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Wairarapa FM

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bhowden (talk | contribs) at 10:27, 16 December 2014. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Radio Wairarapa was a radio station in Wairarapa, New Zealand that began broadcasting on 840AM in 1958, at this time the station was known as 2XB and in 1968 became 2ZD when the stations call sign was changed. In 1978 the station moved to 846AM when AM frequency spacing in New Zealand was adjusted from 10 kHz to 9 kHz. In 1998 Radio Wairarapa became part of the Community Radio Network with all programming outside of the breakfast show being fed from a central studio originally based in Taupo. At the same time Radio Wairarapa began broadcasting on 90.1FM and renamed to 90.1 Wairarapa FM.

In 2001 all Community Radio Network stations became part of the Classic Hits FM network with programming outside of the breakfast show based from Auckland. At this point the station became known as Classic Hits Wairarapa FM and the original AM frequency was used to broadcast Newstalk ZB, to the dismay of some residents who couldn't receive the FM station.

In 2013 the local breakfast show was dropped and Wairarapa listeners began hearing the Classic Hits Wellington breakfast show instead.

On April 28 2014 all stations part of the Classic Hits network were rebranded as The Hits. A networked breakfast presented by Pauline Gillespie and Grant Kareama was introduced to almost all The Hits stations with the former breakfast announcer moved to present a 6 hour show between 9am and 3pm. As the Wairarapa station already contained no local programming The Hits in Wairarapa is also a complete network station.