Hokonui also from April 2015 was broadcasting in Taranaki until late in 2020 when it was disestablished by NZME and replaced by Gold AM.
Over the years Hokonui Gold continued to operate independently and competed well against many new network stations that arrived in Southland during the late 1990s.
Hokonui Gold pride itself on being a local station and once published advertisements stating We believe Auckland radio should stay in Auckland and Our bosses don't live in Canada or Ireland, emphasizing the fact the station is locally owned and operated.
Despite this change, Hokonui Gold still remained live and local but now used Newstalk ZB news service and The Radio Network advertising.
In the case of the weekday afternoon show Peter Mac produces a local voice for Hokonui Ashburton, Southland and Radio Wanaka.
The Best of The Muster: 5-6 AM with Andy Muir Southland & South Otago Breakfast: 6-10 AM with Kirstin "Chitty" Chittock.
Ashburton Breakfast: 6-10 AM with Luke Howden Mornings: 10AM-Midday "The 70s, 80s and 90s Mix 'til Midday" The Country: 12-1 PM with Jamie MacKay (presented from NZME's Dunedin studios) The Muster: 1-2 PM with Andy Muir (presented from NZME's Gore studios for Southland stations only) Afternoons: 1-6 PM (except Southland stations) / 2-6 PM (Southland stations only) with Peter Mac (presented from NZME's Ashburton studios) Southland and South Otago Saturday Mornings are presented by Patrina Roche.
The Country (previously The Farming Show) with Jamie Mackay airs from midday to 1 pm weekdays and is presented and produced in Dunedin.
"[3] While the show could previously be heard online as well as on Hokonui Gold, programming was extended to selected Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport stations in 2004.
A second Southland-focused rural programme, the Muster, presented by Andy Thompson, can be heard exclusively on Hokonui's Southland and South Otago stations.
[6] In 2013, the authority upheld a complaint against MacKay for naming a Queenstown bar, and criticising both the venue and its staff.
This was part of a rebrand exercise which included new station imaging, logo along with a shift to a contemporary country music format.
Radio Clutha itself used to receive its programming outside of breakfast from Hokonui Gold but retained its own continuity and commercials.
The 1557AM frequency previously broadcast NZME's network station Coast which featured a local breakfast show hosted by Bryan Vickery from their Hāwera studios.