Today FM (New Zealand)

Today FM is a nationwide Auckland-based New Zealand talkback, news and sport radio network owned and operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.

This article is about the New Zealand radio station. For the Irish radio station, see Today FM.
Today FM
Broadcast area28 markets in New Zealand
Programming
FormatTalk radio
Ownership
OwnerMediaWorks New Zealand
History
First air date
March 21, 2022 (2022-03-21)
Links
Webcastwww.todayfm.co.nz/home/player.html
Websitetodayfm.co.nz

It was formed by the 2022 rebrand of Magic Talk and competes directly against NZME station Newstalk ZB.

History

In November 2021, MediaWorks announced it would replace Magic Talk with a new talk radio network called Today FM.[1][2] Newshub's political editor at the time, Tova O'Brien, was announced as breakfast host,[3] 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 all named as part of the lineup.[4][5][6]

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 during the 1990s.[7]

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-powered frequency of 106.8 FM). The first programme to be aired on the station was First Light, presented by Rachel Smalley.

Programmes

Today FM broadcasts news updates, breakfast and drive current affairs, open-line talkback, and weekend lifestyle, sports and entertainment content.[8]

Weekday programming on Today FM begins at 5:00am with First Light with Rachel Smalley, followed by Tova with Tova O'Brien, Mark Dye and Carly Flynn from 6:30am until 9:00am. Duncan Garner Today runs from 9:00am until 12:00pm; Leah & Mark (Leah Panapa and Mark Richardson) from 12:00pm until 4:00pm; and Lloyd Burr Drive with Wilhelmina Shrimpton from 4:00pm until 7:00pm.

The Core, Today FM's investigative podcast series hosted by Wilhelmina Shrimpton, runs Mondays and Fridays at 7:00pm, with Graeme Hill's Off the Record running Tuesdays to Thursdays in that slot.

Talkback is hosted from 8:00pm until midnight by Polly Gillespie from Sunday to Thursday nights (Polly) and Nickson Clark on Friday nights (Friday Night Nickson).

Weekend programming on Today FM includes:

  • Saturday Breakfast with Nigel Yalden (Saturdays, 6:00-9:00am)
  • WellBeings with Dominic Bowden (Saturdays, 9:00am-12:00pm)
  • #RobettLive with Robett Hollis (Saturdays, 12:00-2:00pm)
  • Marc Peard Sport with Marc Peard and John Day (Saturdays, 2:00-6:00pm)
  • Saturday Night Live (Saturdays, 6:00pm-12:00am)
  • Design and Build Show with Hamish Dodd and Stan Scott (Sundays, 7:00-9:00am)
  • Sunday Cafe with Mel Homer (Sundays, 9:00am-12:00pm)
  • Buttabean Radio Show with Dave Letele and Nats Levi (Sundays, 12:00-2:00pm)
  • Hill's Weekend with Graeme Hill (Sundays, 2:00-7:00pm)
  • Podcast Hour (Sundays, 7:00-8:00pm)

Today FM's overnight talkback show, Today FM Late, is hosted by Brin Rudkin and Danny Watson. The show runs from midnight until 5:00am on Monday to Saturday mornings.

REX Today with Dominic George (Mon-Fri, 12:00-12:30pm) and REX (Rural Exchange) with Hamish McKay (Sat/Sun, 6:00-8:00am) are broadcast on FM frequencies nationwide except Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Tauranga, Rotorua and Hawke's Bay, where they are broadcast on AM frequencies.

News bulletins

News and sports bulletins are broadcast live every hour, on the hour, and produced in a shorter, snappier format with headline summaries as the major stories develop. The news is provided by the station's own newsroom with over 20 news and sports journalists, editors and correspondents.[9] Network newsreaders include Carly Flynn (breakfast) and Wilhelmina Shrimpton (drive), with Bridget Hastie, Geoff Bryan, Aroha Hathaway, Angie Skerrett, Brin Rudkin, KM Adams and Mel Homer.

Frequencies

Today FM is broadcast on the following frequencies:[10]

References
  1. "MediaWorks reveals plan to ditch Magic Talk, launch new talk brand". RNZ. 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  2. "MediaWork's new talk station Today FM to launch on March 21". Stuff. 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  3. "Tova O'Brien: The new face of talk radio". Newsroom. 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  4. "Duncan Garner joins new talk radio brand, 12 weeks after sudden departure from The AM Show". Stuff. 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  5. "Mark Richardson, Polly Gillespie join MediaWorks' unnamed talk radio station". Stuff. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  6. "MediaWorks announces new talent for Today FM - Stoppress". StopPress. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  7. "Radio Vault Auckland". Radio Vault. Internet Archive. 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  8. Today FM programming
  9. "MediaWorks to bring news reporting back in-house". Stuff. 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  10. Today FM frequency listing

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