River City FM was a radio station in Wanganui. The station was started by Radio New Zealand (which was then known as the NZBS) and was originally known as 2XA (the stations call sign). 2XA went to air in 1949 broadcasting on 1200AM. The stations brand name and call sign were later changed to 2ZW and in 1978 2ZW moved to 1197AM after the AM band in New Zealand was changed from 10 kHz spacing to 9 kHz spacing. 2ZW was renamed to River City Radio in 1988. In 1993 River City Radio began broadcasting on 89.6FM and continued to broadcast on the AM frequency as a result the station was rebranded as River City FM.
In 1996 Radio New Zealand sold their commercial operation and as a result River City FM was now owned by The Radio Network. In 1998 River City FM became part of the Community Radio Network with all programming outside of the breakfast show being fed from a central studio originally based in Taupo. In 2001 all Community Radio Network stations became part of the Classic Hits FM network with programming outside of the breakfast show based from Auckland. At this point the station became known as Classic Hits River City FM. At the same time the original 1197AM frequency was reassigned to Newstalk ZB.
Today the station is known on air as Classic Hits 89.6. The local breakfast show is hosted by Andy Mackenzie (using the on-air name Andy Mack).
Famous quotes containing the words river and/or city:
“It is impossible to step into the same river twice.”
—Heraclitus (c. 535–475 B.C.)
“The language of the younger generation ... has the brutality of the city and an assertion of threatening power at hand, not to come. It is military, theatrical, and at its most coherent probably a lasting repudiation of empty courtesy and bureaucratic euphemism.”
—Elizabeth Hardwick (b. 1916)