Channel X (New Zealand radio station)

Channel X is a New Zealand classic hits music station owned by MediaWorks. The station can be heard in 16 markets across New Zealand, and online through MediaWorks's streaming platform, Rova.[1] The station plays uninterrupted music from the 1990s to 2010s with occasional one-liners or station IDs.[2] The station does not have announcers and currently does not air news, sport, weather, traffic information or have advertising.

Channel X
  • New Zealand
Broadcast area16 markets
RDSchannelX; PI 9240
BrandingYour Throwback Playlist
Programming
FormatClassic hits
Ownership
OwnerMediaworks New Zealand
History
First air date
8 May 2023 (2023-05-08)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitechannelx.co.nz

History

Channel X began on 8 May following the demise of news and talk station Today FM on 30 March 2023. A pre-recorded message aired confirming the closure of Today FM and that a new radio station would launch on the Today FM frequencies during April 2023.[3] Days later MediaWorks backtracked on their statement about the launch of a new radio station and instead advised that the frequencies previously used by Today FM would be reallocated to other brands operated by MediaWorks varying between regions.[4] Regions where another brand was not allocated ran a music-only playlist of songs from the 80s and 90s.

In mid-April MediaWorks filed for trademark of the "Channel X" brand name and domain channelx.co.nz.[5]

The station was announced on 3 May through an encoded message playing on what would become Channel X's frequencies with the station's name. This was visible using an audio spectrogram.[6] On 5 May, the loop was updated to encode the date and time the station would begin airing.[7]

At noon on 8 May 2023, the station began with a countdown where they encoded "5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. hello :)" into the audio[8] before introducing the radio station that "doesn't have any prizes, or shows". This was followed by a skit referencing the Now That's What I Call Music! album compilations that were popular in the late 1990s. The first song to play on the station was the 2006 single "When You Were Young" by The Killers.[2][9]

Frequencies

Channel X broadcasts to 16 markets[2] on these FM frequencies:

References
  1. "Rova Entertainment on Command". rova.nz. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  2. "Mediaworks Welcomes a New Music Only Radio Station to the Whānau" (PDF). MediaWorks. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. "Today FM abruptly axed, new station to launch on same frequency in April". Newshub. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. "MediaWorks backtracks after broadcasting wrong information on Today FM closure". Stuff. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. "Channel X Trademark". Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. "'Now, I'm in charge': Revealed – Duncan Garner's new role at MediaWorks". NZ Herald. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  7. "Channel X date spoiler". MediaSpy. 7 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  8. "Channel X launch spectrogram". MediaSpy. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  9. Channel X New Zealand – Station Launch (May 8th, 2023), retrieved 8 May 2023
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