What Newstalk ZB does

Newstalk ZB is New Zealand's highest-rated commercial talk radio station, founded in 1988 and operated by NZME Radio Limited, a subsidiary of NZME (New Zealand Media and Entertainment). The station broadcasts live news, current affairs, sports coverage, and talkback programming across FM and AM frequencies in 30+ locations nationwide, including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and numerous regional centres. Its core programming features prominent on-air talent including Mike Hosking (Breakfast), Ryan Bridge (Early Edition), Kerre Woodham (Mornings), and Heather du Plessis-Allan (Drive), supported by a deep roster of news, sports, and lifestyle shows.

The underlying technology consists of traditional FM/AM broadcast infrastructure supplemented by digital distribution through the iHeartRadio platform (live streaming and podcast hosting), an iOS/Android mobile app, Alexa and smart speaker integration, and on-demand audio via the ZB On Demand product. Content is further distributed across Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube social channels. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML, APIs, SDKs, or patents; the technology stack is conventional for a multi-platform commercial broadcaster.

The business model is advertising-based. Newstalk ZB is free-to-air with no listener subscription fees, monetizing through commercial advertising and sponsorship placements across broadcast, digital streaming, and podcast inventory. As a subsidiary of NZME, its revenue is consolidated within the parent group's radio segment alongside sister stations ZM, The Hits, Hauraki, Coast, and Gold. The station serves a horizontal general New Zealand audience interested in news, politics, business, sports, and talk radio content across demographics, with advertisers and media agencies as the paying customer base on the B2B side.

Name

Newstalk ZB

Legal name

NZME Radio Limited

Website

https://newstalkzb.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Newstalk ZB is New Zealand's highest-rated commercial talk radio station, broadcasting news, current affairs, sports, and talkback programming across FM and AM in 30+ locations. Operated by NZME, it monetizes through advertising and distributes content via iHeartRadio streaming, podcasts, and on-demand audio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Radio Networks (National/Regional) (MPABABAA), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

Keywords

• Commercial radio broadcasting
• Talk radio programming
• News radio content
• On-demand audio
• Podcast distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Commercial radio station generating revenue through advertising and sponsorship placements during programming and across digital platforms including website and podcasts.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Newstalk ZB is a commercial talk radio station broadcasting news, current affairs, sports coverage, and talk programming across FM and AM frequencies in 30+ New Zealand locations. The service is supplemented by an on-demand audio platform (ZB On Demand), podcast distribution, and digital streaming via iHeartRadio. Revenue is generated through advertising and sponsorship placements on these broadcast and digital channels.

Product overview

Newstalk ZB is New Zealand's leading commercial talk radio station, part of NZME (New Zealand Media and Entertainment). The station operates a multi-platform broadcast model comprising live radio programming across FM and AM frequencies nationwide, on-demand audio content through ZB On Demand, and podcast distribution. The programming portfolio includes flagship morning shows (Mike Hosking Breakfast, Early Edition, Kerre Woodham Mornings), afternoon drive programs (Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive, Matt Heath & Tyler Adams Afternoons), sports coverage (Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, Sportstalk, The All Sport Breakfast), and specialty programming (Marcus Lush Nights, The Sunday Session). The station maintains regional presence through dedicated programming for Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury, while distributing content through iHeartRadio app and Alexa-enabled devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newstalk ZB Radio Commercial talk radio station broadcast across New Zealand on FM and AM frequencies, featuring news, current affairs, sports coverage, and talk shows aimed at general New Zealand audiences.
• ZB On Demand
• Newstalk ZB Podcasts Podcast distribution service providing individual podcast versions of Newstalk ZB radio shows and original podcast content (e.g., News Fix, Sports Fix, Football Fever, The Mike Hosking Breakfast Podcast) available on demand.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NZME (New Zealand Media and Entertainment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNZME is the parent company and owner of Newstalk ZB, operating as part of NZME's radio network alongside other stations including ZM, The Hits, Hauraki, Coast, and Gold. NZME also owns the NZ Herald and other major New Zealand media properties.
• iHeartRadiocoreTechnology or IntegrationiHeartRadio is the digital streaming and podcast platform partner for Newstalk ZB, providing live broadcast streaming, podcast hosting, and mobile app distribution for on-demand content access.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Audacy: Major US commercial radio broadcaster operating news, talk, and sports stations across multiple markets. Comparable business model of advertising-funded AM/FM broadcasting supplemented by digital streaming and podcasts.
• iHeartMedia: Largest US commercial radio operator and owner of the iHeartRadio streaming platform that Newstalk ZB uses for digital distribution. Directly comparable as a commercial talk/sports/music radio broadcaster with multi-platform distribution.
• talkSPORT: UK's leading sports and talk radio station, owned by News Corp. Directly comparable in talk/sports radio format, premium sports rights anchoring audience, and multi-platform distribution including podcasts and smart speakers.
• Cumulus Media: US-based commercial radio operator with a large portfolio of news, talk, and sports formatted stations. Comparable in advertising-driven broadcast model and multi-market AM/FM operations.

Regional players

• Nova Entertainment: Major Australian commercial radio operator (Nova, Smooth, Star 104.5). Comparable in commercial radio broadcasting across multiple formats, though focused on the Australian market.
• Global Radio: UK's largest commercial radio operator (Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC, Radio X). Comparable in commercial multi-station radio model, but operates in a different geography (UK).
• ARN (Australian Radio Network): Australia's largest radio network operator (KIIS, Pure Gold, iHeartRadio AU). Comparable commercial radio business model and iHeartRadio digital distribution, but primarily serves Australia rather than New Zealand.

Others

• Bauer Media: Global media company with significant radio operations in Australia and New Zealand (including acquired MediaWorks NZ radio assets). Comparable as a radio operator in the ANZ region, though broader portfolio extends into publishing.
• ZM (NZME): Sibling commercial radio station owned by NZME. Comparable as a NZME-owned commercial radio brand but focused on contemporary hit music rather than news/talk; provides cross-promotion and bundling context for Newstalk ZB.

Broad incumbents

• Radio New Zealand (RNZ): New Zealand's public broadcaster operating RNZ National and RNZ Concert. Comparable in NZ talk/news radio coverage but operates under a public broadcasting model funded by government rather than advertising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/newstalkzb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@newstalkzb
• Facebookfacebook.com/newstalkzb
• Instagraminstagram.com/newstalkzb
• TikToktiktok.com/@newstalkzb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newstalk-zb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Newstalk ZB