Latest news with #JasonWinstanley
The Spinoff
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
The Fold: Why are there suddenly two country music stations in New Zealand?
Veteran broadcaster Mike Puru and NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley join Duncan Greive to talk about the rise of country, and the current state of digital audio in Aotearoa. For a long time New Zealand's country music audience was presumed to be the town of Gore and its immediate surrounds. Few albums got released, and major artists almost never toured. That all changed in the past few years, with streaming both proving and generating a huge global audience for country – and artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen playing shows to massive local crowds. That has prompted two separate radio stations to launch, the first an independent led by veteran broadcaster Mike Puru, with a second launched by NZME just last week. Puru and NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley join Duncan Greive on The Fold to talk about the rise of country, why it requires its own stations and give a view on the current state of digital audio in Aotearoa.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
NZME to launch dedicated country music station iHeartCountry New Zealand
NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley said the company was excited to launch iHeartCountry New Zealand, filling 'a significant gap' in the local audio landscape. 'Country music is experiencing a massive surge in growth globally, with mainstream audiences embracing the genre like never before. 'Recent sold out shows from artists like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen and Chris Stapleton in New Zealand demonstrates the strong and growing appetite for country music here. NZME is proud to be a trailblazer in introducing a dedicated country music station to the market and I have no doubt it's going to be hugely popular.' Kim Boshier from Sony Music New Zealand said country music had always had an audience in Aotearoa, but in recent years it had gained mainstream popularity. 'We're seeing local artists like Kaylee Bell achieving remarkable success, while international country stars are drawing bigger audiences than ever before. 'Having a dedicated platform for country music in New Zealand will further fuel this momentum and provide a home for both established and emerging country artists.' The station will be available via NZME's digital audio app iHeartRadio and broadcast across FM frequencies in Auckland, Northland, Gisborne, Nelson, Christchurch, West Coast and Wānaka. NZME is also the publisher of the Herald. The launch of the dedicated station also offers an enticing incentive for touring artists, according to a leading concert promoter. 'I've been telling anyone who will listen for a couple of years now that someone should start a country music station in NZ and it makes me feel all warm inside that it's finally being done,' said Eccles Entertainment's Brent Eccles. 'Lots of great country artists are coming down to New Zealand and Australia now and this will be compelling reason to have them play here. Add to this our amazing local country talent and it all adds up to a bloody good idea.' NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said the launch of iHeartCountry New Zealand aligned with the company's strategic priorities to grow its audiences. 'This addition to our audio portfolio strengthens our position to be the country's leading audio company and allows us to connect with new audiences while offering our advertising partners access to an engaged and passionate listenership. 'By identifying this gap in the market and responding to changing listener preferences, we're demonstrating our commitment to delivering content that resonates with New Zealanders.' How to tune into iHeartCountry New Zealand: Listeners can tune in to iHeartCountry New Zealand from May 9 on iHeartRadio, or via the following frequencies: Advertise with NZME. Auckland - 105.4 FM Northland - 95.6 FM Nelson - 104.0 FM Christchurch - 91.7 FM Gisborne - 88.3 FM West Coast - Greymouth 91.5 FM & 97.1 FM Reefton 99.9 FM Westport 92.5 FM Wānaka – 104.2 FM
