RadioWorks Acquires Marlborough Stations

RadioWorks Acquires Marlborough Stations

RadioWorks, a MediaWorks Company, is to acquire the Blenheim based Marlborough Media radio business. Marlborough Media owns and operates Sounds FM in Blenheim, Picton and Kaikoura, as well as Easy FM in Blenheim and Picton.

"This is a great acquisition for RadioWorks, giving us an instant presence in several important South Island markets, with two very strong brands," said Sussan Turner, Chief Operating Officer of RadioWorks.

"Sounds FM especially is well known throughout the region and we are delighted to be retaining it as a live and local station," she said.

"We are also big supporters of the easy listening format of Easy FM. Our brand The Breeze is a very similar format," said Ms Turner.

The current owners of Marlborough Media say they are pleased to be handing the stations to a company committed to producing live and local radio.

"We have been involved with Sounds FM for 17 years. It was the first FM station in Marlborough so we have somewhat mixed emotions, but are delighted the stations are going to operators who are passionate about local radio," said Dr Lynda Scott-Kelly, Marlborough Media Director.

"There have been many highlights over the years, including the New Zealand Radio Awards for Provincial Station of the Year at the at the turn of the millennium and Outstanding Community Contribution along with numerous announcing and programming awards. We have great staff who form a dedicated team with a proud history," she said.

"We wish RadioWorks every ongoing success with the stations," she said.

The change in ownership will occur on Monday, 31 December 2007. There will be no redundancies as a result of the change in ownership.

MediaWorks NZ Limited is a subsidiary of HT Media Holdings Limited.

MediaWorks (website: www.mediaworks.co.nz) is New Zealand's leading private sector broadcast and online media company. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries and divisions - TVWorks Limited, RadioWorks Limited and NetWorks, it owns and operates the TV3 and C4 television networks, national radio brands The Edge, The Rock, More FM, Kiwi FM, RadioLIVE, BSport, Solid Gold and The Breeze, plus several local radio stations.

ENDS

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