Here’s a throwback for you from 1975:
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I played around with the rova app and tagged the favorites quite well
Just like car radio preselect
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George FM has won the battle for 95.3fm in Christchurch, launches Monday 1st of May. Loop promo playing on the frequency now.
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Not sure if this has been picked up yet.
George is now on 96.6 Dunedin
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Yes, flicked over to George FM within a couple of days of Today FM’s closure.
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There was a quote from Gary McCormick about Today FM shutting down in the Herald this morning, this coming after he moved over from More FM and was only on Today for 5 weeks. Surely Mediaworks must have had an inkling of what was going to happen by then? In any case, McCormick is quite unhappy and I daresay he could be taking legal action:
A stable of big-name broadcasters was suddenly silenced with the well-publicised closure of Today FM late last month. As Media Insider revealed last week, a large cohort of axed staff are looking at a group legal action to take on MediaWorks and the way it handled the closure.
You have to feel for one of New Zealand radio’s best-known voices, Gary McCormick, who joined Today just five weeks before its closure, shifting across from the breakfast show on one of MediaWorks’ sister stations, More FM.
According to an internal document, McCormick is an independent contractor and therefore not eligible for redundancy. This seems a harsh outcome for a man who spent 19 years behind the microphone at More, helping it become a ratings monster at one stage.
*It is understood high-profile employment lawyer Penelope Ryder-Lewis will be representing McCormick - he has known her husband, Sir Hugh Rennie, for many years.
McCormick said he could not comment on any legal matters but he was looking at all of his options.
He said he was in a “state of shock” on the day of the closure. It had come completely out of the blue, as he was preparing for his weekly show, including an interview he had lined up. He had walked into the office and found a video call under way.
In an interview with Stuff’s Adam Dudding in February, McCormick said: “I am an organisation’s worst nightmare if they cross me. It’s just if I think something’s going wrong, then I’m not going to take it.”
Prescient words.
The bold part is what gets me - how was he a contractor? He only moved divisions in the company, not quit and came back later.
It’s not necessarily uncommon for some broadcasters to remain contractors. Some do it to retain the ability to do freelance work (MC, writing, TV, advertising) without it falling under the auspices of the company. Of course, they don’t get the security of being a FTE, but they have more scope to do their own projects etc.
Whether Gary was an independent contractor during his More FM days or only did that once he transitioned into the Today role will be interesting.
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Not happy days for mw
By the look of things
Bit of a PR disaster and i am picking this will get very nasty and messy
Your posts are looking weird again Rod 
Also, saw this re Today FM last night - consultation (of a week) with the news room staff has been completed:
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Mediaworks advertising the George FM day announcer role. The role is now combined with assistant content director with an on air task (12 pm - 3 pm either live or pre-recorded), 1-2 years radio experience required.
Also on air day announcer role going in Gisborne, good to see another local shift there.
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Less experience wanted (so they can pay less) with more responsibility. The NZ radio playbook.
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Just around noon, continuous loop message on 104.5 Wellington “Magic has now moved to 98.9FM in Wellington. If you’re still listening to us on this frequency, retune your radio now to 98.9 FM so you can enjoy our improved coverage and even more of the songs you love.”
891 is still Magic
Are similar messages playing on:
- 106.2 Auckland YES
- 104.2 Hamilton
- 94.6 Palmerston North YES
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How are they defining that
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The Rock in Auckland has stopped broadcasting on 106.2FM and now broadcasting back to its usual roots on 90.2FM. A looped message has been played as of today.
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Might have missed it here but what’s intended for 106.2?
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To be determined from my understanding.
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@OnAir Either The Sound (on 93.8FM) or Humm FM (on 104.2FM & 702AM), but, according to @theGradyConnell, an exact replacement to fill the 106.2FM slot in Auckland is to be determined.
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I think the replacements have been determined but are yet to be announced for the frequencies that have the music filler programme and for 106.2 Auckland, 104.2 Hamilton, 94.6 Palmerston North and 104.5 Wellington.
Auckland is probably the hardest to pick, and as noted in an earlier post another alternative is Waatea picks up one of Mediaworks’ lower powered frequencies
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There’s a loop on 96.0 Whanganui announcing Mai FM is returning from 1 May.
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After all those years on 603AM, Radio Waatea may finally make its FM debut by launching on 106.2FM in Auckland…
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