The station was started by Radio New Zealand (which was then known as the National Broadcasting Service) in 1961.
In the 1980s, 1ZD became known as Radio BOP and relocated to the Bay Savings Bank building on Devonport Road in Tauranga.
In the early nineties, Radio New Zealand also began rolling Newstalk ZB out across the country.
[1] In 1998, Classic Hits 95 BOP FM was reduced to just 4 hours of local programming between 6 and 10 am 7 days a week.
Outside this time nationwide shows based from Auckland took over, and the network announcers simply called the station Classic Hits.