It has been 75 years since Radio New Zealand commenced broadcasting on shortwave frequencies, into the Pacific region.
The service used two 7.5 kilowatt transmitters in Titahi Bay, near Wellington, which had been left by the United States Military, after WWII.
Radio New Zealand began short-wave broadcasts to Australia and the Pacific in 1948. During those early broadcasting days, the programme related directly to events in New Zealand and the Pacific Region.
In the late 1980s the Government, at that time Labour, came under pressure to take a more active role in the region. This led to upgrades to the short-wave service.
A new 100 kW transmitter was installed at Rangitaiki in the middle of the North Island. The service was re-launched as Radio New Zealand International (RNZI), on the same day the Commonwealth Games opened in Auckland in 1990. Today, RNZI is known as RNZ…
