Radio was once the main source of entertainment in the family home

Families gathered around the radio for music, requests, and shared routines

Television later disrupted this shared listening culture and changed family life

Palmerston North originally had only one commercial radio station, 2ZA

Non-commercial national radio later filled a gap for listeners seeking alternatives

Once all radio stations operated on the AM band, now most have switched to FM.

Technical staff numbers were once large and essential to daily broadcasting

The arrival of private and FM radio greatly increased competition and choice

Modern networking has weakened the local presence of many radio stations

Civil defence emergencies revealed serious flaws in centralised broadcasting systems

Low-power community FM stations proved effective in local crises

Volunteer-run stations like Radio Woodville show the enduring value of local radio

Most radio stations are now streaming on the internet with potentially greater coverage than FM.