More FM
More FM is a New Zealand radio network that plays hot adult contemporary music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.
More FM broadcasts in 25 centres throughout New Zealand on 81 transmitters with a mix of local and network programming. The station targets a 25 to 49-year-old audience and has the most local shows of any radio network in New Zealand. Currently there are 11 different breakfast shows and 14 day shows.
The More FM network has grown from a local Wellington station to a large Network brand developed through expansion, acquisitions and re-branding of local stations already owned by MediaWorks.
More FM had the 3rd or 4th largest audience of New Zealand's commercial radio stations in 2021.
History
Early years
More FM, with the on air position of "Not too Heavy, Not too Soft", first began in Wellington on 6 May 1991 as a local radio station. The very first station was started by Doug Gold and Craig Thompson; previously Doug Gold was the managing director of Wellington radio station Radio Windy. Gold and Thompson were joined by fellow investors Chris Muirhead, Simon "Swampy" Marsh, Lyn Chung and Bill Mathieson.The very first song to play on the first More FM station by Breakfast Show hosts Simon "Swampy" Marsh and Anemarie Gold was Rhythm of My Heart by Rod Stewart. In the early nineties More FM began broadcasting in Christchurch and Auckland, both as local stations separate from the Wellington station.Change of ownership
In the late nineties More FM's parent company The More FM Group was sold to CanWest Mediaworks who at the time were the owners of TV3 New Zealand; the sale also included The Breeze in Wellington and Channel Z. Programming was extended to Dunedin in 1997 as a local station but networked from Christchurch during breakfast and evenings. A fifth More FM station was started in the Waikato in 1999 as a totally local station.In 2000 CanWest Mediaworks purchased RadioWorks which at that stage was operating 4 network brands across New Zealand and a local station in most markets across New Zealand. RadioWorks later became known as MediaWorks.
Expansion to other regions
In December 2004 MediaWorks nationalised and networked all of their local stations previously marketed as LocalWorks stations. Regions with just one local station had their station rebranded as More FM, regions with more than one local station typically had the station considered to be the flagship station in that area rebranded as More FM and secondary stations rebranded as The Breeze. Some markets had secondary local stations replaced with a network station run by MediaWorks. The changes saw More FM extended to more than 15 markets with all stations initially retaining their local announcers up to 7 pm. The number of stations was later expanded to 24 after further station re-branding as well as MediaWorks purchasing other independent stations.Introduction of network programming
Network night show
Network programming on More FM began with the Evening and overnight shows in January 2005. The 'More FM Most Wanted' Night show was originally hosted by Dominic Bowden until the middle of 2005 and then by Tarsha Tolson until the middle of 2007 when Tarsha moved to Wellington to co-host the More FM breakfast show. The overnight show was originally hosted by Asher Bastion until he left to go to Life FM in June 2006. From 2015, the show was hosted by Joe Cotton. Tyler McDonald hosted the show between 2022-2023.Network drive and daytime shows
In August 2009 the first Network Drive show was created. The Wellington weekday Drive show team, 'Josh & Tom' Josh van Berkel and Tom McKenzie were re-located to Auckland and their show was networked into 19 of the 22 More FM markets over the following months.In March 2011 Josh & Tom announced they were leaving More FM. The structure of the day was reworked ending the traditional Breakfast/Day/Drive line up. From 4 April 2011 the More FM stations were local in all markets with the network programming starting at 1 pm, an hour earlier. The afternoon lineup consisted of a 1 pm – 4 pm Afternoon show hosted by former More FM Waikato breakfast host Stu Tolan and a 4 – 7 pm Drive show hosted by media personality Clarke Gayford. Christchurch, Manawatū and Nelson were the exceptions to the change in format as these stations continued to broadcast locally up to 7 pm until 2015.
Networked programming during the daytime began in 2013 with the introduction of a show presented by Geoff Stagg from Wellington and networked to selected regions.
In 2015 More FM reverted to the traditional Breakfast/Day/Drive line up and local programming was extended in some markets to run between 6 am – 3 pm or 10 am – 3 pm for those markets taking the networked breakfast show. From 2014, Jason Gunn and Lana Searle hosted the 3 pm – 7 pm show, before Lana was replaced by Jay-Jay Feeney in 2018. Paul 'Flynny' Flynn joined the show in 2019, as Jason Gunn moved to co-host the show part-time. Jay-Jay Feeney decided to leave radio in July 2024, and since then, the drive show is hosted by Sarah Gandy and Flynny, along with producers Matthew "Pledge" Pledger and Dave Rybinski.
Network breakfast
In 2007, the More FM Christchurch breakfast show, then presented by Si and Gary, was networked into the Nelson region.In October 2011, More FM Auckland breakfast presenter Jeremy Corbett resigned from his long-standing breakfast show. Marc Ellis was announced as his replacement along with Amber Peebles & Stu Tolan. In November 2011 an announcement was made that new Auckland based breakfast show would be networked into the Waikato and Wellington region. The 'local' daytime host read out local news and weather in their respective region as part of the networked breakfast show from 6 – 10 am. In December 2012 Amber Peebles left the show to pursue a television project. Her replacement was Hayley Holt. Marc Ellis left the show in October 2013. Stu and Hayley continued to present the network breakfast for the remainder of 2013, along with Joe Cotton.
In 2014 the Christchurch breakfast, then presented by Si and Gary, became the new network breakfast show and continued to be presented from Christchurch. In April 2015 the networked breakfast was extended to Dunedin and Hawkes Bay with the local presenters in those markets moved to the local The Breeze station in their respective markets. The show is now presented by Lana Searle and Adam Percival with Simon Barnett returning in 2025 after a 5-year hiatus.
In July 2017, Pauline Gillespie and Grant Kereama launched a Wellington-based breakfast show, which also aired in Kapiti/Horowhenua. In January 2018 this show was networked into five other markets, but in early 2020 the show reverted to a local Wellington breakfast show until June 2020, when the show ended.
Weekend programming
Originally weekend programming on all More FM stations remained local after the expansion and rebranding in 2005 including during Saturday and Sunday evenings and overnight. A networked evening show for weekends was introduced in late 2005. More FM began replacing local programming at the weekends with networked programming from 2007 onwards initially networking stations after 2 pm. From 2014 all More FM stations were local on Saturday morning from 6 am to 10 am, with Auckland and Christchurch local to 7 pm.The More FM network
Networked shows on the More FM stations either originate from the Auckland or Christchurch studios.Breakfast There are 10 local shows nationwide and one network show. Lana Searle, and Simon Barnett currently present a networked breakfast show called "The Breakfast Club" from the More FM Christchurch studios to listeners in Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Tauranga, Rotorua, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Christchurch, South Canterbury, Dunedin and Clutha.
Workday "Workplace Social Club" programming runs from 10 am – 3 pm and some markets have a local show during this time. A networked workday show presented by Alisha from the Auckland studios can be heard in Auckland, Waikato, Tauranga, Taupō, Gisborne/Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū, Wairarapa, Central Otago, Queenstown and Clutha.
Drive & Nights The network drive show is hosted by Sarah Gandy and Adam Percival, followed by an evening show with Ash London. All More FM stations are networked between 3 pm and 5 am.
Weekends Most More FMs run a local Saturday breakfast show. On Sunday a "Best of the Breakfast Club" show airs between 6 am and 9 am across 20 markets.
More FM stations
Northland
91-6 More FM Northland is a radio station serving the Whangārei urban area and the entire Northland Region on 91.6FM, Kerikeri on 107.3FM, Russell on 95.2FM and Tutukaka on 94.4FM. Before the re-branding to More FM in 2005 this station was known famously as KCC FM.Local programming: Northland Breakfast is presented by Angela "Flash" Gordon and Toast. Alisha also hosts the local workday show from 10 am – 3 pm
Rodney
88-9 & 97-8 More FM Rodney is a radio station serving the Rodney District and the Hibiscus Coast, to the north and north-west of Auckland. A recent addition to the More FM network, this station was originally known as Times FM and was taken over by MediaWorks in 2002. The station was not affected MediaWorks rebranding of local stations to More FM in 2004 but was rebranded in 2015.Local programming: Breakfast with Nick
Auckland
91-8 More FM Auckland is a radio station serving the Auckland urban area and can be heard in parts of Waikato, such as Paeroa. More FM Auckland came to be in August 1993 and featured Kim & Corbett in the morning for 16 years. Its sole transmitter is at the top of the Sky Tower in central Auckland. The Auckland studios are used to present the network day, drive, night and weekend shows, the network news, and is the headquarters of the network.Local programming: A local workday show with Alisha for Auckland is broadcast between 10 am – 3 pm. It is also heard in some areas as a network workday show.