# 1ZH > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/1ZH > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/1ZH.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1ZH > Source revision: 1332658287 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}} {{Infobox radio station | name = 1ZH | logo = 1ZH historical logo.gif | city = [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton%2C_New_Zealand) | country = NZ | area = [Waikato](/source/Waikato) | frequency = {{Frequency|98.6|MHz}} | airdate = {{start date|1949}} | format = [Adult contemporary](/source/Adult_contemporary_music) | language = [English language](/source/English_language) | coordinates = {{coord|-37.7856|175.2828|display=inline,title}}{{cite web |title=Elevated view of Claudelands Road Bridge from Victoria Street|url=https://heritage.hamiltonlibraries.co.nz/objects/1500/elevated-view-of-claudelands-road-bridge-from-victoria-street|website=Hamilton Libraries Heritage Collection Online |access-date=14 December 2025 |language=en}} | owner = {{ubl|[Radio New Zealand](/source/Radio_New_Zealand) until 1996|[The Radio Network](/source/The_Radio_Network) after 1996}} | last_airdate = | former_names = {{ubl|1XH (1949–1968)|1ZH (1968–1990)|ZHFM (1990–1993)|Classic Hits ZHFM (1993–1998)|Classic Hits (1998–2014)}} | former_frequencies = {{ubl|1310 kHz (1949–1978)|1296 kHz (1978–1990)}} | webcast = | website = }} '''1ZH''' was a [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand) radio station based in [Hamilton, New Zealand](/source/Hamilton%2C_New_Zealand). The station was originally known as 1XH which was the station's original callsign. 1XH was started by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service [predecessor of the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, and later to be Radio New Zealand] in 1949, broadcasting on 1310 AM. In 1968 the station callsign was changed to 1ZH [under the NZBC] and the station was known on air by this name. In 1978, after AM band in New Zealand was changed from 10 kHz spacing to 9 kHz spacing, as a result 1ZH was moved to 1296AM. On air names included '''1300 1ZH''' and '''Hits and Memories 1ZH''' during the 1980s. On 25 May 1990 1ZH switched to FM broadcasting on 98.6FM at this time the station became known as ''ZHFM''. A television advertisement for the switch to FM used the song [Time Warp](/source/Time_Warp_(song)) from [The Rocky Horror Show](/source/The_Rocky_Horror_Show) with the line "Let's switch ZHFM" instead of "Let's do the Time Warp again." A similar advertisement was used for [4ZB](/source/4ZB) Dunedin when this station switched to FM in September 1990, with the line "Let's switch ZBFM." The 98.6 ZHFM frequency can also be heard in [Tauranga](/source/Tauranga), the outskirts of [Auckland](/source/Auckland) and in a number of places in [Northland](/source/Northland_Region) due to its high power and the high elevation of its transmission site.{{cite web|url=http://www.theradiovault.net/hamilton.htm|title=Hamilton Radio Vault|website=theradiovault.net|accessdate=5 June 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724104702/http://www.theradiovault.net/hamilton.htm|archivedate=24 July 2011}} In 1993 Radio New Zealand rebranded many of their heritage stations as [Classic Hits](/source/Classic_Hits_FM). For ZHFM the station became known as Classic Hits ZHFM. At the same time Radio New Zealand began rolling out [Newstalk ZB](/source/Newstalk_ZB) across the country. The original 1296AM frequency was replaced with Newstalk ZB. In July 1996 the [New Zealand Government](/source/New_Zealand_Government) sold off the commercial arm of [Radio New Zealand](/source/Radio_New_Zealand), which included, among other things, the [Classic Hits](/source/Classic_Hits_FM) branded stations. The new owner was [The Radio Network](/source/The_Radio_Network), a subsidiary of [APN News & Media](/source/APN_News_%26_Media) and [Clear Channel Communications](/source/Clear_Channel_Communications), which operated as a division of the [Australian Radio Network](/source/Australian_Radio_Network).{{cite news|title=Radio Network says expansion possible|publisher=[The Christchurch Press](/source/The_Christchurch_Press)|date=21 September 1996|page=29}} The original studios were located in the basement of the then Hamilton City Council headquarters in Alma Street. The whole building became Broadcasting House once the City moved its HQ to the back of Garden Place in mid-1960. The basement later housed [The Rock 93FM](/source/The_Rock_(radio_station)) when this station launched in Hamilton in 1991. In 1996 Classic Hits ZHFM moved to its current location on Hardley street.{{cite web|title=Radio Network Hamilton|url=http://yellow.co.nz/y/radio-network-the-hamilton|website=yellow.co.nz|publisher=Yellow Group|accessdate=11 November 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085739/http://yellow.co.nz/y/radio-network-the-hamilton|url-status=dead}} In 1998 Classic Hits ZHFM was reduced to just 4 hours of local programming between 6 and 10 am 7 days a week. Outside this time nationwide shows based from Auckland took over, and the network announcers simply called the station Classic Hits. The breakfast show was shortened to a 3-hour show in 2012 on all Classic Hits. On 28 April 2014, all stations part of the Classic Hits network were rebranded as [The Hits](/source/The_Hits_(New_Zealand)). A networked breakfast presented by [Polly Gillespie](/source/Polly_Gillespie) and [Grant Kareama](/source/Grant_Kareama) was introduced to almost all The Hits stations, with the former breakfast announcer moved to present a 6-hour show between 9 am and 3 pm. Waikato originally kept its local breakfast presented by Mark Bunting. However, just prior to the rebranding Bunting had tendered his resignation with The Radio Network and accepted a position on rival station [The Breeze Waikato](/source/The_Breeze_(New_Zealand)).{{cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1404/S00414/mark-bunting-joins-the-breeze.htm |title=Mark Bunting Joins the Breeze | Scoop News |publisher=Scoop.co.nz |date=2014-04-14 |accessdate=2015-06-06}} A week after rebranding Mark Bunting left the station and Sunday night network announcer Blair Dowling became the new Waikato local announcer. However, he presented the daytime 9 am – 3 pm show instead and Waikato began taking the network breakfast. ==References== {{Reflist}} {{New Zealand Media and Entertainment}} {{Radio in New Zealand}} {{DEFAULTSORT:1ZH}} Waikato Category:Mass media in Hamilton, New Zealand Category:Defunct radio stations in New Zealand Category:Radio stations established in 1949 Category:Radio stations disestablished in 2014 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [1ZH](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1ZH) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1ZH?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.