About Us
Moana Radio serves te rohe o Tauranga with pride, offering diverse hōtaka & a strong aroaro hapori.
In 1989, a Radio Committee under the Tauranga Moana Māori District Council was established with a vision to create a radio station for the local Māori audience. The following year, in 1990, the Ministry of Commerce granted a licence to the three iwi rūnanga for the 1440AM frequency.
On Sunday, February 3rd, 1991, Te Reo o Tauranga Moana was officially launched at Hungahungatoroa Marae.
By March 1991, the station had secured its first permanent home at 3 Harington Street, Tauranga, overlooking the moana. In 1995, the station’s name was simplified to Moana AM.
Tauranga Moana, Tauranga Tangata is more than just a statement, it is the very identity of our station.
In January 1997, with funding support from Te Māngai Pāho, the station upgraded to a digital broadcast automation system, leaving behind the old-school setup still fondly remembered today.
A significant milestone came in September 2000 with the formation of the Te Reo Irirangi o Tauranga Moana Charitable Trust. The nine-member board of trustees, made up of three representatives from each iwi – Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, and Ngāti Pūkenga – continues to serve as the executive board for Moana Communications.
In November 2001, the station relocated from Harington Street to Wharf Street in Tauranga’s CBD. It moved again in 2018 to its current home on Spring Street, right beside the University of Waikato Tauranga Campus.