Oh the blessed irony . Newstalk ZB was an RNZ station don't forget, until the Nats sold RNZ's entire network, destroying local radio in the process despite the insistence of ZB managers ( like Bill Francis, now on the Board at RNZ) that the provinces would not miss out. Well, they did.

ZB was supported by RNZ right through its "difficult period" following the format change. If it had set up at the same time the public broadcaster was split up , I doubt whether it would have survived.

Exactly. RNZ just doesn't go there.