Today FM (New Zealand)

In November 2021, MediaWorks announced it would replace Magic Talk with a new talk radio network called Today FM.^[2][3] Newshub's political editor at the time, Tova O'Brien, was announced as breakfast host,^[4] 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 in the lineup.^[5][6][7]

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 in the 1990s.^[8]

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

The station was abruptly taken off air on 30 March 2023, just over a year after it launched. During the mid-morning show Duncan Garner Today, O'Brien and other Today FM staff came on air to announce they were being shuttered.^[9] Garner and O'Brien went onto criticise station owners Mediaworks, before the show was replaced by music at 9:25 am that morning. At 5:12 pm, a pre-recorded announcement was aired, confirming the closure of Today FM.^[10]

Staff were told the annual costs of producing the station were around $7.5 million, but that projected revenue would only "land at about $6-6.5 million".^[11]

Specialty shows that aired on Today FM such as the Rural Exchange show and coverage of the Blackcaps cricket matches continued after the closure on the same frequencies. REX (Rural Exchange) ran at their normal times until they were moved to Magic on 17 April.^[12] For the cricket, the New Zealand versus Sri Lanka game on 8 April 2023 was the final match covered.^[13]

News and sports bulletins were broadcast live every hour, on the hour, and produced in a shorter, snappier format with headline summaries as the major stories developed. The news was provided by the station's own newsroom with over 20 news and sports journalists, editors and correspondents.^[14] Network newsreaders included Carly Flynn (breakfast) and Wilhelmina Shrimpton (drive), with Bridget Hastie, Geoff Bryan, Aroha Hathaway, Angie Skerrett, Brin Rudkin, KM Adams and Mel Homer.

Today FM broadcast in 26 markets.^[15] Most of Today FM's frequencies were reallocated to other MediaWorks radio stations.

• Today FM website