Call signs in New Zealand

In 1929 this was expanded to the ZK–ZM letter block, with New Zealand opting for the ZL prefix for land based stations.

The International Telecommunication Union has assigned New Zealand the following call sign blocks for all radio communication, broadcasting or transmission:[4] While not directly related to call signs, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) further has divided all countries assigned amateur radio prefixes into three regions; New Zealand is located in ITU Region 3, within ITU Zone 60.

This provides for about 720,000 three-character-suffix call signs and significantly more if numerals comprise either or both of the first two characters of the suffix.

The ZM prefix can be substituted for ZL for contests and commemorative events, at the discretion of the licensee.

A "stand-down" period of six months applies in regard to the reallocation of temporary call signs to the same licence holder or club.

However, the call sign may be reallocated for further 12-month periods without stand-down, provided the licence authority receives at the time of the application (which must be made prior to the expiry of the then current 12-month period) evidence to the licensing authority's satisfaction that a temporary call sign is being used on a regular basis.

The E5 prefix for the Cook Islands produces two-numeral callsigns when the separating numeral is attached.

For example, the holder of ZL1WZZ celebrating 40 years in amateur radio may be allocated, for a 3-month period, the callsign ZL40WZZ.

The last letter was either the first letter of the location, (e.g. 1ZH in Hamilton and 4ZG in Gore) or was assigned in order with ZB going to the four main centres (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) and ZA going to the second largest region at the time such as 1ZA Taupo, 2ZA Palmerston North, 3ZA Greymouth and 4ZA Invercargill.

The FM call signs assigned to Concert FM usually followed the format of the area number, the first letter of the city or region and then the letters CP (Concert Programme), for example 1ACP in Auckland and 4DCP in Dunedin.

Coastal radio stations operated by the New Zealand Post Office to serve shipping traffic were allocated callsigns consisting of the ZL prefix and a single letter.