100 Years of ZB: The moments and stories that defined the nation and Newstalk ZB

At the very foundation of Newstalk ZB is a desire to keep New Zealand informed, and since we made the switch in 1987, we've made sure to be there for the moments that captured the nation's attention. 

Unfortunately, those moments are often tragedies – the Aramoana Massacre in 1990, 1994's Cave Creek Disaster, and in 2010 at Pike River, New Zealand's worst mining disaster since 1914. 

Following only a few months later was one of the nation's deadliest disasters, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch on February 22nd, 2011.  

Newstalk ZB quickly became a vital source of information, both for those caught in the crossfire, and those on the outside, and a special remembrance show was hosted at Hagley Park by Paul Holmes.  

The quake shook the country, which became even clearer as grieving and frightened people shared their first-hand experiences and pleas for help finding missing relatives on air. 

The partially collapsed Christ Church Cathedral in the wake of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

Our peace was shattered once more in 2019 by the worst terror attack in New Zealand's history – the shootings at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Centre. Once again, ZB kept the nation up to date. 

Six months later Whakaari / White Island erupted, and then in 2020, the Covid pandemic began. Across the next two years ZB worked tirelessly to keep Kiwis informed and became a source of connection during the lengthy lockdowns. 

There are plenty of other moments that made national headlines, one of which was one of the most infamous legal cases in country: the Bain murders. In 1995, David Bain was convicted for the murder of his family – charges he’d always denied. 

In 2009, with the help of his long-time supporter Joe Karam, he was granted a retrial. And when the verdict was announced, Newstalk ZB’s Larry Williams was all over it, interrupting his interview to take the news live. 

Another case that made headlines was the Mark Lundy murder trial. ZB was there when the verdict was handed down in 2002, and again at his retrial in 2019, when he was once again found guilty. 

Arguably our greatest New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary, died on January 11th, 2008, at age 88. Newstalk ZB carried extensive coverage as the nation mourned, broadcasting his state funeral live.  

Sir Edmund Hillary is carried in as his coffin arrives at the Holy Trinity Cathedral on Monday 21st of January, 2008, ahead of his state funeral the next day. Photo / Brett Phibbs 

Another death that rocked the nation was the murder of the iconic Sir Peter Blake in 2001, PJ Montgomery led our tribute, reminiscing on the adventurer's courtesy, consideration, and his humour.  

While New Zealand may be a tiny little country at the bottom of the world, Newstalk ZB's coverage stretches far beyond our borders.  

In 1989, only a few years after Newstalk ZB switched to its current format, the world was emerging from the depths of the cold war – amplified by the fall of the Berlin Wall.  A couple years later, the Soviet Union collapsed, and a few years after that, more barriers were broken when Nelson Mandela was elected the President of South Africa in 1994. 

At the end of August 1997, the world was shocked by the death of Princess Diana – Leighton Smith broke ZB's format to deliver the news.  

Just across the pond in 2001, tragedy struck the United States when terrorists flew planes into New York’s World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in Washington DC. With the world in chaos, Newstalk ZB shifted into full news programming for the entire day, including speaking to survivors. This, of course, led to the US beginning its ‘War on Terror’ with its invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. 

The news doesn’t stop for Christmas, and neither does Newstalk ZB. When a tsunami hit South East Asia on Boxing Day 2004, we covered the story extensively, even sending a reporter, Katie Duncan, to the scene. 

London was the next victim of a terror attack in 2005, and again, Leighton Smith broke from his usual format to keep listeners up to date. 

And then in 2008, the United States made a historic choice, electing Barack Hussein Obama as President – his inauguration dominated the ZB Breakfast show in January 2009. And when the hunt for Osama Bin Laden finally concluded after almost ten years, we covered that too. 

Barack Obama is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 44th President of the United States on the West Front of the Capitol as his wife Michelle looks on, January 20, 2009. Photo / Getty Images  

2016 brought with it a seismic shift in international politics – first the UK voted in favour of Brexit, then came the tense presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. And both times, the Mike Hosking Breakfast was there to cover the results in person. 

In 2022, another royal death sent the world into mourning – the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Mike Hosking took the news particularly hard.  

The world has seen plenty of upheaval in recent years: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Hamas' massacre in Southern Israel that led to mass conflict, and just this year, the US' war with Iran. 

ZB has long been known as a political powerhouse, asking the tough questions and holding those in power to account. It's been our mantra since we became Newstalk ZB in 1987, as the country was going through major political and economic upheaval at the time. 

The Lange Government, known for 'Rogernomics', was hit hard by Black Tuesday, the 1987 stock market crash that would see New Zealand's sharemarket fall by more than half over the following months. 

It destabilised the Labour Party, and we followed that upheaval right through to the 1990 Election – an election the National Party won by a comfortable margin. 

A change in Government did not put an end to the political and economic turmoil the country was facing, but despite Ruth Richardson's Mother of All Budgets in 1991, National was re-elected in 1993. 

Prime Minister Jim Bolger and His Finance Minister Ruth Richardson entering Bowen House to present the 1991 Budget. Photo / NZ Herald  

That election may not have brought about a change in government, but it did bring about a change in the system, New Zealand swapping out First Past the Post for the current Mixed Member Proportional system, or MMP. 

The next few decades brought new parties —NZ First, ACT, the Green Party, and The Māori Party— and long-running governments, both Labour and National leading for three terms in a row. And ZB made sure to keep New Zealand informed on everything.  

Races were tight, won and lost on the support of NZ First's Winston Peters, who had become a Kingmaker. It was on his word that Jacinda Arden's Labour Party won the 2017 Election.  

Labour swung from highs to lows, the Covid pandemic securing them a historic result in the 2020 Election, but the ongoing impacts took a toll on their support. So much so that Arden made the decision to resign. 

Election 2023 became the battle of the Chrises, Chris Hipkins leading Labour, and Christopher Luxon leading National. Election night was tense, and Mike Hosking, Kate Hawkesby, and Heather du Plessis-Allan kept the nation up to date on ZB's triennial election special. 

Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon for the Mike Hosking Leaders Breakfast. Photos / Michael Craig 

Although news and politics are our bread and butter, we never shy away from celebrating. We travelled to the UK to cover the Royal Weddings, and in 2024, Mike Hosking was lucky enough to be the New Zealand media representative at the Coronation of King Charles III. 

Newstalk ZB's legacy is built on covering the stories that matter to the average Kiwi, asking the tough questions of those in power, and providing the information, comfort, and entertainment listeners need. 

This is only a small selection of the stories we've covered over the nearly forty years we've been Newstalk ZB, and there's a whole category of iconic moments we've yet to dive into. 

For Newstalk ZB isn't only your home for news, it's your home for sport too.  

Archival audio from the collections at Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.