Newstalk ZB is New Zealand's dominant talkback network, owned by NZME and descended from Auckland's 1ZB, which first went to air in 1936. Its formula of breaking news, opinionated hosts and open-line calls sets the agenda in markets nationwide. The Mike Hosking Breakfast leads the weekday line-up, followed by talkback through the day and sport at night. ZB's newsroom feeds bulletins across the NZME group, and its hosts' interviews with politicians and newsmakers regularly make headlines well beyond the radio audience.
