and more recently BSport, however these stations actually broadcast on 97.6 MHz, and now broadcast on 990 kHz. The Breeze is now on its old Radio Pacific frequency 97.6 MHz.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by Blair Kiddey from 6am – 10am.
Marlborough
In January 2008 RadioWorks purchased Malborough Media, which operated two local stations Sounds FM and Easy FM. Later in 2008 Easy FM was rebranded as The Breeze broadcasting on 96.1 MHz.
Christchurch
This station was originally Canterbury's Lite 94.5 FM. It was relaunched as The Breeze in 2004 when RadioWorks rebranded all their Easy Listening stations. Programming on this station is local between 6am and 3pm including weekends.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by Dave Dunlay & Hilary Muir and the workday show is presented by Sue White. Programming from 6am until 6pm on weekends is local.
South Canterbury
MediaWorks purchased Timaru radio station Port FM in April 2018 with Port FM being rebranded as More FM shortly after. Prior to this acquisition MediaWorks had operated many of their network stations in the South Canterbury and West Coast of the South Island under a franchise agreement with Port FM. Following the sale of Port FM The Breeze was started in Timaru on 89.9FM and 92.3FM and the local breakfast announcer from Port FM was moved to The Breeze South Canterbury.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by OJ Jackson.
Dunedin
The Breeze began in Dunedin at 7pm on 3 December 2004 a week after the frequency's former 98 More FM switched to 97.4 MHz. Initially the program was a simulcast of The Breeze Christchurch, with the only local content the commercials. In May 2005 9am till 7pm weekdays and 6am–1pm weekends were presented locally with the evening and breakfast shows still being fed from Christchurch. In April 2007 Tracy Chambers (the daytime announcer) was moved to the breakfast show to present a local breakfast show and all other shows were replaced with the Auckland-based network shows.
Local Programming: Breakfast presented by Damian Newell
Queenstown
Radioworks purchased Queenstown radio station Q92FM in March 2006 and later rebranded the station as Q92 The Breeze. Originally Q92FM played Adult Contemporary Music but was changed to the Easy Listening format used by The Breeze when the station was rebranded. Q92 The Breeze could also be heard in Wanaka on 96.8 MHz and previously in Central Otago (however Central Otago now takes the networked The Breeze). In late 2009 the station traded places on the FM dial with 99.2 More FM with the More FM station becoming Q92 99.4 More FM (the 99.4 MHz frequency is for Wanaka). At the same time the local breakfast show that was on The Breeze in Queenstown was moved to More FM with The Breeze in Queenstown now running networked shows at all times.
Central Otago
The Breeze began broadcasting in Central Otago in 2007 originally this station was a relay of the Queenstown programme with Queenstown advertising. In 2009 this was replaced with the Auckland-based network feed with local Central Otago advertisting.
Southland
The Breeze launched in Southland at 11 pm on Sunday 28 October 2007 on 91.6 MHz, a frequency previously used by Radio Pacific. Radio Pacific was rebranded as BSport the following morning and in Southland moved to 1224 kHz. For a short time, Bruce Stewart hosted a local pre-recorded breakfast show between 6 am–10 am.
References
^ "National Stations > The Breeze". MediaWorks New Zealand. Retrieved 2008-04-29..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1404/S00414/mark-bunting-joins-the-breeze.htm
External links
- Official website
- Radio Works Information Site About The Breeze
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