The network began as one, Auckland's Radio Pacific station, in 1978. Set up originally by talkback host Gordon Dryden, Radio Pacific became a New Zealand Stock Exchangelisted company, with the Totalisator Agency Board as major shareholder. The company also bought a share of a group of North Island music stations known as Energy Enterprises and merged with the South Island radio company Radio Otago in 1999. The merged company, now known as Radioworks was purchased by a subsidiary of CanWest Global Communications which at that time owned the More FM radio network and TV3. CanWest later sold off the company as part of MediaWorks New Zealand. During the 1990s Pacific became one of the first stations to be networked across the country. Although ownership of the network changed, live races and live betting odds continued to be broadcast on the network in pre-determined, limited periods during the race day under a contract with the New Zealand Racing Board. Between 2001 and 2005, this was complemented by a trial Radio Trackside station in the Southland market which simulcast Trackside TV and Radio Pacific as a dedicated racing station.
Relaunch
In April 2005, MediaWorks launched the Radio Live talkback network with newsreader Sarah Bradley and talk host Martin Devlin, making it the first New Zealand radio network to begin broadcasting nationwide on the same day. It launched the station, "the new voice of talk radio", as a sister network to Pacific, "more stimulating talk radio". The new network gained many of Radio Pacific's frequencies and presenters, including Michael Laws, Kerry Smith until 2006 and Paul Henry until 2007. Live was a dedicated talkback network that could prioritise breaking news coverage, while Radio Pacific continued as a talkback and racing network on new frequencies. John Banks, Alice Worsley and Martin Crump remained behind on Radio Pacific to present morning talkback, while a Trackside TV simulcast, branded as Radio Trackside, was broadcast in the afternoon. On 29 October 2007, the station changed its morning format to sports radio and introduced new presenters. It was initially branded as "BSport, the station you can bet on" and it was rebranded again as LiveSport in January 2010. On January 31, 2016, RadioLIVE news became Newshub. The first bulletin was presented by Leanne Malcolm.
Programs
Magic Talk broadcasts news updates, breakfast and drive current affairs, open-line talkback, and weekend lifestyle content. News, sports and weather updates are broadcast live half-hourly during current affairs programmes and hourly at other times, through a partnership with MediaWorks's 24-hour Newshub service. Newshub Live at 6 was simulcast live every night until 19 January 2020.
Stations
Frequencies
These are the frequencies Magic Talk broadcasts on:
