Channel Z
Encyclopedia
- This article refers to the defunct New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
radio station; for other uses
Channel Z was an alternative music radio station which had a high youth demographic (preeteens-35) broadcasting in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In early 2005, the station was relaunched as Kiwi FM
Kiwi FM
Kiwi FM is a New Zealand Radio Network playing 100 percent New Zealand music both nationally and to the world via its 24/7 live stream. The network was designed specifically to showcase the best New Zealand music across the broadest range of genres, enabling greater access to an international...
and only plays New Zealand music.
Early years
Channel Z appeared on the air in Wellington, New Zealand, on 19 August, 1996. Its founding programme director was John Diver. Channel Z was part of the More FMMore FM
MORE FM is a New Zealand radio network playing adult contemporary music or Pop music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.MORE FM broadcasts in 22 centres throughout New Zealand with local programming in most markets between 6am and 1pm and networked programming the rest of the day...
Group of stations, later to become the CanWest-owned RadioWorks Group. Early presenters included: Martin Devlin
Martin Devlin
Martin Devlin is a New Zealand broadcaster, specialising in sports broadcasting. He is a former panellist and current host of Game of Two Halves on TV ONE. He also hosts Weekend Sport on Radio Live. He has previously presented Radio Sport Drive, Radio Live Devlin Live, Radio Sport Breakfast and...
, John Diver, James Coleman
James Coleman
James Coleman may refer to:*James P. Coleman , Governor of Mississippi*James Smoot Coleman , American political scientist*James Samuel Coleman , American sociologist*James Coleman , Irish artist...
, and Olivia. Channel Z was named after the B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
song of the same name, and played a vital role in lynchpining alternative NZ and international artists other stations claimed were too "dangerous" to play.
Later years
In 1998, long time presenter Pheobe Spiers and breakfast hosts Jon Bridges and Nathan Rarere joined the station. Channel Z ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
was launched in 1999, with Willy Macalister presenting a local daytime show, Melanie Wise on the night time show and networked mornings and drive shows. In 2001, major changes to Channel Z were made, including the abolishment of local shows in both Wellington and Christchurch and everything being networked from Auckland. This was obviously not a positive move, especially for Wellingtonians (where Channel Z began). Jon & Nathan's breakfast show was also later canned in favour of a new show featuring James Coleman
James Coleman
James Coleman may refer to:*James P. Coleman , Governor of Mississippi*James Smoot Coleman , American political scientist*James Samuel Coleman , American sociologist*James Coleman , Irish artist...
on his own, with Bomber and Clarke Gayford
Clarke Gayford
Clarke Timothy Gayford was born on 24 October in Gisborne, New Zealand and is a former music show presenter for the New Zealand music channel C4 as well as a radio host and former reality television contestant. He worked for Prime on the television show United Travel Getaway...
moving from Nights to Drive.
The end
The old 94.2 frequency in Auckland was switched to The EdgeThe Edge (radio station)
The Edge FM is a MediaWorks New Zealand New Zealand youth radio network, playing predominantly pop, rock and R&B. The network's flagship is The Morning Madhouse with Jay Jay Feeney, Mike Puru and Dom Harvey....
in early 2003, and Channel Z was subsequently moved to a lower powered 93.8 frequency. This ultimately led to the demise of the station, as many listeners were unable to tune in, although eventually the transmitter was relocated to the Sky Tower from its previous position on Waiheke Island.
In January 2005, Channel Z announced it was to relaunch as Kiwi FM
Kiwi FM
Kiwi FM is a New Zealand Radio Network playing 100 percent New Zealand music both nationally and to the world via its 24/7 live stream. The network was designed specifically to showcase the best New Zealand music across the broadest range of genres, enabling greater access to an international...
on 6 February 2005. Channel Z's final apparent song was Pretty Vacant by the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
. The station would only play 100% New Zealand music. This announcement came with mixed views with skepticism that it would not work. Many said there was no other station that kept a perfect distance from mainstream and eclecticism in radio. And former listeners considered it the lynchpin of radio, because of its continued support for alternative music, and without Channel Z, stations still find its [Channel Z] music too risky.
Shows
Other than the normal afternoon and local shows, there were others as well.- Riot!-a punk show, breaking through new punk/alternative punk acts from overseas and New Zealand.
- Talkback with Bomber-Possibly the first talkback station on alternative radio to reach a youth market. Teenage topics mainly.
- Breakfast-Included the Dick 84 brekie with Nathan Rarere and Jon Bridges and company. Changed around with James ColemanJames ColemanJames Coleman may refer to:*James P. Coleman , Governor of Mississippi*James Smoot Coleman , American political scientist*James Samuel Coleman , American sociologist*James Coleman , Irish artist...
-changed to the Coleman Breakfast show.
- Local shows-From the markets individually. Stopped and syndicated from Auckland in 2001.
Compilations
Channel Z made several compilations in its radiospan. The compilation tracklistings are either chosen/voted for by the listeners online, or the radio station compiles the most requested or fitting songs. ALL Channel Z compilations feature New Zealand Bands.- Channel Z-[The]Best of 1,2 and 3
- Channel Z Up Loud!
- Channel Z Coleman Sesions
Bring back z
An online petition and forum was started by Jonathon Kerkhofs and Hayden McCabe, called Bring Back Channel Z. The website had a forum, with rumored members that include former channel Z presenter Martyn 'Bomber' BradburyMartyn 'Bomber' Bradbury
Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury is a left-wing New Zealand media commentator, radio and TV host, and was executive producer of Alt TV - NZ's Alternative music and culture channel ALT TV. He is a blogger of the Tumeke! blog...
and known musicians. The website was run for a year before funding ran out and the site was forced to close. There were exposure campaigns organized,one user asked about a Channel Z memorian album. The Website was mentioned several times in Rip It Up
Rip It Up (magazine)
Rip It Up is a bi-monthly New Zealand music magazine. Started in June 1977 as a free monthly giveaway, it grew rapidly, with its monthly print run reaching 30,000 copies by the mid 1980s...
issue No. 305 and a letter was included from co creator Jonathon Kerkhofs. The magazine was largely skeptical of the potential success of the web site giving it as much chance of success as "a Pop Idol winner has at a second album deal". In the same issue Bradbury, who was at the time editor of Rip it Up, cited the need for a station such as channel Z to support the NZ music industry. He claimed "Channel Z served an important role between the b.net
B.net
bNet is a network of current and former student radio radio stations in New Zealand. The network co-ordinates national advertising sales and shares ideas and programming between the member stations...
and the commercial stations" and that with it gone "Nz music is going to find it a much harder place to get heard". To date the petition has attracted over 1400 signatures, far short of the 10,000 expected to be necessary to have any influence.
Channel Z revivals
Many good-intentioned former Channel Z listeners have tried to buy its rights to make the station on air again. However, these have not worked because of the feeling of the station(un-alternative playlists and lack of support).Return / Demise of Channel Z on The Rock
On Monday 18 January 2010 a version of the Channel Z format was brought back on radio station The RockThe Rock (New Zealand)
The Rock is a New Zealand rock music radio station. It currently holds the #1 ratings spot out of the music stations nationwide. The station is known to broadcast material of a controversial nature, and The Rock has in the past had some issues with the Broadcasting Standards Authority with a number...
. From 7PM to 10PM The Rock aired Channel Z Nights based on the modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
format similar to that of Channel Z in the early 2000s.
The show was fronted by Jason Mac and his sidekick Dunc. "Channel Z Nights" had the plug pulled on it a week prior to Christmas 2010 with Jason Mac and Dunc set to return in 2011, with a more traditional "Rock Nights" format, similar to the day time programming of the station.
Both The Rock and Channel Z came under the same ownership in 2001 when Channel Z owner Canwest purchased RadioWorks with all stations eventually falling under the same management umbrella.